In confidence whereof I once again
Defy thee to the trial of mortal fight,
By combat to decide whose God is God,
Thine, or whom I with Israel's sons adore.

HARAPHA.

Fair honour that thou dost thy God, in trusting
He will accept thee to defend his cause,
A murderer, a revolter, and a robber.

1180

SAMSON.

Tongue-doughty giant, how dost thou prove me these ?

HARAPHA.

Is not thy nation subject to our lords?
Their magistrates .confessed it, when they took thee
As a league-breaker, and delivered bound
Into our hands : for hadst thou not committed
Notorious murder on those thirty men
At Ascalon, who never did thee harm,
Then like a robber strippedst them of their robes ?
The Philistines, when thou hadst broke the league,
Went up with armed powers thee only seeking,
To others did no violence nor spoil.

1190

ώ δή πεποιθώς, δευτέροις κηρύγμασιν αυτόν κελεύω σ', οπότερός γ' έσται θεός, είτ' ουν σος, είτ' έμής ος αισυμνά χθονός, στερράς ελέγχειν εσχάτη κρίσει μάχης.

ΗΡΑΦΑΣ. ή κάρτα τιμής τον σον αξιοϊς Θεόν,

1230 σε νιν δοκών αν πρόμαχον αινέσαι ποτέ, ληστήν τε παράνομόν τε και μιαιφόνον.

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ. πως δή, θρασύστομο, ως το σώμ’ υπερφυής;

ΗΡΑΦΑΣ. υμών ανάσσουσ’ οί γε τήδε κoίρανοι: τούτω δε συμφωνούσιν οι 'ν υμίν πάλαι άρχοντες, οι, δήσαντες, ώστε σου κρατείν μϊν παρέδοσαν σ', δς παρά σπονδών νόμους άνδρας τριάκοντ’ 'Ασκαλωνίτας, σέθεν γ' αζημίους, πάντη δε δημόθρουν τόδε, έκτεινας, ως δε φώρ εσύλησας στολήν.

1240 σε δ' αυ μετήλθον οι Φιλιστινοι μόνον, όπλ’ επιφέροντες, τον παρεκβεβηκότα αυτοί δε λείας ύβρεώς τ' αναίτιοι.

I 200

SAMSON.
Among the daughters of the Philistines
I chose a wife, which argued me no foe;
And in your city held my nuptial feast.
But your ill-meaning politician lords,
Under pretence of bridal friends and guests,
Appointed to await me thirty spies,
Who, threatening cruel death, constrained the bride
To wring from me, and tell to them, my secret,
That solved the riddle which I had proposed.
When I perceived all set on enmity.
As on my enemies, wherever chanced,
I used hostility, and took their spoil,
To pay my underminers in their coin.
My nation was subjected to your lords-
It was the force of conquest; force with force
Is well ejected when the conquered can.
But I, a private person, whom my country
As a league-breaker gave up bound, presumed
Single rebellion, and did hostile acts-
I was no private, but a person raised,
With strength sufficient, and command from Heaven,
To free my country; if their servile minds

1210

1250

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ. εχθρός μεν ουκ ή, των Φιλιστίνων χθονί δάμαρθ' ελόμενος, κάν γάμοις εορτάσας: υμών δ' άνακτες κακοφρονούντες αιμύλοι έμοιγ ενέδρας ας λέγεις εσκεύασαν ούτοι δ' απειλαϊς έβιάσαντο την νυόν ώς σφε κτανείν έμελλον, εκμαθείν εμού κρυπτόν σόφισμα και λύσεις αινιγμάτων αυτοϊσι δ', εκμαθούσα, διέδωκεν τόδε: έχθραν δ' ιδών μοι πάντα μηχανώμενον, αυτός τον αεί παρατυχόνθ' ηγούμενος εχθρον, τα κείνων σκύλ’ άφειλόμην εγώ, ισόσταθμ' έλκων, τούς τε δρώντας αντιδρών. βία δε τάμα τοϊσι σοισιν υπετάγη: θέμις τον ήσσω του κρατήσαντος κρατεϊν, καιρού τυχόντα" τοϊσδε δ' εί τις αντερεί, οθούνεκ' ιδιώτην με και σπονδών παρεξ και χωρίς άλλων είς στάσιν πεπτωκότα δεσμούς πολίται, πολέμιόν τε, παρέδοσαν. αλλ' ού τοιούτός είμι, Θεόδοτος δ' ανήρ σθένων τε θείον, την πάτραν ελευθερούν κεί δούλιον το λημα, μηδ' εσταλμένον

α

1260

Me their deliverer sent would not receive,
But to their masters gave me up for nought,
The unworthier they; whence to this day they serve.
I was to do my part from Heaven assigned,
And had performed it, if my known offence
Had not disabled me, not all your force.
These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant,
Though by his blindness maimed for high attempts,
Who now defies thee thrice to single fight,
As a petty enterprise of small enforce.

I 220

HARAPHA.

With thee, a man condemned, a slave enrolled,
Due by the law to capital punishment ?
To fight with thee no man of arms will deign.

SAMSON.

Cam'st thou for this, vain boaster, to survey me,
To descant on my strength, and give thy verdict?
Come nearer, part not hence so slight informed,
But take good heed my hand survey not thee.

1230

HARAPHA.

O Baal-zebub! can my ears unused