890

Thy country sought of thee, it sought unjustly,
Against the law of nature, law of nations;
No more thy country, but an impious crew
Of men conspiring to uphold their state
By worse than hostile deeds, violating the ends
For which our country is a name so dear;
Not therefore to be obeyed. But zeal moved thee;
To please thy gods thou didst it. Gods unable
To acquit themselves and prosecute their foes
But by ungodly deeds, the contradiction
Of their own deity, gods cannot be;
Less therefore to be pleased, obeyed, or feared.
These false pretexts and varnished colours failing,
Bare in thy guilt how foul must thou appear!

900

DALILA.

In argument with men a woman ever
Goes by the worse, whatever be her cause.

SAMSON.

For want of words no doubt, or lack of breath-
Witness when I was worried with thy peals.

φύσεως υπερβέβηκε και βροτών νόμους. οι δ' εκπεσόντες των πολιτείας όρων, δεινούς επ’ έργοις ξυνομόσαντες εκδίκως, 930 οι' ουδ' αν εξείη ποτ' εν μάχη δορός ρυσιπτόλει, κάλλιστα της πάτρας γέρα φθείρουσ', έρασμίαν τ' εν ανθρώποις χάριν μη δη τοιούτους άξιούν τιμης λαχείν. μών σους θεούς άρεστα ταύτ' έσπούδασας; αλλ' οι γε μη σθένουσι μηδ' αυτοι μένειν, ή πού γε δή τιν' εχθρόν ανατρέπειν βία, μη ου δύσθεόν τι δρώντες, οιά τ' αν θεούς ούπως ξυνάδοι, τούσδε γ' ου θεούς λέγω, ουδ' αν τρόπο νιν προσκύσαιμ' αν ευσεβεί. 940 σκήψει σφαλείσ' ούν χρωμάτων πεπλασμένων, αισχράν εφάνθης υπερέχουσ' άλιερίαν.

ΔΗΛΙΛΗ. ή μην ανήρ, δίκαιον είτ' εκτός δίκης, αει γυναικός, εν λόγων μάχη, κρατεί.

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ. επών γάρ, ή ποθ' ούνεκα σμικράς πνοής ευ σου τόδ' ήδη καταβοώμενος πάλαι.

DALILA.

I was a fool, too rash, and quite mistaken
In what I thought would have succeeded best.
Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samson;
Afford me place to shew what recompense

910
Toward thee I intend for what I have misdone,
Misguided; only what remains past cure
Bear not too sensibly, nor still insist
To afflict thyself in vain. Though sight be lost,
Life yet hath many solaces, enjoyed
Where other senses want not their delights,
At home, in leisure and domestic ease,
Exempt from many a care and chance, to which
Eye-sight exposes daily men abroad.
I to the lords will intercede, not doubting

920 Their favourable ear, that I may fetch thee From forth this loathsome prison-house, to abide With me, where my redoubled love and care, With nursing diligence, to me glad office, May ever tend about thee to old age, With all things grateful cheered, and so supplied, That, what by me thou hast lost, thou least shalt miss.

ΔΗΛΙΛΗ. φεύ της ανοίας της τ' άγαν ευθαρσίας. έπταισ' έν οίσι και μάλιστ' ελπίς παρήν. είη δ' άρ', είη σης με συγγνώμης τυχεϊν κάρτ' αντίποινα, καιρόν ήν λάβω, κακών

950 φέρουμ' άν άλλων παρενόμουν ηγουμένων σε δ' ουν προσήκει τους άγαν κλαυθμούς εάν, στέργoντα τάχθος της δυσιάτου δύης. πόλλ' έστι καίπερ όμματ' έστερημένω θελκτήριο, οις η αίσθησις εν λοιπούς πάρα, οίκοι σχολάζουσίν τε φροντίδων τ' άτερ αι τους βλέποντας τους καθ' ημέραν πόνους τρίβουσιν εκδημούντας" άσμένην μεν ούν τους τηδ' άνακτας έμε παραιτείσθαι χρεών, των δ' ουκ αθέλκτων τεύξομαι, σε τούδ' όπως έσται μ' υπεκσώσασαν εργαστηρίου του δυσφορήτου, ξύννομον τηρείν έμοί. τάνθένδε, της πριν έξοχον προθυμίας ζήλον παρασχοίμην αν ευφιλής τροφος, σε μηδε γηράσκοντα θυμηδούς χαράς δείσθαι, τα φρούτα δ' ως μάλιστα και αναλαβει έμoύ πoρoύσης, εξ εμού βεβλαμμένον.

H

SAMSON.

No, no, of my condition take no care ;
It fits not; thou and I long since are twain.
Nor think me so unwary or accursed,

930
To bring my feet again into the snare
Where once I have been caught: I know thy trains,
Though dearly to my cost; thy gins, and toils,
Thy fair enchanted cup, and warbling charms,
No more on me have power, their force is nulled ;
So much of adder's wisdom I have learned,
To fence my ear against thy sorceries.
If in my flower of youth and strength, when all men
Loved, honoured, feared me, thou alone couldst hate me,
Thy husband, slight me, sell me, and forego me, 940
How wouldst thou use me now, blind, and thereby
Deceivable, in most things as a child
Helpless, thence easily contemned and scorned,
And last neglected! How wouldst thou insult,
When I must live uxorious to thy will
In perfect thraldom! How again betray me,
Bearing my words and doings to the lords,
To gloss upon, and, censuring, frown or smile!
This jail I count the house of liberty