Irrational and brute.

Nor do I name of men the common rout,
That, wandering loose about,

Grow up and perish, as the summer fly,
Heads without name, no more remembered ;
But such as thou hast solemnly elected,
With gifts and graces eminently adorned,
To some great work, thy glory,

And people's safety, which in part they effect.

Yet toward these thus dignified thou oft,

Amidst their highth of noon,

680

Changest thy countenance and thy hand, with no regard

Of highest favours past

From thee on them, or them to thee of service.

Nor only dost degrade them, or remit

To life obscured, which were a fair dismission;

But throwest them lower than thou didst exalt them high,

Unseemly falls in human eye,

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Too grievous for the trespass or omission.

Oft leavest them to the hostile sword

Of heathen and profane, their carcasses
To dogs and fowls a prey, or else captived,

μυιῶν τρόπον ὀλλυμένων θεροεσσῶν,

ἀνωνύμους

ἀργῶν κεφαλὰς ἀμνάστους

οὐκ, ἀλλ ̓ οἵουσπερ

ἀρετᾶς ἅτε δῶρον ἔχοντας,

δείξας μεγάλοις αὐτὸς ἐπ ̓ ἔργοις,

τῶν σῶν χάριν σέθεν τε

ἔν τε τοῖσδ ̓ ἡμιτελέστοις

συχνᾷ μεταλλαγᾷ μεσαμερίου φάους κάββαλες, οὐδ ̓ ὧν

αὐτὸς ἔδωκας καὐτὸς ἀπηύρω

ἐστὶν μελέδημά σοι, οὐδ ̓ ἐριτίμων.

τοὺς δ ̓ οὐ μόνον

πότμῳ κολάσας ἐπιεικεῖ

παθεῖν ἀφῆκας,

πλέον ἢ κατὰ τὸν πάλαι ὄλβον,

ὧν θ ̓ ἥμαρτον, ἐν οἷσίν τ ̓ ἤμπλακον, αἴσχιστ' ἰδεῖν πεσόντας

ἢ βιαίῳ πολέμῳ,

πτανοῖς τε κύρμα καὶ κυσὶν, ἐχθροῖσι βαρβάροισι καὶ βεβήλοις,

ἢ σώματ ̓ αἰχμάλωτ ̓ ἀποῤῥίψας ἐᾷς,

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710

Or to the unjust tribunals, under change of times,

And condemnation of the ingrateful multitude.

If these they 'scape, perhaps in poverty

With sickness and disease, thou bowest them down,

Painful diseases and deformed,

In crude old age;

Though not disordinate, yet causeless suffering,

The punishment of dissolute days. In fine,

Just or unjust, alike seem miserable,

For oft alike both come to evil end.

So deal not with this once thy glorious champion,

The image of thy strength, and mighty minister.

What do I beg? how hast thou dealt already?
Behold him in this state calamitous, and turn

His labours, for thou canst, to peaceful end.

700

-γηδόσιν διαστρέφεις.

καὶ τοὺς οὐκ ἀτάκτους

ἀταξίας σὺ ποινὰν

ὦ Πάτερ, ἀλόγοις νόμοις ἔπραξας,

ὡς δὲ συνελόντι λέγειν,

πότμον λέλογχ ̓ ἀδιάφορον

σὰ θέσμ ̓ ὁ παραλιπών τε χώ φυλάξας,

ἄμφω τὰ πλεῖστον ἐξ ἴσης ἐφθαρμένω. μὴ τὸν πάλαι παμμέγαν,

λήματός τε θείου

αὐτὸν, θεὸν ὡς δυνάμει, δι

-άκονον φέριστον,

αἴκιζε τοῖσδ ̓ ἀντίσταθμα

ἤκισας μὲν, ἔκισας

ἀλλ ̓ ὦ πάντα νωμών,

ἰδών νιν ὧδ ̓ ἐλεινὸν,

δὸς φρενογαθῆ πόνων τελευτάν.

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But who is this? what thing of sea or land

Female of sex it seems

That so bedecked, ornate, and gay,

Comes this way sailing,

Like a stately ship

Of Tarsus, bound for the isles

Of Javan or Gadire,

With all her bravery on, and tackle trim,

Sails filled, and streamers waving,

Courted by all the winds that hold them play,

An amber scent of odorous perfume

Her harbinger, a damsel train behind?

Some rich Philistian matron she may seem;

And now at nearer view, no other certain
Than Dalila thy wife.

SAMSON.

My wife! my traitress; let her not come near me.

CHORUS.

Yet on she moves, now stands and eyes thee fixed,
About to have spoke; but now, with head declined,

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720