Of strength, again returning with my hair,
After my great transgression? so requite
Favour renewed, and add a greater sin

By prostituting holy things to idols,

A Nazarite, in place abominable,

Vaunting my strength in honour to their Dagon?
Besides how vile, contemptible, ridiculous,

What act more execrably unclean, profane?

CHORUS.

Yet with this strength thou serv'st the Philistines,
Idolatrous, uncircumcised, unclean.

SAMSON.

Not in their idol-worship, but by labour
Honest and lawful to deserve my food

Of those who have me in their civil power.

CHORUS.

Where the heart joins not, outward acts defile not.

SAMSON.

Where outward force constrains, the sentence holds.
But who constrains me to the temple of Dagon,
Not dragging? the Philistian lords command—
Commands are no constraints. If I obey them,

1360

1370

γέρας τόδ ̓ ἱερὸν ἀναλαβόντα τοῦ κράτους,
ὃ σφόδρ ̓ ἁμαρτῶν ὤλεσ', ἠμπολημένον
ῥῖψαι, χάριν τίσαντα πλείοσιν βλαβαῖς,
τιμῶντα τούτους, ὡς θεοὺς, τοὺς οὐδένας.
οὐ δὴ πρέπει με γαυριᾶν, σθένοντά περ,
Δάγωνι Ναζωραῖον, ἐν στυγνῷ τόπῳ.
οὐδ ̓ ἔσθ' ὅπως δράσαιμ ̓ ἂν αἰσχίω τινα

τὸν Θεὸν, ἄτιμος καὶ κατάπτυστος βροτοῖς. 1420 ΧΟΡΟΣ.

τοιοῦτος ὤν, σὺ τοῖς Φιλιστίνοις λάτρις, ἀθέοις ἀπεριτμήτοις τε καὶ δυσωνύμοις.

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ.

τὸ δ ̓ οὐχὶ θρησκείας ποτ', ἀλλ ̓ ἵν ̓ ἐννόμου ἔχοιμ' ἐδωδὴν ἀντὶ χειρωναξίας

τοῖς ὡς μετοίκου δεσπόταις κρατοῦσί μου.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

τὸ λῆμ ̓ ἀθῷος, οὐδὲ δρῶν ἁμαρτάνεις,

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ.

ὀρθῶς, ἀνάγκαις περιπεσὼν ἄλλων βίᾳ. ἰέναι δὲ τόνδ' εἰς ναὸν οὔτιν ̓ ἔστ' ἰδεῖν

ὅστις μ ̓ ἂν, ἕλκειν μὴ οὐ θέλων, ἀναγκάσαι.

ἐπεὶ κελεύματ ̓ ἐστὶν, οὐ βία, τάδε,

1430

L

I do it freely, venturing to displease
God for the fear of man, and man prefer;
Set God behind; which, in his jealousy,
Shall never, unrepented, find forgiveness.
Yet that he may dispense with me, or thee,

Present in temples at idolatrous rites,

For some important cause, thou need'st not doubt.

CHORUS.

How thou wilt here come off surmounts my reach. 1380

SAMSON.

Be of good courage; I begin to feel

Some rousing motions in me, which dispose

To something extraordinary my thoughts.
I with this messenger will go along,
Nothing to do, be sure, that may dishonour
Our law, or stain my vow of Nazarite.
If there be aught of presage in the mind,
This day will be remarkable in my life

By some great act, or of my days the last.
CHORUS.

In time thou hast resolved; the man returns.

OFFICER.

Samson, this second message from our lords

1390

ταγοῖς ἂν εἴην τοῖς Φιλιστίνοις ἑκὼν
ὑπήκοος, βροτούς τε τοῦ Θεοῦ προθεὶς,
βροτῶν φόβῳ, Θεῷ τε μισητός γεγώς
ἣν κάρτ ̓ ἂν ἐκπράξαντα μὴ λυθὲν χρέος
ἐγῷδα, καίπερ εὖ πεπεισμένος τινὶ
ἱεροῖς πάροντι τοῖς βεβήλοισιν Θεὸν
ξυγγνώμον ̓ εἶναι, καιρίου τινὸς χάριν.

ΧΟΡΟΣ.

πῶς δὴ φυγὴν εὕροις ἂν, οὐκ ἔχω φράσαι.

ΣΑΜΨΩΝ.

θάρσει· νέον γὰρ ἐννοῶν ξύνοιδά τι

καὶ δεινὸν, ἔργων φροίμι ̓ οὐκ εἰωθότων.
ὀπαδὸς εἶμι τῷδε τῷ κακαγγέλῳ,

οὐδὲν ποιήσων τοῖς νόμοις ἐναντίον,
σαφὲς τόδ', οὐδ ̓ ἄρ ̓ οἶσιν ὤμοσ ̓ ἀπρεπές·
εἰ δ ̓ ὀρθόμαντιν ἐν φρεσὶν γνώμην τρέφω,
κλέος περισσὸν σήμερον κιχήσομαι
λαμπρόν τι δράσας, εἰ δὲ μὴ, μόρου τέλος.
ΧΟΡΟΣ.

καιρὸν δέδοκται· τόνδ ̓ ὁρῶ παλίσσυτον.

ΚΗΡΥΞ.

Σάμψων, ἄνακτες δεύτερ ̓ ἀγγέλλουσί σοι

1440

To thee I am bid say. Art thou our slave,

Our captive, at the public mill our drudge,
And darest thou at our sending and command
Dispute thy coming? Come without delay;
Or we shall find such engines to assail

And hamper thee, as thou shalt come of force,
Though thou wert firmlier fastened than a rock.

SAMSON.

I could be well content to try their art,

Which to no few of them would prove pernicious.
Yet, knowing their advantages too many,

Because they shall not trail me through their streets

Like a wild-beast, I am content to go.

Masters' commands come with a power resistless

To such as owe them absolute subjection;
And for a life who will not change his purpose?
So mutable are all the ways of men.-
Yet this be sure, in nothing to comply

Scandalous or forbidden in our law.

OFFICER.

I praise thy resolution. Doff these links.

1400

1410