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And number'd down: much rather I shall choose

To live the poorest in my tribe, than richest,
And he in that calamitous prison left.

No, I am fix'd not to part hence without him,
For his redemption all my patrimony

If need be, I am ready to forego

And quit: not wanting him, I shall want nothing.
Chorus. Fathers are wont to lay up for their sons,
Thou for thy son art bent to lay out all;

Sons wont to nurse their parents in old age,
Thou in old age car'st how to nurse thy son,
Made older than thy age through eye-sight lost.
Manoah. It shall be my delight to tend his eyes,
And view him sitting in the house, ennobled
With all those high exploits by him achiev❜d,
And on his shoulders waving down those locks
That of a nation arm'd the strength contain'd:
And I persuade me, God hath not permitted
His strength again to grow up with his hair,
Garrison'd round about him like a camp
Of faithful soldiery, were not his purpose
To use him further yet in some great service
Not to sit idle with so great a gift

Useless, and thence ridiculous about him.

And since his strength with eye-sight was not lost, God will restore him eye-sight to his strength.

Chorus. Thy hopes are not ill founded, nor seem

vain.

Of his delivery, and thy joy thereon'
Conceiv'd, agreeable to a father's love,
In both which we, as next, participate.

Manoah. I know your friendly minds and-O what noise!

Mercy of Heaven! what hideous noise was that?
Horribly loud, unlike the former shout.

Chorus. Noise call you it, or universal groan,
As if the whole inhabitation perish'd!

Blood, death, and deathful deeds, are in that noise, Ruin, destruction at the utmost point.

Manoah. Of ruin indeed methought I heard the noise:

Oh! it continues, they have slain my son.

Chorus. Thy son is rather slaying them; that

outcry

From slaughter of one foe could not ascend.

Manoah. Some dismal accident it needs must be, What shall we do, stay here or run and see? Chorus. Best keep together here, lest, running thither,

We unawares run into danger's mouth.

This evil on the Philistines is fallen;

From whom could else a general cry be heard;
The sufferers then will scarce molest us here;
From other hands we need not much to fear.
What if, his eye-sight (for to Israel's God
Nothing is hard) by miracle restor❜d,

He now be dealing dole among his foes,
And over heaps of slaughter'd walk his way?
Manoah. That were a joy presumptuous to be
thought.

Chorus. Yet God hath wrought things as in
credible

For his people of old: what hinders now?

Manoah. He can, I know, but doubt to think he

will;

Yet hope would fain subscribe, and tempts belief. A little stay will bring some notice hither.

Chorus. Of good or bad so great, of bad the

sooner;

For evil news rides post, while good news bates.
And to our wish I see one hither speeding,
An Hebrew, as I guess, and of our tribe.

Enter MESSENGER.

Messenger. O whither shall I run, or which way fly

The sight of this so horrid spectacle,

Which erst my eyes beheld, and yet behold?
For dire imagination still pursues me.

But providence or instinct of nature seems,
Or reason though disturb'd, and scarce consulted,
To have guided me aright, I know not how,
To

thee first, reverend Manoah, and to these My countrymen, whom here I knew remaining,

As at some distance from the place of horrour,
So in the sad event too much concern'd.

Manoah. The accident was loud, and here before thee

With rueful cry, yet what it was we hear not;
No preface needs, thou seest we long to know.
Messenger. It would burst forth, but I recover
breath

And sense distract, to know well what I utter.
Manoah. Tell us the sum, the circumstance

defer.

Messenger. Gaza yet stands, but all her sons are

fallen,

All in a moment overwhelm'd and fallen.

Manoah. Sad, but thou know'st to Israelites not saddest

The desolation of a hostile city.

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Messenger. Feed on that first; there may in grief

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The sorrow, and converts it nigh to joy.

Messenger. Ah! Manoah, I refrain too sud

denly

To utter what will come at last too soon;
Lest evil tidings with too rude irruption
Hitting thy aged ear should pierce too deep.

Manoah. Suspense in news is torture, speak them

out.

Messenger. Take then the worst in brief, Samson is dead.

Manoah. The worst indeed! O all my hopes defeated

To free him hence! but death, who sets all free,
Hath paid his ransom now and full discharge.
What windy joy this day had I conceiv'd
Hopeful of his delivery, which now proves
Abortive as the first-born bloom of spring.
Nipt with the lagging rear of winter's frost!
Yet ere I give the reins to grief, say first,
How died he; death to life is crown or shame,
All by him fell, thou say'st; by whom fell he?
What glorious hand gave Samson his death's wound?
Messenger. Unwounded of his enemies he fell.
Manoah. Wearied with slaughter then, or how?

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At once both to destroy, and be destroy'd;
The edifice, where all were met to see him,
Upon their heads and on his own he pull❜d.
Manoah. O lastly over-strong against thyself!
A dreadful way thou took'st to thy revenge,

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