Though fame divulged him father of five sons

All of gigantic size, Goliah chief.

CHORUS.

He will directly to the lords, I fear,

And with malicious counsel stir them up

Some way or other yet further to afflict thee.

SAMSON.

He must allege some cause, and offered fight
Will not dare mention, lest a question rise
Whether he durst accept the offer or not;
And that he durst not plain enough appeared.
Much more affliction than already felt
They cannot well impose, nor I sustain;

If they intend advantage of my labours,

1250

The work of many hands, which earns my keeping,
With no small profit daily to my owners.

But, come what will, my deadliest foe will prove
My speediest friend, by death to rid me hence;

The worst that he can give, to me the best.
Yet so it may fall out, because their end
Is hate, not help to me, it may 'with mine
Draw their own ruin who attempt the deed.

1261

δεινὴ πέφυκε, καίπερ ἕκτος αὐτὸς ὤν,

ὡς δὴ φατίζουσ', ἐν δὲ πρωτεύων Γόλας.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

δέδοικα μὴ πρὸς κοιράνους φθάσῃ μολών,
σὲ δὴ παραινέσων νιν αἱμύλῳ λόγῳ
ποίῳ τρόπῳ δράσουσι καὶ πλείω κακά.
ΣΑΜΨΩΝ.

δεὸν δέ νιν σκῆψίν τιν ̓ ἐξευρεῖν, μάχην
οὐκ ἄν τι σημήνειε τὴν προκειμένην,
ὡς τοῖς ἀνιστοροῦσι μὴ φράζειν ἔχων
πῶς ἐκβέβηκε, δῆλος ὢν ὑπεκφυγών.
μόλις δ ̓ ἂν αὐτοὶ τῶν γε νῦν πλείω πάθη
ἐπεισφέροιεν, οὐδ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ἂν τλαίην ἐγὼ,
μέλλων γε ταῦτα διατελεῖν πονούμενος
τά γ' ἀντὶ πολλῶν ἐργατῶν χειρουργίας
τιμώμεν, ὥστε τῆς καθ' ἡμέραν τροφῆς
τοὺς δεσπότας μου πλέον ἀπαύρασθαι πολύ.
ἐγὼ δ', ἐκείνῳ ξυντυχών ὃς ἂν διδῷ
θάνατον τάχιστα, φίλτατον προσδέξομαι
ἄριστά μοι τάχθιστα συμβαίη δέ τῳ
τάχ ̓ ἂν, κατ ̓ ἄλλων μηχανωμένῳ δύας,
αὐτὸν τυχεῖν ποθ ̓ ὧν ἔπρασσ ̓ αὐτὸς κακῶν.

1300

1310

CHORUS.

Oh how comely it is, and how reviving

To the spirits of just men long oppressed,

When God into the hands of their deliverer
Puts invincible might,

To quell the mighty of the earth, the oppressor,
The brute and boisterous force of violent men,

Hardy and industrious to support

Tyrannic power, but raging to pursue

The righteous, and all such as honour truth!

He all their ammunition

And feats of war defeats,

With plain heroic magnitude of mind

And celestial vigour armed,

Their armouries and magazines contemns,

Renders them useless; while

With winged expedition,

Swift as the lightning glance, he executes

1270

1280

ΧΟΡΟΣ,

κάλλιστα, πιεζομέ

-νοις χρονισθείση βία

οὐκ ἀδίκοισιν, πρόμαχον ἔ-δωκεν Θεὸς ἀστυφέλικτον,

ψυχὰς παραθέλγων, τὸν ὑπερφίαλον κρατύνοντ ἀνδρῶν κατέχειν, τρόπον θηρός του θορύβῳ μανέντα ἀψευδῶν κάτα καὶ δικαίων, τὰ τυραννίδος ἔκνομα

αὐξάνειν σπεύδοντ ̓ ἄγαν.

τοῖος ἀρωγὸς πολεμικῶν

σκευῶν τ ̓ ἔργων θ ̓ ὑπερέσχεν

μεγαλόψυχος γὰρ

θυμόν τ' ἀφελὴς ἅθ' ήρως,

ἵν ̓ ἀθάνατον σθένων,

θήκας ὁπλοφόρους παρ ̓ οὐδὲν ἀχρείους ἔθετ ̓ ἐν δὲ τούτῳ

οἷον φλογώπες ἀστραπαὶ, ὠκυπτέροις βουλεύμασι

1320

1330

His errand on the wicked, who surprised

Lose their defence, distracted and amazed.

But patience is more oft the exercise
Of Saints, the trial of their fortitude,

Making them each his own deliverer,
And victor over all

That tyranny or fortune can inflict.
Either of these is in thy lot,

Samson, with might endued

Above the sons of men; but sight bereaved

May chance to number thee with those

Whom patience finally must crown.

This idol's day hath been to thee no day of rest,

Labouring thy mind

More than the working day thy hands.

1290

And yet perhaps more trouble is behind;

1300

For I descry this way

Some other tending: in his hand

A sceptre or quaint staff he bears,