Thy country fought of thee, it fought unjusly,
Against the law of nature, law of nations,
No more thy country, but an impious crew
Of men conspiring to uphold their state
By worse than hoftile deeds, violating the ends
For which our country is a name fo dear; 894
Not therefore to be' obey'd. But zeal mov'd thee;
To please thy Gods thou didf it; Gods unable
T'acquit themselves and profecute their foes
But by ungodly deeds, the contradiction.
Of their own deity, Gods cannot be;
Lefs therefore to be pleas'd, obey'd, or fear'd. 900
These false pretexts and varnish'd colors 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.
Samf. For want of words no doubt, or lack of Witness when I was worried with thy peals. (breath;
Dal. I was a fool, too rash, and quite mistaken In what I thought would have succeeded best, Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samson, Afford me place to show what recompense Tow'ards thee I intend for what I have misdone,
Misguided; only what remains past cure
Bear not too sensibly, nor still insist
T'afflict thyfelf in vain: though fight be loft,
Life yet hath many folaces, enjoy'd
Where other fenfes want not their delights
At home in leisure and domestic ease,
Exempt from many a care and chance to which Eye-fight exposes daily men abroad.
I to the lords will intercede, not doubting
Their favorable ears, that I may fetch thee
From forth this loathsome prison-house, to abide
With me, where my redoubled love and care
With nurfing diligence, to me glad office,
May ever tend about thee to old age
With all things grateful chear'd, and so supply'd,
That what by me thou' haft loft thou least shalt miss.
Samf. No, no, of my condition take no care;
It fits not; thou and I long fince are twain;
Nor think me fo unwary or accurs'd,
To bring my feet again into the snare
Where once I have been caught; I know thy trains
Though dearly to my cost, thy gins, and toils;
Thy fair inchanted cup, and warbling charms
No more on me have pow'r, their force is null'd,
So much of adder's wifdom I have learn'd
To fence my ear against thy forceries.
If in my flower of youth and ftrength, when all men
Lov'd, honor'd, fear'd me, thou alone could'ft hate me
Thy husband, flight me, fell me, and forgo me;
How wouldst thou use me now, blind, and thereby
Deceivable, in most things as a child
Helpless, thence easily contemn'd, and scorn'd,
And last neglected? How wouldft thou infult,
When I must live luxurious to thy will
In perfect thraldom, how again betray me,
Bearing my words and doings to the lords
To gloss upon, and censuring, frown or smile?
This jail I count the house of liberty
999
To thine, whose doors my feet shall never enter.
Dal. Let me approach at least, and touch thy hand.
Samf. Not for thy life, left fierce remembrance
My fudden rage to tear thee joint by joint. (wake
At diftance I forgive thee, go with that;
Bewail thy falfhood, and the pious works
It hath brought forth to make thee memorable
Among illuftrious women, faithful wives:
Cherish thy haften'd widowhood with the gold
Of matrimonial treafon: fo farewel.
Dal. I fee thou art implacable, more deaf 960 To pray'rs, than winds and feas, yet winds to feas Are reconcil'd at length, and fea to fhore: Thy anger, unappeafable, ftill rages, Eternal tempest never to be calm'd.
Why do I humble thus myself, and suing
For peace, reap nothing but repulse and hate?
Bid go with evil omen and the brand
Of infamy upon my name denounc'd?
To mix with thy concernments I defift
Henceforth, nor too much disapprove my own. 970
Fame if not double-fac'd is double-mouth'd,
And with contrary blaft proclames most deeds;
On both his wings, one black, the other white,
Bears greatest names in his wild aery flight.
My name perhaps among the circumcis'd
In Dan, in Judah, and the bordering tribes,
To all pofterity may fland defam’d,
With malediction mentioned, and the blot
Of falfhood moft unconjugal traduc'd.
But in my country where I most desire,
In Ecron, Gaza, Afdod, and in Gath,
I shall be nam'd among the famousest
Of women, fung at folemn feftivals,
Living and dead recorded, who to save
Her country from a fierce deftroyer, chofe
Above the faith of wedlock-bands, my tomb
With odors vifited and annual flowers;
Not lefs renown'd than in mount Ephraim
Jael, who with inhospitable guile
Smote Sifera fleeping through the temples nail'd.
Nor fhall I count it hainous to enjoy
The public marks of honor and reward
Conferr'd upon me, for the piety
Which to my country I was judg'd to' have shown. At this who ever envies or repines,
I leave him to his lot, and like my own.
Chor. She's gone, a manifest serpent by her sting Discover'd in the end, till now conceal'd.
Samf. So let her go, God fent her to debase me, And aggravate my folly, who committed
To such a viper his most fared trust
Of fecrefy, my safety, and my life.
Chor. Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange
After offence returning, to regain
Love once poffefs'd, nor can be easily
Repuls'd, without much inward passion felt
And fecret fling of amorous remorse.
Samf. Love-quarrels oft in pleasing concord end, Not wedlock-treachery indang'ring life.
Chor. It is not virtue, wisdom, valor, wit, 1010 Strength, comeliness of shape, or amplest merit That woman's love can win or long inherit; But what it is, hard is to fay,
(Which way foever men refer it)
Much like thy riddle, Samson, in one day
Or fev'n, though one should musing fit.
any of these or all, the Timnian bride Had not fo foon preferr'd
Thy paranymph, worthless to thee compar'd, 1020 Succeffor in thy bed,
Nor both so loosly disally'd
Their nuptials, nor this last so treacherously
Had shorn the fatal harvest of thy head.
Is it for that fuch outward ornament
Was lavish'd on their sex, that inward gifts
Were left for haste unfinish'd, judgment scant,
Capacity not rais'd to apprehend
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