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. 1055 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 That Kariathaim held, thou know'ft me now That I was never prefent on the place 1080 1085 Of thofe encounters, where we might have try'd 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 [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 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, 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 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? |