In Silo, his bright sanctuary : Among them he a Spirit of phrenzy sent, And urg'd them on with mad desire Their own destruction to come speedy upon So fond are mortal men, Fall'n into wrath divine, As their own ruin on themselves to invite, And with blindness internal struck. them. 2 Semichor. But he, though blind of sight, Despis'd and thought extinguish'd quite, With inward eyes illuminated, His fiery virtue rous'd From under ashes into sudden flame. And as an evening dragon came, Assailant on the perched roosts And nests in order rang'd Of tame villatick fowl; but as an eagle His cloudless thunder bolted on their heads. So Virtue, given for lost, Depress'd, and overthrown, as seem'd, Like that self-begotten bird In the Arabian woods embost, That no second knows nor third, And lay ere while a holocaust, From out her ashy womb now teem'd, Revives, reflourishes, then vigorous most And, though her body die, her fame survives A secular bird ages of lives. Manoah. Come, come; no time for lamentation now, Nor much more cause; Samson hath quit himself Like Samson, and heroickly hath finish'd A life heriock, on his enemies Fully reveng'd, and left them years of mourning, Or knock the breast; no weakness, no contempt, Soak'd in his enemies blood; and from the stream With lavers pure, and cleansing herbs, wash off The clotted gore. I, with what speed the while, (Gaza is not in plight to say us nay,) Will send for all my kindred, all my friends, To fetch him hence, and solemnly attend With silent obsequy, and funeral train, Home to his father's house: there will I build him Chorus. All is best, though we oft doubt What the unsearchable dispose Of highest Wisdom brings about, And ever best found in the close. Oft he seems to hide his face, But unexpectedly returns, And to his faithful champion hath in place And all that band them to resist His uncontrollable intent; His servants he with new acquist Of true experience, from this great event 1758 |