With sickness and disease thou bow'st them down, Painful diseases and deform'd, In crude old age: Though not disordinate, yet causeless suffering 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, 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. 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, 740 Once more thy face, and know of thy estate, To lighten what thou suffer'st, and appease 745 750 Sam. Out, out, hyæna; these are thy wonted arts, Her husband, how far urged his patience bears, 755 That wisest and best men, full oft beguiled, With goodness principled not to reject 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, 770 I may, if possible, thy pardon find The easier towards me, or thy hatred less. 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: 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. In human hearts, nor less in mind tow'rds thee, 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 800 805 810 These reasons in love's law have past for good, 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! I to myself was false ere thou to me: 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 830 All wickedness is weakness: that plea therefore 835 840 Knowing, as needs I must, by thee betray'd? Dal. Since thou determin'st weakness for no plea That wrought with me: thou know'st the magistrates 851 Adjured by all the bonds of civil duty 855 A common enemy, who had destroy'd 860 To' oppose against such powerful arguments? Only my love of thee held long debate, 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; 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 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; |