To what may serve his glory best, and spread his name Great among the Heathen round;

1430 Send thee the Angel of thy birth, to stand Fast by thy side, who from thy father's field Rode up in flames, after his message told Of thy conception, and be now a shield Of fire ; that Spirit, that first rushed on thee In the camp of Dan,

Be efficacious in thee now at need.

For never was from Heaven imparted
Measure of strength go great to mortal seed,
As in thy wondrous actions hath been seen.

1440

But wherefore comès old Mànoah in such haste

With youthful steps ? much livelier than ere while
He seems; supposing here to find his son,
Or of him bringing to us some glad news ?

MANOAH.

Peace with you, brethren. My inducement hither
Was not at present here to find my son,
By order of the lords new parted hence

τα μάλιστ' αυτού κύδος αέξεις
τοϊσι παροίκοις αμφιβόητον.

1490
και μην άγγελος ός σε γενέθλιος
αμφιβέβηκεν, παρά νύν σταίη,

σάκος αμφιβαλων φλογοειδές,
σην ος γένεσιν πάλαι άγγείλας
σης πατρίας από γης επανήλθεν,

τέρας άμφαίνων πυριφεγγές.
καίριον έλθοι το ποθ' οπλοφόρω
πνεύμά σοι έμφυτον" ως ουπώποτε
θνητών οπόσοι θεοποίητον
ρώμην έπρεπον, ήρίστευσαν

1500 θαύμασιν έργων

οιά σε δράσαντ' έσορώμεν. αλλά πώς; Μάνος γεραιός έρχεται σπουδή ποδών, παρά δε τον χρόνον γε τον πρίν κούρος ως αγάλλεται υιον, ως επεικάσαι γέ μ', ενθάδ' ελπίζων κιχεϊν, είτ' άρ' ουν ευάγγελος μάλ' ώσπερ είληχεν τύχης.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.
ευδαιμονοίητ', ώ φίλοι τον υιόν ουκ
ήκω ματεύων, ός κελευσάντων έβη
των κοιράνων, ως παιγνίαν αυτούς πόρου

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,

1450

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.

CHORUS.
That hope would much rejoice us to partake
With thee. Say, reverend Sire; we thirst to hear.

MANOAH.

1460

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

εν ταις εορταϊς πάντα δ' ήν έμοί μαθείν 1510 έρποντι, την πρέπουσαν εν πόλει βοήν, όχλων τ' αθροίσματ’ ουδ' εγώ ξυνεσπόμην, μή που νιν εισίδοιμι των εχθρών βία άσχημονούντα" τούτο δ' εννοούμενος, πως άν νιν, ελπίδος γε τήσδε μη σφαλείς, ελεύθερον στήσαιμι, κοινωνούς δ' έχειν υμάς θέλων προσήλθον ών αυτός φρονώ.

ΧΟΡΟΣ. λέγ', ως προθύμοις, ήδέως τ' αν ελπίδος σοι τήσδε συλλαβούσιν, αιδοίον κάρα.

ΜΑΝΩΣ. εγώ κατ’ άνδρ' άνακτας, είτ' οίκοι τυχών, 1520 είτ' αυ κατ’ άστυ, γονυπετών κλαυθμώ λιτών συχνόν μάλ' ικέτευσα, δεσμίου πατήρ παιδός φέρων άποινα των δ' ευρόν τινας, τους και Δάγωνα χούς έχει θυοσκόους μάλιστα προσκυνούντας, εις πικράν χολήν τετραμμένους, κακoίσιν αντιδράν κακά, υπερφρονούντας, ώστε θαυμάζειν εμέ. άλλοι δ' έδoξαν τουπιεικές αμφέπειν, έργω δε πας τις κέρδος ίδιον, ου χάριν

Private reward, for which both God and State
They easily would set to sale; a third
More generous far and civil, who confessed
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.

1470

CHORUS.

Doubtless the people shouting to behold
Their once great dread, captive and blind before them;
Or at some proof of strength before them shewn.

MANOAH.

whole inheritance
May compass it, shall willingly be paid
And numbered 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 fixed not to part hence without him.
For his redemption all my patrimony,
If need be, I am ready to forego