Adverse and turbulent, or by her charms

Draws him awry enflav'd

With dotage, and his sense deprav'd

1040

To folly and shameful deeds which ruin ends. What Pilot fo expert but needs must wreck Embarqu'd with such a Stears-mate at the Helm? Favour'd of Heav'n who finds

One virtuous rarely found,

That in domeftick good combines :

1046

Happy that house! his way to peace is smooth : But Virtue which breaks through all opposition, 1050 And all temptation can remove,

Most shines and most is acceptable above.

Therefore God's univerfal Law

Gave to the Man defpotick power

Over his Female in due awe,

Nor from that right to part an hour,

Smile fhe or lowre:

So fhall he leaft confufion draw

On his whole life, not fway'd

By female ufurpation, or dismay'd.

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1060

But had we beft retire, I fee a storm?

Samf. Fair days have oft contracted wind and rain, Chor. But this another kind of tempeft brings. Samf. Be lefs abftruse, my riddling days are past. Chor. Look now for no inchanting voice, nor fear The bait of honied words; a rougher tongue 1666 Draws hitherward, I know him by his ftride, The Giant Harapha of Gath, his look Haughty as is pile high-built and proud,

Comes he in peace? what wind hath blown him hither

1971

I lefs conjecture than when first I faw
The fumptuous Dalila floating this way:
His habit carries peace, his brow defiance.
Samf. Or peace or not, alike to me he comes.
Chor. His fraught we foon fhall know, he now arrives!
Har. I come not, Samfon, to condole thy chance,
As these perhaps, yet with it had not been,
Though for no friendly intent. I am of Gath,
Men call me Harapha, of stock renown'd
As Og or Anak and the Emims old

That Kariathaim held, thou know'ft me now
If thou at all art known. Much I have heard
Of thy prodigious might and feats perform'd
Incredible to me, in this difpleas'd,

That I was never prefent on the place

1080

1085

Of thofe encounters, where we might have try'd
Each others force in camp or lifted field:
And now am come to fee of whom fuch noise
Hath walk'd about, and each limb to furvey,
If thy appearance anfwer loud report.

1690

Samf. The way to know were not to fee but tafte Har. Doft thou already fingle me? I thought Gieves and the Mill had tam'd thee. Othat fortune Had brought me to the Field where thou art fam'd To have wrought fuch wonders with an Afs's Jaw; I should have forc'd thee foon with other arms, 1096 Or left thy carcafs where the Afs lay thrown: So had the glory of Prowess been recover'd To Palestine, won by a Philiftin

From the unfore-skin'd race, of whom thou bear'ft
The highest name for valiant Acts, that honour
Certain to have won by mortal duel from thee,
I lofe, prevented by thy eyes put out.

[but do Samf. Boaft not of what thou wouldst have done, What then thou wouldft, thou feeft it in thy hand.

Har. To combat with a blind Man I difdain, And thou haft need much washing to be touch'd. Samf. Such ufage as your honourable Lords Afford me affaffinated and betray'd,

Who durft not with their whole united pow'rs II
In fight withstand me single and unarm❜d,
Nor in the house with chamber Ambushes
Close-banded durft attaque me, no not fleeping,
Till they had hir'd a woman with their gold
Breaking her Marriage Faith to circumvent me. 11IS
Therefore without feign'd shifts let be affign'd
Some narrow place enclos'd,where fight may give thee
Or rather flight, no great advantage on me;
Then put on all thy gorgeous arms, thy Helmet
And Brigandine of brass, thy broad Habergeon, 1120
Vant-brafs and Greves, and Gauntlet, and thy Spear
A Weavers beam, and feven-times-folded shield;
I only with an Oak'n-staff will meet thee,
And raife fuch out-cries on thy clatter'd Iron, 1124
Which long shall not with-hold me from thy head,
That in a little time while breath remains thee,
Thou oft fhalt with thy felf at Gath to boast
Again in fafety what thou wouldst have done
To Samfon, but fhalt never fee Gath more.

Har. Thou durft not thus difparage glorious arms Which greatest Heroes have in battel worn, 1131 Their ornament and fafety, had not spells

And black enchantments,fome Magicians Art[Heav'n Arm'd thee or charm'd thee strong, which thou from Feign'dft at thy Birth was giv'n thee in thy Hair, 1135 Where strength can least abide, though allthy Hairs Were briftles rang'd like those that ridge the back Of chaf'd wild Boars, or ruffl'd Porcupines.

Samf. I know no Spells, ufe no forbidden Arts; My truft is in the living God, who gave me 1140 At my Nativity this ftrength, diffus'd

No less through all my finews, joints and bones, Than thine, while I preferv'd these locks unshorn, The pledge of my unviolated vow.

1145

1150

For proof hereof, if Dagon be thy god,
Go to his Temple, invocate his aid
With folemneft devotion, spread before him
How highly it concerns his glory now
To fruftrate and diffolve these Magick spells,
Which I to be the power of Ifrael's God
Avow, and challenge Dagon to the teft,
Off'ring to combat thee his Champion bold,
With th'utmost of his Godhead feconded:
Then thou shalt fee, or rather to thy forrow 1154
Soon feel, whofe God is strongest, thine or mine.
Har. Prefume not on thy God, what ere he be,
Thee he regards not, owns not, hath cut off
Quite from his people, and deliver'd up
Into thy Enemies hand, permitted them

G

To put out both thine eyes, and fetter'd fend thee Into the common Prison, there to grind

Among the Slaves and Affes thy comrades,

1160

As good for nothing else, no better fervice
With those thy boyft'rous locks, no worthy match
For valour to affail, nor by the fword

Of noble Warriour, fo to ftain his honour,

But by the Barbers razor beft fubdy'd.

1165

1175

Samf. All thefe indignities, for such they are From thine, thefe evils I deferve and more, Acknowledge them from God inflicted on me 1170 Juftly, yet despair not of his final pardon Whofe ear is ever open; and his eye Gratious to re-admit the fuppliant; In confidence whereof I once again Defie thee to the trial of mortal fight, By combat to decide whose God is God, Thine or whom I with Ifrael's Sons adore. Har. Fair honour that thou doft thy God in trufting He will accept thee to defend his cause, A Murtherer, a Revolter, and a Robber. Sam.Tongue-doughty Giant,how doft thou prove me. Har. Is not thy Nation subject to our Lords? [these? Their Magiftrates confest it, when they took thee As a League-breaker and deliver'd bound Into our hands: for hadft thou not committed 118S Notorious murther on those thirty men

At Askalon, who never did thee harm,

1180

Then like a Robber strip'dst them of their robes?
The Philiftins, when thou hadft broke the league,