1490 Man, It shall be my delight to tend his eyes, And view him sitting in his house, ennobled With all those high exploits by him achieved, And on his shoulders waving down those locks That of a nation arm'd the strength contain❜d; And I persuade me, God hath not permitted His strength again to grow up with his hair, Garrison'd round about him like a camp Of faithful soldiery, were not his purpose To use him further yet in some great service; Not to sit idle with so great a gift Useless, and thence ridiculous, about him. And since his strength with eye-sight was not lost, God will restore him eye-sight to his strength. Cho. Thy hopes are not ill founded, nor seem vain Of his delivery, and thy joy thereon Conceived, agreeable to a father's love, In both which we, as next, participate. 1500 [noise! Man. I know your friendly minds, and-0, what Mercy of Heaven! what hideous noise was that? Horribly loud, unlike the former shout. Cho. Noise call you it, or universal groan, As if the whole inhabitation perished! 1510 Blood, death, and deathful deeds, are in that noise; Ruin, destruction at the utmost point. Man. Of ruin, indeed, methought I heard the noise: Oh! it continues; they have slain my son. Cho. Thy son is rather slaying them: that outcry From slaughter of one foe could not ascend. Man. Some dismal accident it needs must be; What shall we do, stay here, or run and see? 1520 Cho. Best keep together here, lest, running thither, 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; 1530 Man. That were a joy presumptuous to be thought. Cho. Yet God hath wrought things as incredible For his people of old; what hinders now? Man. 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. Cho. Of good or bad so great, of bad the sooner; 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. Enter MESSENGER. Mess. O, whither shall I run, or which way fly The sight of this so horrid spectacle, 1540 Which erst my eyes beheld, and yet behold? Man. Tell us the sum, the circumstance defer. 1550 Mess. Gaza yet stands, but all her sons are fallen, All in a moment overwhelm'd and fallen. Man. Sad! but thou know'st to Israelites not saddest The desolation of a hostile city. 1561 Mess. Feed on that first; there may in grief be Man. Relate by whom. Mess. Man. [surfeit. By Samson. That still lessens The sorrow, and converts it nigh to joy. Man. Suspense in news is torture; speak them out. Hath paid his ransom now, and full discharge. What windy joy this day had I conceived, All by him fell, thou say'st; by whom fell he ? 1580 Man. Wearied with slaughter then, or how? explain. Mess. By his own hands. Man. Self-violence? what cause Brought him so soon at variance with himself Among his foes? At once both to destroy, and be destroy'd; The edifice, where all were met to see him, 1590 Man. O, lastly over-strong against thyself! 1600 Mess. Occasions drew me early to this city; And, as the gates I entered with sun-rise, The morning trumpets festival proclaim'd Through each high street: little I had dispatch'd, When all abroad was rumour'd that this day Samson should be brought forth, to show the people Proof of his mighty strength in feats and games; I sorrow'd at his captive state, but minded Not to be absent at that spectacle. The building was a spacious theatre, Half round, on two main pillars vaulted high, Of sort, might sit in order to behold; The other side was open, where the throng, On banks and scaffolds, under sky might stand; 1610 I, among these, aloof obscurely stood. The feast and noon grew high, and sacrifice Had fill'd their hearts with mirth, high cheer, and wine, In their state livery clad: before him pipes 1620 Who had made their dreadful enemy their thrall. 1630 At length, for intermission's sake, they led him : I mean to show you of my strength, yet greater, He tugg'd, he shook, till down they came, and drew Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or priests, |