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With sickness and disease thou bow'st them down, Painful diseases and deform'd,

In crude old age:

Though not disordinate, yet causeless suffering
The punishment of dissolute days; in fine,
Just or unjust alike seem miserable,

For oft alike both come to evil end.

700

So deal not with this once thy glorious champion The image of thy strength, and mighty minister. 700 What do I beg? how hast thou dealt already? Behold him in this state calamitous, and turn His labours, for thou canst, to peaceful end.

But who is this, what thing of sea or land? Female of sex it seems,

710

That so bedeck'd, ornate and gay,

Comes this way sailing

Like a stately ship

Of Tarsus, bound for th' isles

715

Of Javan or Gadire

With all her bravery on, and tackle trim,

Sails fill'd, and streamers waving,

Courted by all the winds that hold them play,

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Sam. My wife, my traitress, let her not come near

me.

725

Chor. Yet on she moves, now stands and eyes thee fix'd,

About to have spoke, but now, with head declined Like a fair flower surcharged with dew, she weeps, And words address'd seem into tears dissolved,

Wetting the borders of her silken veil :

730

But now again she makes address to speak.
Dal. With doubtful feet and wavering resolution

I came, still dreading thy displeasure, Samson,

Which to have merited, without excuse,

I cannot but acknowledge; yet if tears

735

700. Crude, premature.

714. This comparison is to be found in several of the older poets, Shakspeare, Beaumont and Fletcher, &c.

May expiate (though the fact more evil drew

In the perverse event than I foresaw)

My penance hath not slacken'd, though my pardon No way assured. But conjugal affection

Prevailing over fear, and timorous doubt,
Hath led me on desirous to behold

740

Once more thy face, and know of thy estate,
If aught in my ability may serve

To lighten what thou suffer'st, and appease
Thy mind with what amends is in my power,
Though late, yet in some part to recompense
My rash but more unfortunate misdeed.

745

750

Sam. Out, out, hyæna; these are thy wonted arts,
And arts of every woman false like thee,
To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray,
Then, as repentant, to submit, beseech,
And reconcilement move with feign'd remorse,
Confess, and promise wonders in her change,
Not truly penitent, but chief to try

Her husband, how far urged his patience bears, 755
His virtue or weakness which way to assail:
Then with more cautious and instructed skill
Again transgresses, and again submits;

That wisest and best men, full oft beguiled,

With goodness principled not to reject
The penitent, but ever to forgive,

760

Are drawn to wear out miserable days,

Entangled with a pois'nous bosom snake,

If not by quick destruction soon cut off

As I by thee, to ages an example.

765

Dal. Yet hear me, Samson; not that I endeavour

To lessen or extenuate my offence,

But that on the other side if it be weigh'd

By' itself, with aggravations not surcharged,
Or else with just allowance counterpoised,

770

I may, if possible, thy pardon find

The easier towards me, or thy hatred less.
First granting, as I do, it was a weakness
In me, but incident to all our sex,

Curiosity, inquisitive, importune

775

Of secrets, then with like infirmity

748. Hyena; this animal is known to imitate the human voice

so well, as to have deceived travellers with its complaints.

To publish them, both common female faults:
Was it not weakness also to make known

For importunity, that is for nought,

Wherein consisted all thy strength and safety? 780 To what I did, thou shew'dst me first the way.

But I to enemies reveal'd, and should not: [frailty: Nor should'st thou have trusted that to woman's

Ere I to thee, thou to thyself wast cruel.

Let weakness then with weakness come to parle 785 So near related, or the same of kind,

Thine forgive mine: that men may censure thine The gentler, if severely thou exact not

More strength from me than in thyself was found.
And what if love, which thou interpret'st hate, 790
The jealousy of love, powerful of sway

In human hearts, nor less in mind tow'rds thee,
Caused what I did? I saw thee mutable

Of fancy, fear'd lest one day thou would'st leave me

As her at Timna, sought by all means therefore 795 How to endear, and hold thee to me firmest :

No better way I saw than by importúning
To learn thy secrets, get into my power
Thy key of strength and safety: thou wilt say,
Why then reveal'd? I was assured by those
Who tempted me, that nothing was design'd
Against thee but safe custody and hold:
That made for me; I knew that liberty
Would draw thee forth to perilous enterprises,
While I at home sat full of cares and fears,
Wailing thy absence in my widow'd bed;
Here I should still enjoy thee day and night
Mine and Love's prisoner, not the Philistines',
Whole to myself, unhazarded abroad,
Fearless at home of partners in my love.

800

805

810

These reasons in love's law have past for good,
Though fond and reasonless to some perhaps :
And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much woe,
Yet always pity' or pardon hath obtain'd.

Be not unlike all others, not austere

815

As thou art strong, inflexible as steel.

If thou in strength all mortals dost exceed,

In uncompassionate anger do not so.

Sam. How cunningly the sorceress displays

820

Her own transgressions, to upbraid me mine!
That malice, not repentance, brought thee hither,
By this appears: I gave, thou say'st, th' example,
I led the way: bitter reproach, but true:

I to myself was false ere thou to me:
Such pardon therefore as I give my folly,

825

Take to thy wicked deed; which when thou seest Impartial, self-severe, inexorable,

Thou wilt renounce thy seeking, and much rather Confess it feign'd: weakness is thy excuse

And I believe it, weakness to resist
Philistian gold: if weakness may excuse,
What murderer, what traitor, parricide,
Incestuous, sacrilegious, but may plead it?

830

All wickedness is weakness: that plea therefore
With God or man will gain thee no remission.
But love constrain'd thee; call it furious rage
To satisfy thy lust; love seeks to' have love;
My love how could'st thou hope, who took'st the way
To raise in me inexpiable hate,

835

840

Knowing, as needs I must, by thee betray'd?
In vain thou striv'st to cover shame with shame,
Or by evasions thy crime uncover'st more.

Dal. Since thou determin'st weakness for no plea
In man or woman, though to thy own condemning,
Hear what assaults I had, what snares besides, 845
What sieges girt me round, ere I consented;
Which might have awed the best resolved of men,
The constantest, to have yielded without blame.
It was not gold, as to my charge thou lay'st,

That wrought with me: thou know'st the magistrates
And princes of my country came in person,
Solicited, commanded, threaten'd, urged,

851

Adjured by all the bonds of civil duty
And of religion, press'd how just it was,
How honourable, how glorious, to entrap

855

A common enemy, who had destroy'd
Such numbers of our nation; and the priest
Was not behind, but ever at my ear,
Preaching how meritorious with the gods
It would be to insnare an irreligious
Dishonourer of Dagon: what had 1

860

To' oppose against such powerful arguments?

Only my love of thee held long debate,
And combated in silence all these reasons

With hard contest: at length that grounded maxim, So rife and celebrated in the mouths

Of wisest men, that to the public good

Private respects must yield, with grave authority

Took full possession of me and prevail'd:

866

Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty, so enjoining. [end; Sam. I thought where all thy circling wiles would In feign'd religion, smooth hypocrisy.

But had thy love, still odiously pretended,

Been, as it ought, sincere, it would have taught thee Far other reasonings, brought forth other deeds. 875

I before all the daughters of my tribe

And of my nation chose thee from among

My enemies, loved thee, as too well thou knew'st,

Too well, unbosom'd all my secrets to thee,

Not out of levity, but overpower'd

880

By thy request, who could deny thee nothing;
Yet now am judged an enemy. Why then
Did'st thou at first receive me for thy husband,
Then, as since then, thy country's foe profess'd?
Being once a wife, for me thou wast to leave
Parents and country: nor was I their subject,
Nor under their protection, but my own,
Thou mine, not theirs: if aught against my life
Thy country sought of thee, it sought unjustly
Against the law of nature, law of nations,

885

890

No more thy country, but an impious crew

Of men conspiring to uphold their state

By worse than hostile deeds, violating the ends
For which our country is a name so dear;
Not therefore to be obey'd. But zeal moved thee;
To please thy gods thou didst it; gods unable
To' acquit themselves and prosecute their foes
But by ungodly deeds, the contradiction
Of their own deity, gods cannot be;

896

Less therefore to be pleased, obey'd, or fear'd.

900

These false pretexts and varnish'd colours failing,

Bare in thy guilt how foul must thou appear?

Dal. In argument with men a woman ever

Goes by the worse, whatever be her cause.

904

Sam. For want of words no doubt, or lack of breath;

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