Dispute thy coming? come without delay; Sams. I could be well content to try their art, Which, to no few of them, would prove pernicious. 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 power resistless, 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, is nothing to comply Scandalous, or forbidden in our law. Off. I praise thy resolution: doff these links: So dreaded once, may now exasperate them, Of Israel be thy guide, To what may serve his glory best, & spread his Be efficacious in thee now at need. With youthful steps? much livelier than ere while Enter MANOAH. ? Man. Peace with you, brethren; my inducement Was not at present here to find my son, [hither By order of the lords now 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 forced to things unseemly, But that which moved my coming now, was chiefly To give ye part with me what hope I have, With good success, to work his liberty. Chor. That hope would much rejoice us to partake With thee; say, reverend sire, we thirst to hear. Man. I have attempted one by one the lords, Either at home, or through the high street passing, With supplication prone, and father's tears, To accept of ransom for my son, their prisoner. Some much averse I found, and wondrous harsh, Contemptuous, proud, set on revenge and spite; That part most reverenced Dagon and his priests: Others more moderate seeming, but their aim Private reward, for which both God & state They easily would set to sale: a third, More generous far and civil, who confess'd They had enough revenged, having reduced Their foe to misery, beneath their fears; The rest was magnanimity to remit, If some convenient ransom were proposed.What noise or shout was that? it tore the sky. Chor. Doubtless the people shouting, to behold Their once great dread, captive, & blind before them Or at some proof of strength, before them shown. Man. His ransom, if my whole inheritance May compass it, shall willingly be paid, And number'd down: much rather I shall choose To live the poorest in my tribe, than richest, And he in that calamitous prison left. No; I am fix'd not to part hence without him. For his redemption, all my patrimony, If need be, I am ready to forego And quit: not wanting him, I shall want nothing. Chor. Fathers are wont to lay up for their sons; Thou for thy son are bent to lay out all; Sons wont to nurse their parents in old age; Man. It shall be my delight to tend his eyes, And view him, sitting in the house, ennobled, With all those high exploits, by him achieved, And, on his shoulders, waving down those locks, That of a nation arm'd, the strength contain'd: And I persuade me, God had not permitted His strength again to grow up with his hair, Garrison'd, round about him, like a camp Of faithful soldiery, were not his purpose To use him further yet, in some great service; Not to sit idle with so great a gift, Useless, and thence ridiculous, about him. And, since his strength with eye-sight was not lost, God will restore him eye-sight to his strength. Chor. Thy hopes are not ill-founded, nor seem Of his delivery, and thy joy thereon Conceived, agreeable to a father's love, In both which we, as next, participate. [vain, Man. I know your friendly minds &-O what noise! Mercy of Heaven, what hideous noise was that! Horribly loud, unlike the former shout. Chor. Noise call you it, or universal groan, As if the whole inhabitation perish'd! Blood, death, & deathful deeds, are in that noise; Ruin, destruction, at the utmost point. Man. Of ruin indeed, methought, I heard the Oh it continues; they have slain my son. [noise : Chor. Thy son is rather slaying them; that outcry, From slaughter of one foe, could not ascend. Man. Some dismal accident it needs must be ; What shall we do; stay here, or run and see? Chor. Best keep together here, lest, running thither, We unawares run into danger's mouth. This evil on the Philistines is fall'n; From whom could else a general cry be heard? The sufferers then will scarce molest us here; From other hands we need not much to fear. What if his eye-sight, for to Israel's God Nothing is hard, by miracle restored, He now be dealing dole among his foes, And over heaps of slaughter'd walk his way? Man. That were a joy presumptuous to be thought. Chor. Yet God had wrought things as incredible, For his people of old; what hinders now? Man. He can, I know, but doubt to think he will; Yet hope would fain subscribe, & tempts belief. A little stay will bring some notice hither. Chor. Of good or bad so great, of bad the sooner; Mess. O whither shall I run, or which way fly Man. The accident was loud, & here, before thee, With rueful cry; yet what it was we hear not; No preface needs, thou seest we long to know. Mess. It would burst forth, but I recover breath. And sense distract, to know well what I utter. Man. Tell us the sum, the circumstance defer. Mess. Gaza yet stands, but all her sons are fall'n ; All in a moment overwhelm'd and fall'n. Man. Sad, but thou know'st to Israelites not saddest, The desolation of a hostile city. Mess. Feed on that first; there may in grief be Man. Relate by whom. Mess. By Samson. Man. That still lessens The sorrow, and converts it nigh to joy. [surfeit. Mess. Ah Manoah, I refrain too suddenly Man. Suspense in news is torture; speak them out. Mess. Take then the worst in brief, Samson is dead. Man. The worst indeed; O all my hopes defeated To free him hence! but death who sets all free, Hath paid his ransom now, and full discharge. Nipp'd with the lagging rear of winter's frost! Man. Self-violence? what cause Brought him so soon at variance with himself, Mess. Inevitable cause, At once both to destroy, and be destroy'd: Man. O lastly over-strong against thyself! Mess. Occasions drew me early to this city; And as the gates I enter'd, with sun-rise, The morning trumpets festival proclaim'd, Through each high-street little I had dispatch'd, When all abroad was rumour'd, that this day Samson should be brought forth, to show the people Proof of his mighty strength, in feats and games; I sorrow'd at his captive state, but minded Not to be absent at that spectacle. The building was a spacious theatre, Half-round, on two main pillars, vaulted high, With seats where all the lords, & each degree Of sort, might sit in order to behold; The other side was open, where the throng On banks and scaffolds, under sky, might stand; I among these aloof obscurely stood. The feast and noon grew high, and sacrifice Had fill'd their hearts with mirth, high cheer, & wine, When to their sports they turn'd. Immediately Was Samson, as a public servant, brought, In their state livery clad; before him pipes And timbrels, on each side went armed guards, Both horse and foot, before him and behind Archers, and slingers, cataphracts and spears. At sight of him the people, with a shout, Rifted the air, clamouring their god with praise, |