Prevailing over fear, and timorous doubt
Hath led me on defirous to behold
Once more thy face, and know of thy cftate.
If aught in my ability may ferve
To light'n what thou fuffer'st, and appeale
Thy mind with what amends is in my pow'r, 745
Though late, yet in fome part to recompence
My rafh, but more unfortunate mifdeed.
Samf. Out, out Hyana; these are thy wonted arts, And arts of ev'ry woman false like thee,
To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray, 750
Then as repentant to submit, beseech,
And reconcilement move with feign'd remorse,
Confefs, and promife wonders in her change,
Not truly penitent, but chief to try
Her Husband, how far urg'd his patience bears, 755
His virtue or weakness which way to affail:
Then with more cautious and inftructed skill
Again tranfgreffes, and again fubmits;
That wifeft and beft men full oft beguif'd,
With goodnefs principl'd not to reject
The penitent, but ever to forgive,
Are drawn to wear out miserable days,
Entangl'd with a pois'nous bofont snake,
If not by quick destruction soon cut off
As I by thee, to Ages an example,
Dal. Yet hear me, Samfon; not that I endeavour
To leffen or extenuate my offence,
But that on th' other fide if it be weigh'd
By it felf, with aggravations not furcharg'd,
Or else with just allowance counterpois'd,
I may, if possible, thy pardon find
The cafier towards me, or thy hatred lefs.
First granting, as I do, it was a weakness
In me, but incident to all our fex,
Curiosity, inquifitive, importune
Of fecrets, then with like infirmity
To publish them, both common female faults:
Was it not weakness alfo to make known
For importunity, that is, for naught,
Wherein confifted all thy ftrength and fafety? 780.
To what I did thou fhew'dft me firft the way.
But I to enemies reveal'd, and should not.
Nor should't thou have trufted that to woman's frail-
Ere I to thee, thou to thy felf waft cruel.
Let weakness then with weakness come to parl 785
So near related, or the fame of kind,
Thine forgive mine; that men may censure thine
The gentler, if severely thou exact not
More ftrength from me, than in thy felf was found.
And what if Love, which thou interpret'st hate, 790
The jealoufie of Love, powerful of (way,
In human hearts, nor lefs in mine tow'rds thee,
Caus'd what I did? I faw thee mutable
Of fancy, fear'd left one day thou wou'dft leave me
As her at Timna, sought by all means therefore 795
How to endear, and hold thee to me firmeft:
No better way I faw than by importuning
To learn thy fecrets, get into my pow'r
Thy key of ftrength and fafety: thou wilt fay,
Why then reveal❜d? I was affur'd by those
Who tempted me, that nothing was design'd
Against thee but fafe cuftody, and hold:
That made for me, I knew that liberty
Would draw thee forth to perilous enterprises,
While I at home fate full of cares and fears 805
Wailing thy absence in my widow'd bed;
Here I should ftill enjoy thee day and night
Mine and Love's pris'ner, not the Philiftins,
Whole to my felf, unhazarded abroad,
Fearless at home of partners in my love.
These reasons in Love's law have paft for good,
Though fond and reafonless to some perhaps ;
And Love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much wo,
Yet always pity or pardon hath obtain'd,
Be not unlike all others, not auftere
As thou art ftrong, inflexible as feel. -
If thou in ftrength all mortals doft exceed,
In uncompaffionate anger do not fo.
Samf. How cunningly the Sorseress displays Her own tranfgreffions, to upbraid me mine? 826That malice not repentance brought thee hither, By this appears: I gave, thou fay'ft, th' example, I led the way, bitter reproach, but true,
I to my felf was falfe ere thou to me,
Such pardon therefore as I give my folly,
Take to thy wicked deed: which when thou seeft Impartial, felf-fevere, inexorable,
Thou wilt renounce thy feeking, and much rather Confefs it feign'd, weakness is thy excufe,
And I believe it, weakness to refift
Philiftian gold: if weakness may excufe,
What Murtherer, what Traitor, Paricide,
Incestuous, Sacrilegious, but may plead it?
All wickedness is weakness: that plea therefore
With God or Man will gain thee no remission. 835
But Love conftrain'd thee; call it furious rage
To satisfie thy luft: Love seeks to have Love;
My love how cou'dft thou hope, who took'ft the way
To raise in me inexpiable hate,
Knowing, as needs I must, by thee betray'd? 840
In vain thou ftriv'ft to cover shame with shame,
For by evasions thy crime uncover'st more.
Dal. Since thou determin'st weakness for no plea
In man or woman, though to thy own condemning,
Hear what affaults I had, what fnares befides, 845
What fieges girt me round, ere I confented;
Which might have aw'd the best refolv'd of Men,
The conftanteft, to have yielded without blame.
It was not Gold, as to my charge thou lay'ft,
That wrought with me: thou know'ft the Magiftrates
And Princes of my Country came in perfon, 851
Solicited, commanded, threatn'd, urg'd,
Adjur'd by all the bonds of civil Duty
And of Religion, prefs'd how juft it was.
How honourable, how glorious to entrap
A common enemy, who had destroy'd
Such Numbers of our Nation: and the Priest
Was not behind, but ever at my car,
Preaching how meritorious with the Gods.
It would be to enfnare an irreligious.
Dishonourer of Dagon: what had I
T'oppose against such pow’iful Arguments?
Only my love of thee held long debate;
And combated in filence all their reafons
With hard conteft: at length that grounded maxim So rife and celebrated in the mouths
Of wifeft men, that to the publick good
Private respects must yield; with grave authority Took full poffeffion of me and prevail'd
Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty so enjoyning. 870 Samf. I thought where all thy circling wiles would In feign'd Religion, smooth hypocrifie.
But had thy love, still odiously pretended,
Been, as it ought, fincere, it wou'd 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, lov'd thee, as too well thou knew'st,
Too well, unbofom'd all my fecrets to thee,
Not out of levity, but over-powr'd
By thy request, who could deny thee nothing;
Yet now am judg'd an enemy. Why then
Didft thou at first receive me for thy Husband?
Then, as fince then, thy country's foe profeft:
Being once a Wife, for me thou waft to leave 835
Parents and country; nor was I their fubject,
Nor under their protection but my own,
Thou mine, not theirs if aught against my life.
Thy Country fought of thee, it fought unjustly,
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