τὸν νοῦν τ ̓ ἀνορθοῦν, ὥστε τἀκριβῆ λέγειν.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

ἀλλ ̓ ἀμβαλὼν ἕκαστα, τὸ ξύμπαν φράσον.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

Γάζην ἔτ ̓ οὖσαν, τοὺς δὲ Γαζίτας λέγω ξυνολωλότας τοὺς πάντας ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

ἀλγεινά γ', ἀλλ ̓ οὐ τοῖσιν Εβραίοις τάδε ἄλγιστα, τὴν ἐχθράν τιν' ἐκπέρσαι πόλιν.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

περίσσ ̓ ἂν ἦν τἀντεῦθεν· ἀρκείτω τόδε.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

τίνος δὲ τοὖργον ;

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

τοῦδ ̓ ὃς ἐκπέφυκε σοῦ.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

σχεδὸν χαρά μοι, διάδοχος λύπης, πάρα.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

Μάνως, μάλ ̓ ἄκων ἂν διηγοίμην τάχος
ὃ καὶ χρονισθὲν κάρτ ̓ ἄωρον ἔρχεται·
καὶ γὰρ γεραιὰ προσβολαῖς κακαγγέλοις
βλάψαιμ ̓ ἂν ὦτα, διατόρῳ κνίσας φόβῳ,

1630

MANOAH.

Suspense in news is torture, speak them out.

MESSENGER.

Take then the worst in brief, Samson is dead.

MANOAH.

The worst indeed! Oh, all my hopes defeated

To free him hence! but Death who sets all free
Hath paid his ransom now and full discharge.
What windy joy this day had I conceived,
Hopeful of his delivery, which now proves
Abortive, as the first-born bloom of spring
Nipt with the lagging rear of winter's frost!
Yet, ere I give the reins to grief, say first
How died he; death to life is crown or shame.
All by him fell, thou sayest; by whom fell he?

What glorious hand gave Samson his death's wound?

MESSENGER.

Unwounded of his enemies he fell.

MANOAH.

Wearied with slaughter then, or how? explain.

1570

1580

By his own hands.

MESSENGER.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

φρενῶν σπαραγμὸς τοῦτο τἀσαφές· φράσον.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

ξυνελὼν λέγω τἄλγιστα· παῖς τέθνηχ ̓ ὁ σός.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

εὖ δὴ λέγεις ἄλγιστα· φροῦδον οἴχεται

τό μοι δοκηθὲν, ὡς ἐλευθεροῦντί νιν.

θάνατος δὲ, πάντων ὃς κακῶν ἀπαλλαγὴ, 1640 καὶ τόνδ' ὅλως ἐῤῥύσαθ'· ὧν δ ̓ ἀνειλόμην ἀνεμωλίων γεννήματ ̓ ἐλπίδων νέα

ἀπῆλθεν ἔκβολ ̓, ὡς τὸ χεῖμ ̓, ὀπισθόπουν, πάχνῃ τὰ πρωτόλεια τῶν μηνῶν δάκνει.

πρὶν δ ̓ ὑπερέχειν μ' ἀλγοῦντα, σήμηνον τὸ πᾶς. θάνατος βροτοῖσιν αἶσχος ἢ κῦδος φέρει. τίς τὸν κτανόντα πάντας, ὡς σὺ φῂς, κτανών; τίς εὔχεται Σάμψωνα καιρίαν βαλών;

MANOAH.

Self-violence? what cause

Brought him so soon at variance with himself

Among his foes?

MESSENGER.

Inevitable cause,

At once both to destroy and be destroyed.
The edifice, where all were met to see him,
Upon their heads and on his own he pulled.

MANOAH.

Oh, lastly over-strong against thyself!

A dreadful way thou tookest to thy revenge.

More than enough we know; but while things yet

Are in confusion, give us, if thou canst,

Eye-witness of what first or last was done,

Relation more particular and distinct.

MESSENGER.

Occasions drew me early to this city,

And, as the gates I entered with sun-rise,
The morning trumpets festival proclaimed,
Through each high street. Little I had dispatched,
When all abroad was rumoured that this day
Samson should be brought forth, to shew the people
Proof of his mighty strength in feats and games.

1590

1600

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

αὐτοκτόνος

πῶς ἦν, ἐν ἐχθροῖς αὐτὸς ἔχθιστος φανείς;

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

θνήσκων γὰρ ἐθανάτωσεν, οὐδ ̓ ἄλυξις ἦν. τὸ δῶμα πᾶσιν εἰς θέαν ἠθροισμένοις αὑτῷ τ ̓ ἐφείλκυσ', ἐγκατασκήπτων ὁμοῦ.

ΜΑΝΩΣ.

αὐτὸς τὸ σαυτοῦ πῆμα τῷ σθένει λαβὼν
δεινόν τιν εἵλου, φεῦ, τρόπον τιμωρίας.
ἡμῖν δὲ, καίπερ καταμαθοῦσι καὶ λίαν,
σὺ ταῦτα, πάντων τῶνδ ̓ ἅτ ̓ αὐτόπτης γεγώς,
σκεθρώς διηγοῦ, πρὶν καταστῆναι πόλιν.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ.

ἔγωγε ταύτας, ὄρθριος μολών, πύλας

ἔτυχον ἐσελθών· ἐν δὲ τῷδ ̓ ἑωθινὴ
ἔδειξ ̓ ἑορτὴν κατὰ μέσην σάλπιγξ πόλιν.
καμοὶ τὰ πράγματ ̓ οὔτι προὔκοψεν πολὺ,
πρὶν δημόθρουν με πάντοθεν κιχεῖν φάτιν
ὡς σήμερον Σάμψωνα μέλλοιεν, σθένος
δείξοντα παμμέγιστον ἐξάγειν τάχα,
ἀγῶνας ἀθλήσοντα, πάνδημον θέαν.

1660