Thy anger, unappeasable, still rages, Why do I humble thus myself, and suing For peace, reap nothing but repulse and hate? 965 970 975 980 In Ecron, Gaza, Asdod, and in Gath, 985 Jael, who with inhospitable guile Smote Sisera sleeping through the temples nail'd. 990 The public marks of honour and reward Conferr'd upon me, for the piety Which to my country I was judg'd to' have shown. At this who ever envies or repines, I leave him to his lot, and like my own. CHORUS. She's gone, a manifest serpent by her sting Discover'd in the end, till now conceal'd. 995 Jael is celebrated in the noble song of Deborah and Barak, Judges v. and Deborah dwelt between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim. Judges iv. 5. 995. At this who ever envies or repines, I leave him to his lot, and like Ότῳ δε μη ταδ' εστιν εν γνώμη φίλα, Cui autem hæc non sunt cordi, Calton. SAMSON. So let her go, God sent her to debase me, Of secresy, my safety, and my life. CHORUS. 1000 Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power, After offence returning, to regain Love once possess'd, nor can be easily Repuls'd, without much inward passion felt And secret sting of amorous remorse. SAMSON. Love-quarrels oft in pleasing concord end, Not wedlock-treachery indang'ring life. CHORUS. It is not virtue, wisdom, valour, wit, 1003. Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power, &c.] This truth Milton has finely exemplified in Adam forgiving Eve, and he had full experience of it in his own case, as the reader may see in the note upon Paradise Lost, x. 940. 1008. Love-quarrels oft in pleasing concord end,] Terence, Andria iii. iii. 23. Amantium iræ, amoris integratio est. 1010. It is not virtue, &c.] However just the observation may be, that Milton in his Paradise Lost seems to court the favour of the female sex, it is very certain, that he did not carry the same complaisance into this performance. What the Chorus here says outgoes the very bitterest satire of Euripides, who was 1005 1010 called the woman-hater. It may be said indeed in excuse, that the occasion was very provoking, and that these reproaches are rather to be looked upon as a sudden start of resentment, than cool and sober reasoning. Thyer. These reflections are the more severe, as they are not spoken by Samson, who might be supposed to utter them out of pique and resentment, but are delivered by the Chorus as serious and important truths. But by all accounts Milton himself had suffered some uneasiness through the temper and behaviour of two of his wives; and no wonder therefore that upon so tempting an occasion as this he indulges his spleen a little, depreciates the qualifications of the women, Strength, comeliness of shape, or amplest merit Harder to hit, (Which way soever men refer it,) Much like thy riddle Samson, in one day If any of these or all, the Timnian bride 1015 Thy paranymph, worthless to thee compar'd, 1020 Nor both so loosely disallied Their nuptials, nor this last so treacherously Had shorn the fatal harvest of thy head. Is it for that such outward ornament 1025 Was lavish'd on their sex, that inward gifts Were left for haste unfinish'd, judgment scant, Or value what is best In choice, but oftest to affect the wrong? Of constancy no root infix'd, That either they love nothing, or not long? and asserts the superiority of the men, and to give these sentiments the greater weight puts them into the mouth of the Chorus. 1020. Thy paranymph,] Brideman. But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend. Judg. xiv. 20. Richardson. 1034. ―to wisest men and best] VOL. III. 1030 Seeming at first all heav'nly under virgin veil, Once join'd, the contrary she proves, a thorn A cleaving mischief, in his way to virtue With dotage, and his sense deprav'd To folly and shameful deeds which ruin ends. Imbark'd with such a steers-mate at the helm ? Favour'd of heav'n who finds One virtuous rarely found, That in domestic good combines : Happy that house his way to peace is smooth: 1035 1040 1045 1050 rizes the women in general, like them too he commends the virtuous and good, and esteems a good wife a blessing from the Lord. Prov. xviii. 22. Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord. xix. 14. A prudent wife is from the Lord. Ecclus. xxvi. 1, 2. Blessed is the man that hath a virtuous wife, for the number of his days shall be double. A virtuous woman rejoiceth her husband, and he shall fulfil the years of his life in peace, &c. This is much better than condemning all without distinction, as Juvenal and Boileau have done, the former in his sixth, and the latter in his tenth satire. |