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 foon fhall know, he now arrives.
HAR. I come not, Samson, to condole thy chance,
As thefe 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'it 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 those encounters, where we might have try'd
Each other's force in camp or lifted field;
And now am come to fee of whom such noise
Hath walk'd about, and each limb to survey,
If thy appearance answer loud report.

1099

SAMS. The way to know were not to fee but taste.
HAR. Doft thou already single 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 fhould have forc'd thee foon with other arms,

1080

1085

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 11cO
The highest name for valiant acts; that honor

Certain

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

[do

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 disdain, 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 fingle 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 shifts 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 fhield, I only with an oaken staff will meet thee, And raife 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 shalt wish thyself at Gath to boast Again in fafety what thou wouldst have done To Samfon, but shalt never fee 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 leaft abide, though all thy hairs
Were bristles 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 1140
At my nativity this strength, diffus'd

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

For proof hereof, if Dagon be thy God,
Go to his temple, invocate his aid
With folemneft 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
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 send thee

1145

1150

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

116;

SAMS. All these indignities, for fuch they are
From thine, these evils I deferve and more,
Acknowledge them from God inflicted on me
Justly, 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.

1161

1170

1175

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.

1180

SAMS. Tongue-doughty Giant, how doft thou prove me these?

HAR. Is not thy nation fubject 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

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

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 spies,
Who threatning cruel death constrain'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 fet 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 perfon, whom my country
As a league-breaker gave up bound, prefum'd
Single rebellion, and did hoftile acts.

1195

I 200

1205

1210

I was no private but a perfon rais'd

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

Me their deliverer fent would not receive,

But to their masters gave me up for nought,

1215

S

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