211 SAMSON AGONISTES. A SAMSON. Little onward lend thy guiding hand A 5 To thefe dark steps, a little further on; For yonder bank hath choice of fun or shade: There I am wont to fit, when any chance Relieves me from my task of fervile toil, * a Daily' in the common prifon elfe injoin'd me, I Where I a prifoner chain'd, fcarce freely draw The air imprison'd alfo, close and damp, UT Unwholesome draught: but here I feel amends, RoMThe Samson Agonifies] The fubject but a very indifferent one for a dramatic fable. However he has made the best of it. He feems to have chofen it for the fake of the fatire on bad wives. Warburton. Samfon Agamifies] That is Samfon an actor, Samfon reprefented in a play. Ayresns, ludio, hiftrio, actor fcenicus. Samfon] Milton after the example of the Greek tragedians, whom he profeffes to imitate, opens his drama with introducing one of its principal perfonages explaining the story upon which it is founded. Thyer. 1. A little onward lend thy guiding band The breath of Heav'n fresh blowing, pure and sweet, With day-fpring born; here leave me to respire. 11 L 15 i 20 Their fuperftition yields me; hence with leave 13. To Dagon their fea-idol,] For Milton both here and in the Paradife Loft follows the opinion of thofe, who defcribe this idol as part man, part fish. I. 462. Dagon his name, sea monster, 24. Twice by an Angel,] Once to his mother, and again to his faer Manoch and his winter both, 25 From From off the altar, where an offering burn'd, His god-like prefence, and from fome great act Why was my breeding order'd and prescrib'd 30 To grind in brazen fetters under task With this Heav'n-gifted ftrength? O glorious strength Lower than bondflave! Promife was that I 7 X Himself fyllable captiv'd: but our old authors give it the fame pronunciation as Milton. Spenfer. Faery Queen. B. 2. Cant. 4. St. 16. Thus when as Guyon Furor had captiv'd: and B. 3. Cant. 1. St. 2. But the captiv'd Acrafia he fent: and Fairfax Cant. 19. St. 95. Free was Erminia, but captiv'd her heart. P 3 53. But Himself in bonds under Philistian yoke: i. Yet ftay, let me not rafhly call in doubt Sa 1 Had been fulfill'd but through mine own default, A 50 O impotence of mind, in body strong! putih Kansa But what is ftrength without a double share Hunn A Of wisdom, vaft, unwieldy, burdenfome, roch Proudly fecure, yet liable to fall By weakest fubtleties, not made to rule, But to fubferve where wisdom bears command! 33. But nobat is frength without Of wifdem, &c] Ovid. Met. XIII. 15963. Tu vires fine mente geris tu tantum corpore prodes, 260 65 Of highest difpenfation, which herein Annull'd, which might in part my grief have eas'd Of man or worm; the vileft here excel me, ALC 69. or decrepit age!] So it is printed in the first edition; the later editors have omitted or, concluding I fuppofe that it made the verfe a fyllable too long. Mr. Cal<ton propofes to read -beggery in decrepit age! 75 |