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The fumptuous Dalila floting this way:
His habit carries peace, his brow defiance.

SAMS. Or peace or not, alike to me he comes.
CHO. His fraught we soon shall know, he now arrives.
HAR. I come not, Samfon, to condole thy chance,
As these perhaps, yet wish it had not been,
Though for no friendly intent. I am of Gath,
Men call me Harapha, of stock renown'd
As Og or Anak and the Emims old

That Kiriathaim held, thou know't me now
If thou at all art known. Much I have heard
Of thy prodigious might and feats perform'd
Incredible to me, in this difpleas'd,

That I was never prefent on the place

Of thofe encounters, where we might have try'd
Each other's force in camp or lifted field;

And now am come to see of whom such noise
Hath walk'd about, and each limb to furvey,
If thy appearance answer loud report.

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SAMS. The way to know were not to fee but tafte. HAR. Doft thou already fingle me? I thought Gyves and the mill had tam'd thee. O that fortune Had brought me to the field, where thou art fam'd To' have wrought fuch wonders with an afs's jaw; 1095 I should have forc'd thee foon with other arms, Or left thy carcafs where the afs lay thrown: So had the glory' of prowefs been recover'd To Palestine, won by a Philistine,

From the unforeskin'd race, of whom thou bear'ft 1100 The higheft name for valiant acts; that honor

Certain

Certain to' have won by mortal duel from thee,
I lose, prevented by thy eyes put out.

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SAMS. Boaft not of what thou wouldft have done, but
What then thou wouldft, thou feeft it in thy hand.
HAR. To combat with a blind man I difdain,
And thou haft need much washing to be touch'd.
SAMS. Such ufage as your honorable lords
Afford me' affaffinated and betray'd,
Who durft not with their whole united powers
In fight withstand me single and unarm'd,
Nor in the house with chamber ambushes
Close-banded durft attack me, no not fleeping
Till they had hir'd a woman with their gold
Breaking her marriage faith to circumvent me. 1115
Therefore without feign'd fhifts let be affign'd

Some narrow place inclos'd, where fight may give thee,
Or rather flight, no great advantage on me;
Then put on all thy gorgeous arms, thy helmet
And brigandine of brafs, thy broad habergeon, 1120
Vant-brafs and greves, and gauntlet, add thy fpear,
A weaver's beam, and seven-times-folded shield,
I only with an oaken staff will meet thee,

And raise fuch outcries on thy clatter'd iron,
Which long shall not withhold me from thy head, 1125
That in a little time while breath remains thee,
Thou oft fhalt with thyself at Gath to boast
Again in fafety what thou wouldst have done
To Samfon, but shalt never see Gath more.
HAR. Thou durft not thus difparage glorious arms,
Which greatest heroes have in battle worn,

Their ornament and safety, had not spells

And black inchantments, fome magician's art,

Arm'd thee or charm'd thee strong, which thou from
Heaven

Feign'dft at thy birth was giv'n thee in thy hair, 1135
Where ftrength can least abide, though all thy hairs
Were briftles rang'd like those that ridge the back
Of chaf'd wild boars, or ruffled porcupines.
SAMS. I know no spells, use no forbidden arts;
My truft is in the living God, who gave me
At my nativity this ftrength, diffus'd

No less through all my finews, joints, and bones,
Than thine, while I preferv'd thefe locks unshorn,
The pledge of my unviolated vow.

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For proof hereof, if Dagon be thy God,

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Go to his temple, invocate his aid

With folemnest devotion, spread before him
How highly it concerns his glory now

To fruftrate and diffolve thefe magic spells,
Which I to be the power of Ifrael's God
Avow, and challenge Dagon to the test,
Offering to combat thee his champion bold,
With th' utmost of his Godhead feconded:
Then thou shalt fee, or rather to thy forrow

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Soon feel, whofe God is ftrongeft, thine or mine. 1155
HAR. Prefume not on thy God, whate'er he be
Thee he regards not, owns not, hath cut off
Quite from his people, and deliver'd up
Into thy enemies' hand, permitted them

To put out both thine eyes, and fetter'd fend thee

Into

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Into the common prison, there to grind

Among the flaves and affes thy comrades,
As good for nothing else, no better service
With those thy boisterous locks, no worthy match
For valor to affail, nor by the fword

Of noble warrior, so to stain his honor,
But by the barber's razor best subdued.

SAMS. All these indignities, for fuch they are
From thine, these evils I deferve and more,
Acknowledge them from God inflicted on me
Juftly, yet despair not of his final pardon
Whose ear is ever open, and his eye
Gracious to re-admit the fuppliant:
In confidence whercof I once again
Defy thee to the trial of mortal fight,
By combat to decide whofe God is God,
Thine, or whom I with Ifrael's fons adore.

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HAR. Fair honor that thou doft thy God, in trusting

He will accept thee to defend his cause,

A Murderer, a Revolter, and a Robber.

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SAMS. Tongue-doughty Giant, how doft thou prove

me these?

HAR. Is not thy nation subject to our lords?
Their magiftrates confefs'd it, when they took thee
As a league-breaker, and deliver'd bound

Into our hands: for hadft thou not committed 1185
Notorious murder on those thirty men

At Afcalon, who never did thee harm,
Then like a robber ftripp'dit them of their robes ?
The Philistines, when thou hadst broke the league,

Went

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Went up with armed powers thee only seeking, 1190
To others did no violence nor fpoil.

SAMS. Among the daughters of the Philistines
I chose a wife, which argued me no foe;
And in your city held my nuptial feast:
But your ill-meaning politician lords,
Under pretence of bridal friends and guests,
Appointed to await me thirty fpies,

Who threatning cruel death conftrain'd the bride
To wring from me and tell to them my secret,
That folv'd the riddle which I had propos'd.
When I perceiv'd all set on enmity,
As on my enemies, wherever chanc'd,
I us'd hoftility, and took their spoil
To pay my underminers in their coin.
My nation was fubjected to your lords.
It was the force of conqueft; force with force
Is well ejected when the conquer'd can.
But I a private person, whom my country
As a league-breaker gave up bound, prefum'd
Single rebellion, and did hoftile acts.

I was no private but a perfon rais'd

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With ftrength fufficient and command from Heaven To free my country; if their fervile minds

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Me their deliverer fent would not receive,
But to their masters gave me up for nought,
Th' unworthier they; whence to this day they serve.
I was to do my part from Heav'n affign'd,
And had perform'd it, if my known offense
Had not difabled me, not all your force:

Thefe

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