896

Against the law of nature, law of nations,
No more thy Country, but an impious crew
Of men confpiring to uphold their state
By worse than hoftile deeds, violating the ends
For which our Country is a name so dear; 894
Not therefore to be obey'd. But zeal mov'd thee;
To please thy Gods thou didst it; Gods unable
T'acquit themselves and profecute their Foes
But by ungodly deeds, the contradiction
Of their own Deity, Gods they cannot be:
Lefs therefore to be pleas'd, obey'd, or fear'd. 900
These falfe pretexts and varnish'd colours failing,
Bare in thy guile, how foul must thou appear?
Dal. In argument with Men a Woman ever
Goes by the worfe, whatever be her caufe.

Samf. For want of words no doubt,orlack of breath, Witness when I was worried with thy peals.

906

Dal. I was a fool, too rash, and quite miftaken
In what I thought would have fucceeded beft.
Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samfon,
Afford me place to fhew what recompence
Towards thee I intend for what I have misdone,
Mifguided; only what remains paft cure
Bear not too fenfibly, nor ftill infift

T'affic thy felf in vain: though fight be loft,
Life yet hath many folaces, enjoy'd

Where other fenfes want not their delights
At home in leifure and domestick ease,

Exempt from many a care and chance to which
ye-fight expofes daily men abroad.

910

915

I to the Lords will intercede, not doubting 920
Their favourable ear, that I may fetch thee
From forth this loathfom prison-house, t' abide
With me, where my redoubi'd love and care
With nursing diligence, to me glad office,
May ever tend about thee to old age

925

With all things grateful chear'd, and fo fupply'd,
That what by me thou haft loft thou leaft fhalt mifs.
Samf. No, no, of my condition take no care;
It fits not; thou and 1 long fince are twain;
Nor think me fo unwary or accurft

To bring my feet again into the fnare

930

Where once I have been caught; I know thy trains
Though dearly to my coft, thy ginns, and toils;
Thy fair enchanted-cup, and warbling charms
No more on me have pow'r, their force is null'd,
So much of Adders wisdom I have learnt
To fence my ear against thy Sorceries.

936

If in my flower of youth and ftrength, when all men
Lov'd, honour'd, fear'd me,thou alone could'st hate me
Thy Husband, flight me, fell me, and forgo me; 940
How would'st thou use me now, blind, and thereby
Deceivable, in most things as a child

Helpless, thence eafily contemn'd, and fcorn'd,
And laft neglected? How would'st thou infult
When I must live uxorious to thy will
In perfect thraldom, how again betray me,
Bearing my words and doings to the Lords
To glofs upon, and cenfuring, frown or smile
This Gaol I count the House of Liberty

945

Tothine, whofe Doors my feet hall never enter. 950 Dal. Let me approach at least and touch thy hand. Samf. Not for thy life, left fierce remembrance wake My fudden rage to tear thee joint by joint. At distance I forgive thee, go with that ; Bewail thy falihood, and the pious works It hath brought forth to make thee memorable Among illuftrious Women, faithful Wives: Cherish thy haftn'd widowhood with the gold Of Matrimonial treason: so farewell.

955

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,

965

Eternal Tempeft never to be calm'd.
Why do I humble thus my felf, and fuing
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 difapprove my own. 970
Fame if not double-fac'd is double-mouth'd
And with contrary blaft proclaims most deeds,
On both his wings, one black, the other white,
Bears greatest names in his wild airy flight.
My name perhaps among the Circumcis'd
In Dan, in Judah, and the bordering Tribes,
To all pofterity may ftand defam'd,
With malediction mention'd, and the blot
of falfhood most unconjugal traduc'd.

975

But in my country where I most defire,
In Ecron, Gaza, Afdod, and in Gath
I fhall be nam'd among the famoufet
Of Women, fung at folemn festivals,
Living and dead recorded, who to fave
Her country from a fierce destroyer, chofe
Above the faith of wedlock-bands, my tomb,
With odours vifited and annual flow'rs,
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 heinous to enjoy

The publick marks of honour and reward

Conferr'd upon me, for the piety

-998

Which to my country I was judg'd to have fhewn. At this who ever envies or repines

I leave him to his lot, and like my own.

995

Chor. She's gone, a manifeft Serpent by her fting

Discover'd in the end, till now conceal`d.

Samf. So let her go, God fent her to debafe me, And aggravate my folly who committed

T

To fuch a viper his moft facred truft

Of fecrefie, my fafety, and my life.

Chor. Yet beauty, though injurious, hath ftrange

After offence returning, to regain

Love once poffeft, nor can be eafily

[pow's,

Repulft, without much inward paffion felt

And fecret fring of amorous remorfe.

Samf. Love quarrels oft in pleafing concord end. Not wedlock-treachery endang'ring life.

Char. It is not virtue, wisdom, valour, wit, 1010 Strength, comliness of shape, or ampleft merit That Woman's love can win or long inherit; But what it is, hard is to say,

Harder to hit,

(Which way foever Men refer it)

Much like thy riddle, Samfon, in one day
Or feven, though one fhould musing fit;
If any of these or all, the Timnian bride
Had not fo foon preferr'd

1015

Thy Paranymph, worthlefs to thee compar'd 1020 Succeffor in thy Bed,

Nor both fo loofly difally'd

Their nuptials, nor this last fo treacherously
Had fhorn the fatal Harveft of thy Head,
Is it for that fuch outward ornament

Was lavish'd on their Sex, that inward gifts

Were left for hafte unfinish'd, judgment fcant,
Capacity not rais'd to apprehend,

Or value what is beft

La choice, but ofteft to affect the wrong?

Or was too much of felf-love mixt,

Of conftancy no root infix'd,

That either they love nothing or not long?

Whate'er it be, to wifeft Men and best

1025

1030

Seeming at first all heav'nly under virgin Veil, 1035

Soft, modeft, meek, demure,

Once join'd, the contrary the proves, a Thorn

Inteftine, war within defenfive arms

A cleaving mifchief, in his way to virtue