There exercise all his fierce accidents,

And on her purest spirits prey,

As on entrails, joints, and limbs,

With answerable pains, but more intense,

Though void of corporal sense.

My griefs not only pain me

As a lingering disease,

But, finding no redress, ferment and rage;

Nor less than wounds immedicable

Rankle, and fester, and gangrene,

To black mortification.

Thoughts, my tormentors, arm'd with deadly stings

Mangle my apprehensive tenderest parts,

Exasperate, exulcerate, and raise

Dire inflammation, which no cooling herb
Or medicinal liquor can assuage,

615

620

I was his nursling once, and choice delight,

Against the uncircumcis'd, our enemies:
But now hath cast me off as never known,
And to those cruel enemies,

640

Whom I by his appointment had provok'd,
Left me all helpless with th' irreparable loss.

Of sight, reserv'd alive to be repeated
The subject of their, cruelty or scorn.

645

Nor am I in the list of them that hope;
Hopeless are all my evils, all remediless:

This one prayer yet remains, might I be heard,
No long petition, speedy death,

The close of all my miseries, and the balm.

650

Chor. Many are the sayings of the wise, In ancient and in modern books enroll'd, Extolling patience as the truest fortitude; And to the bearing well of all calamities, All chances incident to man's frail life,

Consolatories writ

655

With studied argument, and much persuasion sought

Lenient of grief and anxious thought:

But with th' afflicted in his pangs their sound

Irrational and brute.

Nor do I name of men the common rout,

That wandring loose about

Grow up and perish, as the summer fly,

675

Heads without name no more remember'd,

But such as thou hast solemnly elected,
With gifts and graces eminently adorn'd,
To some great work, thy glory,

And people's safety, which in part they effect;
Yet toward these thus dignify'd, thou oft,
Amidst the height of noon,

Changest thy countenance, and thy hand with no regard

Of highest favours past

From thee on them, or them to thee of service.

Nor only dost degrade them, or remit

To life obscur'd, which were a a fair dismission,

But throw'st them lower than thou didst exalt them high;

Unseemly falls in human eye,

Too grievous for the trespass or omission;

680

685

690

Oft leav'st them to the hostile sword

Of heathen and prophane, their carcasses

To dogs and fowls a prey, or else captiv'd;

Or to th' unjust tribunals, under change of times,
And condemnation of th' ingrateful multitude.

695

If these they 'scape, perhaps in poverty

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

In crude old age;

Though not disordinate, yet causeless suff'ring

700

The punishment of dissolute days: in fine,
Just or unjust, alike seem miserable,

For oft alike, both come to evil end.

So deal not with this once thy glorious champion

705

The image of thy strength and mighty minister.
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?

With all her bravery on, and tackle trim,

Sails fill'd, and streamers waving.

Courted by all the winds that hold them play,
An amber scent of odorous perfume

Her harbinger, a damsel train behind;

720

Some rich Philistian matron she may seem;
And now at uearer view, no other certain
Than Dalila thy wife.

Sams. My wife, my trait'ress : let her not come near me. Chor. Yet on she moves, now stands and eyes thee fix'd, About t' have spoke; but now, with head declin'd,

726

Like a fair flow'r surcharg'd with dew, she weeps,
And words address'd seem into tears dissolv'd,

Wetting the borders of her silken veil :

But now again she makes address to speak.

[Enter] DALILA.

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
May expiate (though the fact more evil drew
In the perverse event than I foresaw)

My penance hath not slacken'd, though my pardon
way assur'd. But conjugal affection,

No

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735

Prevailing over fear, and timorous doubt,
Hath led me on, desirous to behold
One 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 pow'r,
Though late, yet in some part to recompense

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My rash, but more unfortunate, misdeed,

Sams. 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,

750

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 urg'd his patience bears,
Ilis virtue' or weakness which way tɔ assail :
Then with more cautious and instructed skill
Again transgresses, and again submits;
That wisest and best men, full oft beguil'd,
With goodness principled not to reject

755

The penitent, but ever to forgive,
Are drawn to wear out miserable days,
Entangl'd with a pois'nous hosom snake,

760

If not by quick destruction soon cut off,
As I by thee, to ages an example.

Dal. Yet hear me Sampson; not that I endeavour

766

To lessen or extenuate my offence,

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

By' itself, with aggravations not surcharg'd,
Or else with just allowance counterpois'd,

I may, if possible, thy pardon find

770

The easier to'wards me, or thy hatred less.