Or do my eyes misrepresent? Can this be he, Irresistible Samson? whom unarm'd No strength of man, or fiercest wild beast, could withstand; Who tore the lion, as the lion tears the kid; And, weaponless himself, Made arms ridiculous, useless the forgery Of brazen shield and spear, the hammer'd cuirass, Chalybean temper'd steel, and frock of mail Adamantéan proof? But safest he who stood aloof, When insupportably his foot advanc'd, In scorn of their proud arms and warlike tools, Spurn'd them to death by troops. The bold Asca lonite Fled from his lion ramp; old warriours turn'd Or groveling, soil'd their crested helmets in the dust. Then with what trivial weapon came to hand, The jaw of a dead ass, his sword of bone, A thousand fore-skins fell, the flower of Palestine, In Ramath-le chi, famous to this day. Then by main force pull'd up, and on his shoulders bore The gates of Azza, post, and massy bar, Up to the hill by Hebron, seat of giants old, Thy bondage or lost sight, Inseparably dark? Thou art become (O worst imprisonment !) The dungeon of thyself; thy soul, (Which men enjoying sight oft without cause complain) Imprison'd now indeed, In real darkness of the body dwells, Shut up from outward light To incorporate with gloomy night; For inward light alas ! Puts forth no visual beam. O mirrour of our fickle state, Since man on earth unparallell'd! The rarer thy example stands, By how much from the top of wonderous glory, Strongest of mortal men, To lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fallen. For him I reckon not in high estate Whom long descent of birth, Or the sphere of fortune, raises; But thee whose strength, while virtue was her mate, Might have subdued the earth, Universally crown'd with highest praises.. Samson. I hear the sound of words; their sense the air Dissolves unjointed ere it reach my ear. Chorus. He speaks, let us draw nigh. Match-` less in might, The glory late of Israel, now the grief, We come, thy friends and neighbours not unknown, To visit or bewail thee; or if better, Salve to thy sores; apt words have power to swage And are as balm to fester'd wounds. Samson. Your coming, Friends, revives me; for I learn Now of my own experience, not by talk, Friends, Ye see, 0 How many evils have enclos'd me round; Yet that which was the worst now least afflicts me, Blindness; for had I sight, confus'd with shame, How could I once look up, or heave the head, Who, like a foolish pilot, have shipwreck'd My vessel trusted to me from above, Chorus. Tax not divine disposal; wisest men Have err'd, and by bad women been deceiv'd; And shall again, pretend they ne'er so wise. Deject not then so overmuch thyself, Who hast of sorrow thy full load besides: Yet truth to say, I oft have heard men wonder Why thou shouldst wed Philistian women rather Than of thine own tribe fairer, or as fair, At least of thy own nation, and as noble. Samson. The first I saw at Timna, and she Me, not my parents, that I sought to wed The work to which I was divinely call'd. That specious monster, my accomplish'd snare. Chorus. In seeking just occasion to provoke Thou never wast remiss, I bear thee witness: Yet Israël still serves with all his sons. Samson. That fault I take not on me, but transfer On Israel's governours and heads of tribes, Who, seeing those great acts which God had done. Acknowledg'd not, or not at all consider'd, Us'd no ambition to commend my deeds; The deeds themselves, though mute, spoke loud the doer : But they persisted deaf, and would not seem To count them things worth notice, till at length Their lords the Philistines with gather'd powers Enter'd Judea seeking me, who then |