Samf. All otherwife to me my thoughts portend,590 That these dark Orbs no more fhall treat with light, Nor th' other light of life continue long, But yield to double darkness nigh at hand: 595 Man. Believe not these fuggeftions, which proceed To profecute the means of thy deliverance Samf. O that torment should not be confin'd To th' inmoft mind, These exercise all his fierce accidents, As on entrails, joints and limbs With answerable pains, but more intense, Though void of corporal fenfe. My griefs not only pain me As a lingring disease, But finding no redress, ferment and mage. 615 Nor lefs than wounds immedicable Rankle, and fefter, and gangreen, To black mortification. Thoughts my Tormenters arm'd with deadly ftings Mangle my apprehensive tendereft parts, Exafperate, exulcerate, and raise Dire inflammation, which no cooling herb Nor breath of Vernal Air from nowy Alp. 625 To death's benumming Opium as my only cure, 630 Thence faintings, fwoonings of despair, And fenfe of Heav'ns desertion. I was his nurfling once, and choice delight, His deftin'd from the womb, Promis'd by Heav'nly meffage twice descending, 635 Under his special eye Abftemious I grew up and thriv'd amain; He led me on to mightiest deeds Above the nerve of mortal arm Against the uncircumcis'd, our enemies. 640 And to thofe cruel enemies, Whom I by his appointment had provok'd, 645 No long petition, speedy death, The close of all my miferies, and the balm. Chor. Many are the Sayings of the Wife In ancient and in modern books enroll'd; Extolling Patience as the trueft fortitude; And to the bearing well of all calamities, All chances incident to man's frail life. Confolatories writ 680 655 With ftudy'd argument, and much persuasion fought Lenient of grief and anxious thought, But to th' afflicted in his pangs their found Little prevails, or rather feems a tune, 660. Harfh, and of dissonant mood from his complaint, Unless he feel within Some fource of confolation from above; Secret refreshings, that repair his strength, God of our Fathers, what is man! That thou towards him with hand fo various, 665 Temper'ft thy providence through his fhort courfe, Th' Angelick orders and inferior creatures mute, Nor do I name of men the common rout, Grow up and perish, as the fummer flie, 6784 675 To some great work, thy glory, And peoples fafety, which in part they effect: 680 [gard Changeft thy countenance, and thy hand with no reOf highest favours paft 685 From thee on them, or them to thee of fervice, To life obfcur'd, which were a fair difmiffion, Too grievous for the trefpafs or omiffion, [high, 691 Of Heathen and prophane, their Carcaffes With fickness and disease thou bow'ft them down. In crude old age: Though not difordinate, yet caufeless suff'ring For oft alike, both come to evil end. 700 So deal not with this once thy glorious Champion, The Image of thy ftrength and mighty Minifter. 706. What do I beg? how haft thou dealt already? Behold him in his ftate calamitous, and turn His labours, for thou canft, to peaceful end. But who is this, what thing of Sea or Land? 710 Female of fex it seems, That so bedeckt, ornate, and gay, Comes this way failing Like a ftately Ship of Tarfus, bound for th' Ifles Of Javan or Gadier With all her bravery on, and tackle trim, Sails, fill'd, and ftreamers waving, Courted by all the winds that hold them play, Her harbinger, a damfel train behind; 715 720 [near me. Samf. My Wife, my Trayt'ress, let her not come Chor. Yet on the moves,now stands and eyes thee fix'd. About t'have spoke, but now, with head declin'd, Like a fair flow's furcharg'd with dew, the weeps And words addrefs'd feem tears diffolv'd, Wetting the borders of her filk'n veil: But now again the makes address to speak. 730 Dal. With doubtful feet and wavering refolution I came, still dreading thy displeasure, Samfon, Which to have merited, without excufe, I cannot but acknowledge; yet if tears 735 My penance hath not flacken'd, though my pardon' No way affur'd, But conjugal affection |