We unawares run into danger's mouth.

This evil on the Philistines is fallen;

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 eyesight-for to Israel's God
Nothing is hard-by miracle restored,

He now be dealing dole among his foes,
And over heaps of slaughtered walk his way?

MANOAH.

That were a joy presumptuous to be thought.

CHORUS.

Yet God hath wrought things as incredible

For his people of old; what hinders now?

MANOAH.

He can, I know, but doubt to think he will;

Yet hope would fain subscribe, and tempts belief.

A little stay will bring some notice hither.

CHORUS.

Of good or bad so great, of bad the sooner;

1530

κίνδυνον ἂν λάθοιμεν εἰσπεσόντες ἄν.
ἔστιν τόδ ̓, ἔστι, τοῖς Φιλιστίνοις κακὸν,
οὐδ ̓ ἦν ἀπ ̓ ἄλλων τόνδ ̓ ἂν ὠρυθμὸν κλύειν.
ταύτῃ μὲν οὖν μένοντας οὐ βλάψουσί πως,
αὐτοὶ κακῶς ἔχοντες· οὐδ ̓ ἄλλοι τινές.
ἴσως μὲν, οὐ γὰρ ἔστι τὶν μέγαν Θεὸν
οὐδέν ποτ ̓ εἴ γε μὴ μάλ ̓ εὐχερῶς ποιεῖν,
τῶν ὀμμάτων οἳ παρὰ φύσιν κατηγμένων,
ἐχθροῖσιν ἀντίποινα κατὰ μέρος φέρει,
στείχων νενησμένοισιν ἐν νεκροῖς μέσος.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

ὑπέρμετρον δὲ τοῦτο, καὶ παρ ̓ ἐλπίδα.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

Θεὸς δὲ τοιάδ ̓ ἔσθ' ὅτ ̓ εἴργασται πάλαι πρὸς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ γ ̓, οὐδ ̓ ὁ κωλύσων πάρα.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

δῆλος σθένων, ἄδηλος εἰ καὶ βούλεται.

ὅμως δέ μ' ἐλπὶς ὥστε δέξασθαι τάδε

σαίνει· μένουσι δ', ἄγγελος τάχ ̓ ἂν μέλοι.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

φθάνει τὰ λύπρ ̓, ὡς ἐν τόσῃ γε συμφορᾷ

1590

1600

For evil news rides post, while good news baits.
And to our wish I see one hither speeding;

A Hebrew, as I guess, and of our tribe.

MESSENGER.

Oh, whither shall I run, or which way fly
The sight of this so horrid spectacle,
Which erst my eyes beheld, and yet behold?
For dire imagination still pursues me.

But providence or instinct of nature seems,
Or reason, though disturbed, and scarce consulted,
To have guided me aright, I know not how,
To thee first, reverend Manoah, and to these
My countrymen, whom here I knew remaining,
As at some distance from the place of horror,
So in the sad event too much concerned.

MANOAH.

The accident was loud, and here before thee
With rueful cry, yet what it was we hear not.
No preface needs, thou seest we long to know.

MESSENGER.

It would burst forth, but I recover breath

1540

1550

χρόνια τὰ τερπνὰ, τὸ δὲ κακὸν ταχύπτερον. προσέρχεται δ ̓ Ἑβραῖος, εἰκάσαι γ ̓ ἐμὲ, ὁμόφυλος ἡμῖν, καίριός τε συντυχών.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

φεῦ, φεύ, τίς ἄν μοι, ποῖ δραμόντι, καταφυγὴ
γένοιτ ̓ ἂν, ὥστε μὴ τὰ τλημονέστατα
ἰδεῖν, ἰδὼν γὰρ διατελῶ λεύσσων ἔτι
τὰ συντυχόντα, περιφόβῳ φαντάσματι;
ἀλλ ̓, εἴτ ̓ ἄρ ̓ ἦν τὸ θεῖον, ἢ τὰ τῆς φύσεως,
εἴτ ̓ αὖ τὸ φρόνιμον—ἀλλὰ σύμβουλον μόγις
τόδ ̓ ἦν ἑλέσθαι, κάρτα παράκοπον φρενών—
οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως, δεῦρ ̓ ἦλθον εὐπλοίας τυχὼν,
κιχεῖν σε πρώτον, τὸν μάλ ̓ αἰδοῖον, Μάνως,
καὶ τοὺς πολίτας, ἐνθάδ' οὓς ήπιστάμην
μένοντας, οὐ μὲν ἐμφόβων πέλας τόπων,
ἀλλ ̓ οἷς ὑπέρφευ τῶν πεπραγμένων μέλει.
ΜΑΝΩΣ.

σὲ μὲν κτύπῳ φθάσαντα καὶ λυγρῷ στόνῳ
ἴσμεν τὰ συμβεβηκόθ', οἷα δ ̓ ἐστὶν, οὐ.

μαθεῖν προθύμοις, οὔ τι φροιμίου σε δεῖ.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

1610

1620

οὐδ ̓ ἦν στέγειν τάδ', ἀλλά μ' ἀμπνεῦσαι χρεὼν

And sense distract, to know well what I utter

MANOAH.

Tell us the sum, the circumstance defer.

MESSENGER.

Gaza yet stands, but all her sons are fallen,

All in a moment overwhelmed and fallen.

MANOAH,

Sad; but thou knowest to Israelites not saddest
The desolation of a hostile city.

MESSENGER.

Feed on that first, there may in grief be surfeit.

MANOAH.

Relate by whom.

MESSENGER.

By Samson.

MANOAH.

That still lessens

The sorrow, and converts it nigh to joy.

MESSENGER.

Ah, Manoah, I refrain too suddenly

To utter what will come at last too soon;
Lest evil tidings, with too rude irruption
Hitting thy aged ear, should pierce too deep.

1560