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CHORUS.

Yet with this strength thou serv'st the Philistines, Idolatrous, uncircumcis'd, unclean.

SAMSON.

Not in their idol-worship, but by labour
Honest and lawful to deserve my food
Of those who have me in their civil power.

CHORUS.

1365

Where the heart joins not, outward acts defile not.

SAMSON.

Where outward force constrains, the sentence holds. But who constrains me to the temple' of Dagon, 1370 Not dragging? the Philistian lords command. Commands are no constraints. If I obey them, I do it freely, vent'ring to displease

God for the fear of man, and man prefer,

Set God behind: which in his jealousy
Shall never, unrepented, find forgiveness.
Yet that he may dispense with me or thee
Present in temples at idolatrous rites

For some important cause, thou need'st not doubt.

CHORUS.

1375

How thou wilt here come off surmounts my reach. 1380 SAMSON.

Be of good courage, I begin to feel

Some rousing motions in me which dispose
To something extraordinary my thoughts.
I with this messenger will go along,

1377. Yet that he may dispense &c.] Milton here probably had in view the story of Naaman the Syrian's begging a dispensation

of this sort from Elisha, which he seemingly grants him. See 2 Kings v. 18, 19. Thyer.

1384. I with this messenger will

Nothing to do, be sure, that may dishonour
Our law, or stain my vow of Nazarite.
If there be ought of presage in the mind,
This day will be remarkable in my life
By some great act, or of my days the last.
CHORUS.

In time thou hast resolv'd, the man returns.
OFFICER.:

Samson, this second message from our lords
To thee I am bid say.. Art thou our slave,
Our captive, at the public mill our drudge,
And dar'st thou at our sending and command
Dispute thy coming? come without delay;
Or we shall find such engines to assail

And hamper thee, as thou shalt come of force,
Though thou wert firmlier fasten'd than a rock.

SAMSON.

1385

1390

1395

I could be well content to try their art, Which to no few of them would prove pernicious. 1400 Yet knowing their advantages too many, Because they shall not trail me through their streets Like a wild beast, I am content to go. Masters' commands come with a pow'r resistless

go along,] With what messenger? It was not expressly said before that the messenger was coming; it was implied indeed in what the Chorus had said,

How thou wilt here come off surmounts my reach:

and this might very well be understood by a man, who could see the messenger coming as well as the Chorus, but seems

hardly a sufficient intimation to a blind man, unless we suppose him to know that the messenger was coming by the same impulse that he felt rousing him to something extraordinary.

1404. Masters' commands &c.] This was a feint, but it had betrayed itself had it not been covered by ver. 1408.

Yet this be sure &c.

Warburton.

To such as owe them absolute subjection;

And for a life who will not change his purpose?
(So mutable are all the ways of men)
Yet this be sure, in nothing to comply

Scandalous or forbidden in our law.

OFFICER.

I praise thy resolution; doff these links: By this compliance thou wilt win the lords To favour, and perhaps to set thee free. SAMSON.

Brethren farewel; your company along

1405

1410

I will not wish, lest it perhaps offend them
To see me girt with friends; and how the sight
Of me as of a common enemy,

1415

So dreaded once, may now exasperate them
I know not: lords are lordliest in their wine;
And the well-feasted priest then soonest fir'd
With zeal, if ought religion seem concern'd;
No less the people on their holy-days
Impetuous, insolent, unquenchable:
Happen what may, of me expect to hear
Nothing dishonourable, impure, unworthy
Our God, our law, my nation, or myself,
The last of me or no I cannot warrant.

1410. I praise thy resolution:] That is, of going, not what he said last. Richardson.

1418. -lords are lordliest in

their wine,

And the well-feasted priest &c.] First he expresses his contempt of a Nobility and an opulent Clergy, that is, lords both tem

1420

1425

poral and spiritual, whom he tacitly compares with the lords and priests of Dagon; and then, ver 1421. he insinuates that holidays also are of heathen institution. He had spoken with more complacency of holidays in l'Allegro, 97. T. Warton.

CHORUS.

Go, and the Holy One

Of Israel be thy guide

To what may serve his glory best, and spread his name Great among the heathen round;

Send thee the angel of thy birth, to stand

Fast by thy side, who from thy father's field
Rode up in flames after his message told

Of thy conception, and be now a shield

Of fire; that Spirit that first rush'd on thee
In the camp of Dan

Be efficacious in thee now at need.

For never was from heav'n imparted

Measure of strength so great to mortal seed,
As in thy wondrous actions hath been seen.
But wherefore comes old Manoah in such haste
With youthful steps? much livelier than ere while
He seems; supposing here to find his son,

Or of him bringing to us some glad news?

MANOAH.

1430

1435

1440

Peace with you, brethren? my inducement hither 1445 Was not at present here to find my son,

By order of the lords new parted hence
To come and play before them at their feast.
I heard all as I came, the city rings,

And numbers thither flock, I had no will,

Lest I should see him forc'd to things unseemly. But that which mov'd my coming now, was chiefly To give ye part with me what hope I have

With good success to work his liberty.

x 3

1450

CHORUS.

That hope would much rejoice us to partake With thee; say, reverend Sire, we thirst to hear. MANOAH.

I have attempted one by one the lords

Either at home, or through the high street passing,
With supplication prone and father's tears,
T' accept of ransom for my son their pris'ner.
Some much averse I found and wondrous harsh,
Contemptuous, proud, set on revenge and spite;
That part most reverenc'd Dagon and his priests:
Others more moderate seeming, but their aim
Private reward, for which both God and State
They easily would set to sale: a third:
More generous far and civil, who confess'd
They had enough reveng'd, having reduc'd
Their foe to misery beneath their fears,
The rest was magnanimity to remit,

I

If some convenient ransom were propos❜d.moi i
What noise or shout was that? it tore the sky.
CHORUS.

Doubtless the people shouting to behold

1455

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1465

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1470

Their once great dread, captive, and blind before them, Or at some proof of strength before them shown. 1475

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