Of highest favours paft

From thee on them, or them to thee of service.
Nor only doft degrade them, or remit

To life obfcur'd, which were a fair difmiffion,

But throw'it them lower than thou didst exalt them
high;

Unfeemly falls in human eye,

Too grievous for the trefpafs or omiffion;
Oft leav't them to the hoftile fword

Of heathen and prophane, their carcafes
To dogs and fowls a prey, or elfe captiv'd;
Or to th' unjuft tribunals under change of times,
And condemnation of th' ingrateful multitude.
If thefe they 'fcape, perhaps in poverty

With ficknefs and difeafe thou bow'ft them down,
Painful difeafes and deform'd,

In crude old age:

Though not difordinate, yet caufelefs fuffring
The punishment of diffolute days; in fine,
Just or unjuit, alike feem miferable,

For oft alike, both come to evil end.

So deal not with this once thy glorious champion,
The image of thy ftrength and mighty minifter.
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."

Immediately after this fcene Dalilah, the wife of Samfon, who had betrayed him into the hands of the Philiftines, appears; and the converfation between them is in every refpect fuited to their refpective characters and conditions: the following circumftance made us fmile:

Dal. In argument with men, a woman ever

Goes by the worfe, whatever be her cause.

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

The MeJenger's account of Samfon's fall, is exceedingly interesting and picturesque. We fhall give it in conjunction

conjunction with the exclamation of the Chorus which follows:

"Meff. Occafions drew me early to this city,
And as the gates I enter'd with fun-rife,
The morning trumpets feftival proclaim'd
Through each high-street: little I had dispatch'd,
When all abroad was rumor'd that this day
Samfon fhould be brought forth to fhew the people
Proof of his mighty ftrength in feats and games.
I forrow'd at his captive state, but minded
Not to be abfent at that fpectacle.

The building was a spacious theatre,
Half-round, on two main pillars vaulted high,
With feats where all the lords, and each degree
Of fort, might fit in order to behold;
The other fide was open, where the throng
On banks and scaffolds under fky might stand;
I among thofe aloof obfcurely ftood.

The feaft and noon grew nigh, and facrifice

Had fill'd their hearts with mirth, high cheer and wine,
When to their fports they turn'd. Immediately

Was Samfon as a public fervant brought,
In their ftate livery clad; before him pipes
And timbrels; on each fide went armed guards,
Both horfe and foot, before him and behind
Archers, and flingers, cataphracts, and spears.
At fight of him the people with a shout
Rifted the air, clamouring their God with praise,
Who had made their dreadful enemy their thrall.
He patient, but undaunted, where they led him,
Came to the place; and what was fet before him,
Which without help of eye might be affay'd,
To heave, pull, draw, and break, he still perform'd
All with incredible ftupendous force,

None daring to appear antagonist.

At length for intermiffion-fake they led him
Between the pillars; he his guide requested
(For fo from fuch as nearer ftood we heard)
As overtir'd, to let him lean a while
With both his arms on those two maffy pillars,

That

That to the arched roof gave main support.
He unfufpicious led him; which when Samfon
Felt in his arms, with head a while inclin'd,
And eyes faft fixt, he ftood as one who pray'd,
Or fome great matter in his mind revolv'd;
At laft with head erect thus cry'd aloud,
Hitherto, lords, what your commands impos'd
I have perform'd, as reafon was, obeying,
Not without wonder or delight beheld:
Now of my own accord fuch other trial
I mean to fhew you of my ftrength, yet greater,
As with amaze shall strike all who behold.
This utter'd, ftraining all his nerves he bow'd,
As with the force of winds and waters pent,
When mountains tremble, thofe two maffy pillars
With horrible convulfion to and fro

He tugg'd, he fhook, till down they came, and drew
The whole roof after them, with burft of thunder,
Upon the heads of all who fat beneath,
Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or priests,
Their choice nobility and flower, not only
Of this but each Philiftian city round,
Met from all parts to folemnize this feast.
Samfon with these immixt, inevitably
Pull'd down the fame deftruction on himself;
The vulgar only fcap'd, who stood without.

Chor. O dearly-bought revenge, yet glorious!
Living or dying thou haft fulfill'd

The work for which thou wait foretold

To Ifrael, and now ly'st victorious

Among thy flain self-kill'd,

Not willingly, but tangl'd in the fold

Of dire neceffity; whofe law in death conjoin'd
Thee with thy flaughter'd foes, in number more
Than all thy life had flain before."

Finally, the triumphant declaration of Manoa, the father of Samfon, upon hearing what had been accom. plished by his fon, together with the fong of the chorus with which the poem concludes, poffeffes great beauty and propriety.

"Nothing

"Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail
Or knock the breast, no weakness, no contempt,
Difpraise, or blame; nothing but well and fair,
And what may quiet us in a death so noble.
Let us go find the body, where it lies

Soak'd in his enemies blood, and from the ftream
With lavers pure and cleansing herbs wash off
The clotted gore. I with what speed the while
(Gaza is not in plight to fay us nay)

Will fend for all my kindred, all my friends,
To fetch him hence, and folemnly attend

With filent obfequy and funeral train

Home to his father's houfe: there will I build him
A monument, and plant it round with shade
Of laurel ever-green, and branching palm,
With all his trophies hung, and acts enroll'd
In copious legend, or fweet lyric fong.
Thither fhall all the valiant youth refort,
And from his memory inflame their breafts
To matchlefs valour, and adventures high:
The virgins alfo fhall on feastful days
Vifit his tomb with flowers, only bewailing
His lot unfortunate in nuptial choice,
From whence captivity and lofs of eyes.
Chor. All is beft, though we oft doubt
What th' unfearchable difpofe
Of highest wifdom brings about,

And ever best found in the clofe.

Oft he seems to hide his face,

But unexpectedly returns,

And to his faithful champion hath in place

Bore witness gloriously; whence Gaza mourns,

And all that band them to refift

His uncontroulable intent:

His fervant he with new acquist

Of true experience from this great event,
With peace and confolation hath difmift,
And calm of mind, all passion spent."

It is generally fuppofed that Milton has delineated, in his blind hero, many particulars with a view to his

OWB

own condition. Certainly there was a melancholy refemblance, particularly in their lofs of fight, in their domeftic troubles, and in their extraordinary strengththe one, indeed, corporeal, the other intellectual; but the degrees of each were very diftinguished. The perufal of the poem, with a reference to the character and circumftances of its author, imparts an additional importance to the fentiments with which it is fraught. The expreffions alfo, in this view, acquire an encreafing beauty, become more interefting to the imagination, and more impreffive upon the heart.

Dr. Johnfon is difpleafed with Samfon Agonifles, becaufe it is formed upon the plan of the ancient tragedies, which were accompanied with a chorus; but adds, "In this tragedy are, however, many particular beauties, many juft fentiments and ftriking lines." Dr. Blair is not difpofed to abandon the Chorus entirely, though Johnfon has, authoritatively, termed it the encumbrance of tragedy. "One ufe I am of opinion," fays Dr. Blair, might ftill be made of the ancient chorus, and would be a confiderable improvement of the modern theatres, if instead of that unmeaning, and often improperly chofen mufic, with which the audience is entertained in the intervals between the acts, a chorus were then to be introduced, whofe mufic and fongs, though forming no part of the play, fhould have a relation to the incidents of the preceding act, and to the difpofitions which thofe incidents are prefumed to have awakened in the fpectators. By this means the tone of paffion would be kept up without interruption, and all the good effects of the ancient chorus might be preferved for infpiring proper fentiments, and for increasing the morality of the performance, without thefe inconveniences which arofe from the chorus forming a conftituent part of the play, and mingling unfeasonably and unnaturally with the perfonages of the drama."

VOL. VII.

X

GOSSI