Of Timna first betray me, and reveal
The fecret wrefted from me in her highth
Of nuptial love profefs'd, carrying it strait
To them who had corrupted her, my spies
And rivals? In this other was there found
More faith, who alfo in her prime of love,
Spoufal embraces, vitiated with gold,
Though offer'd only, by the fcent conceiv'd
Her spurious firft-born, treason against me?
Thrice she assay'd with flattering prayers and fighs,
And amorous reproaches, to win from me
My capital fecret, in what part my strength
Lay ftor'd, in what part fumm'd, that she might know;
Thrice I deluded her, and turn'd to sport
Her importunity, each time perceiving
How openly, and with what impudence,
She purpos'd to betray me, and (which was worse
Than undiffembled hate) with what contempt
She fought to make me traitor to myself;
Yet the fourth time, when mustering all her wiles,
With blandish'd parlies, feminine affaults,
Tongue-batteries, fhe furceas'd not day nor night
To storm me over-watch'd, and wearied out,
At times when men feek most repose and rest,
I yielded, and unlock'd her all my heart,
Who with a grain of manhood well refolv'd
Might eafily have shook off all her fnares:
But foul effeminacy held me yok'd
Her bond-flave; O indignity, O blot
To honor and religion! fervile mind
Rewarded well with fervile punishment!
The bafe degree to which I now am fall'n,
These rags, this grinding is not yet so base
As was my former fervitude, ignoble,
Unmanly, ignominious, infamous,
True flavery, and that blindnefs worse than this,
That faw not how degenerately I ferv'd.
MAN. I cannot praise thy marriage choices, Son, Rather approv'd them not; but thou didft plead Divine impulfion prompting how thou might'ft Find fome occafion to infelt our foes.
I ftate not that; this I am fure, our foes
Found foon occasion thereby to make thee
Their captive, and their triumph; thou the fooner
Temptation found'ft, or over-potent charms
To violate the facred truft of filence
Depofited within thee; which to have kept
Tacit, was in thy power: true; and thou bear'st 430
Enough, and more, the burden of that fault;
Bitterly haft thou paid, and still art paying
That rigid score. A worfe thing yet remains,
This day the Philistines a popular feast
Here celebrate in Gaza; and proclame
Great pomp, and facrifice, and praises loud
To Dagon, as their God who hath deliver'd
Thee, Samfon, bound and blind into their hands,
Them out of thine, who flew'ft them
many a flain.
So Dagon shall be magnify'd; and God,
Befides whom is no God, compar'd with idols
Difglorify'd, blafphem'd, and had in fcorn
By the idolatrous rout amidst their wine;
Which to have come to pass by means of thee,
Samfon, of all thy fufferings think the heaviest,
Of all reproach the most with shame that ever
Could have befall'n thee and thy father's house.
SAMS. Father, I do acknowledge and confefs
That I this honor, I this pomp have brought
To Dagon, and advanc'd his praises high
Among the Heathen round; to God have brought
Dishonor, obloquy, and op'd the mouths
Of idolists, and atheists; have brought scandal
To Ifrael, diffidence of God, and doubt
In feeble hearts, propense enough before
To waver, or fall off and join with idols;
Which is my chief affliction, shame, and sorrow,
The anguish of my foul, that fuffers not
Mine eye to harbour fleep, or thoughts to rest.
This only hope relieves me, that the ftrife
With me hath end; all the contéft is now
"Twixt God and Dagon; Dagon hath prefum'd,
Me overthrown, to enter lifts with God,
His deity comparing and preferring
Before the God of Abraham. He, be fure,
Will not connive, or linger, thus provok'd,
But will arife and his great name affert :
Dagon must stoop, and shall ere long receive
Such a discomfit, as shall quite despoil him
Of all these boafted trophies won on me,
And with confufion blank his worshipers.
MAN. With caufe this hope relieves thee, and these
I as a prophecy receive; for God,
Nothing more certain, will not long defer
To vindicate the glory of his name
Against all competition, nor will long-
Indure it doubtful whether God be Lord,
Or Dagon. But for thee what shall be done!'
Thou must not in the mean while here forgot.
Lie in this miferable loathfome plight
Neglected. I already have made way
To fome Philiftian lords, with whom to treat
About thy ransome: well they may by this
Have fatisfied their utmost of revenge
By pains and flaveries, worse than death inflicted 485
On thee, who now no more canft do them harm.
SAMS. Spare that proposal, Father, fpare the trouble
Of that folicitation; let me here,
As I deferve, pay on my punishment;
And expiate, if poffible, my crime,
Shameful garrulity. To have reveal'd
Secrets of men, the fecrets of a friend;
How heinous had the fact been, how deferving
Contempt, and scorn of all, to be excluded
All friendship, and avoided as a blab,
The mark of fool fet on his front!'
But I God's counsel have not kept, his holy fecret
Prefumptuously have publish'd, impiously,
Weakly at least, and shamefully: a fin
That Gentiles in their parables condemn
To their abyss and horrid pains confin'd.
MAN. Be penitent and for thy fault contrite,
But act not in thy own affliction, Son:
Repent the fin; but if the punishment
Thou canft avoid, felf-prefervation bids;
Or th' execution leave to high difpofal,
And let another hand, not thine, exact
Thy penal forfeit from thyfelf; perhaps
God will relent, and quit thee all his debt;
Who ever more approves and more accepts
(Beft pleas'd with humble' and filial fubmiffion)
Him who imploring mercy fues for life,
Than who felf-rigorous chooses death as due;
Which argues over-just, and self-displeas'd
For felf-offenfe, more than for God offended.
Reject not then what offer'd means; who knows
But God hath fet before us, to return thee
Home to thy country and his facred house,
Where thou mayft bring thy offerings, to avert
His further ire, with prayers and vows renew'd?
SAMS. His pardon I implore; but as for life, To what end should I seek it? When in strength All mortals I excell'd, and great in hopes With youthful courage and magnanimous thoughts Of birth from Heav'n foretold and high exploits, 525 Full of divine inftinct, after fome proof
Of acts indeed heroic, far beyond
The fons of Anak, famous now and blaz'd,
Fearless of danger, like a petty God
I walk'd about admir'd of all and dreaded
On hoftile ground, none daring my affront.
Then swoll'n with pride into the fnare I fell
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