"But, no! Keep back a space, For I wish his eyes to rest First of all upon my face. When leaning upon his breast, Come thou then with song and dance, With timbrel and tambourine, That he may know at a glance How quickly his approach was seen." The noise of the rattling car, As on and on it speeds, Drown not the agonized cry, "Alas! Oh, alas!" he cries, And rends his rich garments rare, As towards him she swiftly flies, Breathing forth a joyous prayer; But at length she hears him sigh, Bewailing too late his vow, And knows at last she must die, And seeing how he is brought low. Oh, then she most sweetly said, "Do, my father, according Upon the mountains far away." THE DIRGE OF JEPHTHAH'S O THOU, the wonder of all days! Above the rest Of all the maiden-train! We come, Thus, thus, and thus, we compass round And other flowers, lay upon Thou, wonder of all maids, liest here, And all sweet meads, from whence we get The primrose and the violet. Too soon, too dear did Jephthah buy, And in the purchase of our peace For which obedient zeal of thine, And fresh thy hearse-cloth, we will here Receive, for this thy praise, our tears; From teeming eyes; to these we bring, To gild thy tomb; besides, these cauls, These laces, ribbons, and these falls, These veils, wherewith we use to hide The bashful bride, When we conduct her to her groom; All, all we lay upon thy tomb. No more, no more, since thou art dead, Or chains of columbines shall make, No, no; our maiden pleasures be Wrapt in the winding-sheet with thee; 'Tis we are dead, though not i' th' grave; Or if we have One seed of life left, 'tis to keep A Lent for thee, to fast and weep. Sleep in thy peace, thy bed of spice, Fat frankincense; Let balm and cassia send their scent May no wolf howl, or screech owl stir To starve or wither Thy soft sweet earth; but, like a spring, Love keep it ever flourishing. May all shy maids, at wonted hours, Come forth to strew thy tomb with flowers; May virgins, when they come to mourn, Upon thine altar; then return, THE WIFE OF MANOAH TO HER HUSBAND. AGAINST the sunset's glowing wall Down Eshtaol's vales of ripened grain Look, dearest! how our fair child's head The sunset light hath hallowèd, Oh, while beneath the fervent heat Our child upon his grassy bed. Joy, which the mother feels alone Whose morning hope like mine had flown, When to her bosom, over-blessed, A dearer life than hers is pressed. Dread, for the future dark and still, Which shapes our dear one to its will; Forever in his large calm eyes, I read a tale of sacrifice. The same foreboding awe I felt I slept not, though the wild bees made Before me, in a vision, rose The hosts of Israel's scornful.foes,— Rank over rank, helm, shield, and spear, Glittered in noon's hot atmosphere. I heard their boast and bitter word, No angel down the blue space spoke, A child no more!-harsh-browed and strong, He towered a giant in the throng, And down his shoulders, broad and bare, Swept the black terror of his hair. He raised his arm-he smote again; Again I looked. In sunlight shone Yet one knelt not; stark, gaunt, and blind, His arms the massive pillars twined,— [SAMSON.] (From "Samson Agonistes.") O WHEREFORE was my birth from heaven foretold Twice by an angel, who at last, in sight Of both my parents, all in flames as cended From off the altar, where an offering burned, As in a fiery column charioting His God-like presence, and from some great act Or benefit revealed to Abraham's race? Why was my breeding ordered and prescribed As of a person separate to God, Destined for great exploits; if I must die Betrayed, captived, and both my eyes put out, Made of mine enemies the scorn and gaze: To grind in brazen fetters under task With this Heaven-gifted strength? O glorious strength Put to the labor of a beast, debased Lower than bond-slave! Promise was that I Should Israel from Philistian yoke deliver; Ask for this great deliverer now, and find him Eyeless in Gaza, at the mill with slaves, Himself in bonds under Philistine yoke. JOHN MILTON (1608-1674). [SAMSON ON HIS BLINDNESS.] (From "Samson Agonistes.") O LOSS of sight, of thee I most complain! Blind among enemies, O worse than chains, Dungeon, or beggary, or decrepit age! Light, the prime work of God, to me is extinct, And all her various objects of delight Annulled, which might in part my grief have eased. Inferior to the vilest now become Of man or worm; the vilest here excel me: They creep, yet see; I, dark in light, exposed To daily fraud, contempt, abuse, and wrong, Within doors or without, still as a fool, In power of others, never in my own; Scarce half I seem to live, dead more than half. O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon, Irrecoverably dark, total eclipse, JOHN MILTON (1608-1674). SAMSON: CHAMPION AND THE strength of Samson has became a STRONG Samson, of the Tribe of Dan, whose arm Seemed wrought from finest of selected steel, Whose love of country burned forever bright, Whose bravery was never in dispute; Yet whose sad weakness when by women tempted Admirers of the man must e'er regret. And yet whose weakness, tho' so marked at times, Proved yet a blessing in his tragic death; For from that wondrous, suicidal deed Came to all Israel fifty years of peace, Which sent to generations yet unborn The friendly thought that Samson's great oblation Showed plainly his unselfish bent within, Had merely slept to wake in native strength, Heroic manhood had but dormant lain. And so the life of this strange man is told So weak at times; in peril always bold. And through all time 'mong worthies stands his name; His life was weak; his death a deathless fame. Yet noble and how godlike are the men, In whom the love of country, strength of will, With hearts and souls staid on their Maker, God, Are able to withstand temptations sore, Of blessed Manoah, who dwelt in Zorah, From birth should touch not wine, nor even grapes. Lest in them lurk a few fermented drops Of some intoxicating liquid there concealed, Which would make void his consecrated life, And render him the slave of appetite, And by and by, inflamed by mocking wine, Would wallow in the mire like filthy swine. Such was the famous Samson whose When Samson had to manhood's state attained He one day took a journey into Tamnath, And feasted there his eyes on damsels fair, Of proud Philistia whose noted maids Were wondrous lovely and with winning ways; Among them of surpassing beauty, one To whom at sight his heart and soul were drawn. He told his parents that he wished the maid To be his wife and bring her to his home; For tho' a damsel of a heathen race, Within his heart she had a welcome place. At this his parents made remonstrance strong, For slighting his own godly tribal maids, Among whom virtue was a heritage. His parents strongly plead, but all in vain, Their pleadings could not Samson's bent restrain. "My son," the mother said, "her steps take hold On sheol's pit; yea, in all other climes Our stricter virtues are but sins and crimes! Our righteous laws forbid in strongest terms |