Who made our laws to bind us, not himself,
And hath full right to exempt
Whom so it pleases him by choice
From national obstriction, without taint
Of sin, or legal debt;
For with his own laws he can best dispense.
He would not else, who never wanted means,
Nor in respect of the enemy just cause,
To set his people free,
Have prompted this heroick Nazarite,
Against his vow of strictest purity,
To seek in marriage that fallacious bride, Unclean, unchaste.
Down, reason, then; at least vain reasonings, down:
Though reason here aver,
That mortal verdict quits her of unclean: Unchaste was subsequent, her stain not his.
But see here comes thy reverend Sire
With careful step, locks white as down, Old Manoah: Advise
Forthwith how thou ought'st to receive him.
Samson. Ay me! another inward grief, awak'd With mention of that name, renews the assault.
Manoah. Brethren and men of Dan, for such ye
Though in this uncouth place; if old respect, As I suppose, towards your once gloried friend, My son, now captive, hither hath inform'd Your younger feet, while mine cast back with age Came lagging after; say if he be here!
Chorus. As signal now in low dejected state, As erst in highest, behold him where he lies.
Manoah. O miserable change! is this the man, That invincible Samson, far renown'd,
The dread of Israel's foes, who with a strength Equivalent to Angels walk'd their streets, None offering fight; who single combatant Duell'd their armies rank'd in proud array, Himself an army, now unequal match To save himself against a coward arm'd At one spear's length. O ever-failing trust In mortal strength! and oh! what not in man Deceivable and vain? Nay, what thing good Pray'd for, but often proves our woe, our bane? I pray'd for children, and thought barrenness In wedlock a reproach; I gain'd a son, And such a son as all men hail'd me happy; Who would be now a father in my stead? O wherefore did God grant me my request And as a blessing with such pomp adorn'd? Why are his gifts desirable, to tempt
Our earnest prayers, then, given with solemn hand As graces, draw a scorpion's tail behind?
For this did the Angel twice descend? for this Ordain'd thy nurture holy, as of a plant Select, and sacred, glorious for a while, The miracle of men; then in a hour Ensnar'd,,assaulted, overcome, led bound, Thy foes' derision, captive, poor, and blind, Into a dungeon thrust, to work with slaves? Alas! methinks whom God hath chosen once To worthiest deeds, if he through frailty err, He should not so o'erwhelm, and as a thrall Subject him to so foul indignities,
Be it but for honour's sake of former deeds.
Samson. Appoint not heavenly disposition, Father; Nothing of all these evils hath befall'n me But justly; I myself have brought them on, Sole author I, sole cause: If aught seem vile, As vile hath been my folly, who have profan'd The mystery of God given me under pledge Of vow, and have betray'd it to a woman, A Canaanite, my faithless enemy. This well I knew, nor was at all surpris'd, But warn'd by oft experience: Did not she Of Timna first betray me, and reveal The secret wrested from me in her highth Of nuptial love profess'd, carrying it straight To them who had corrupted her, my spies, And rivals? In this other was there found More faith, who also in her prime of love,
Spousal embraces, vitiated with gold, Though offer'd only, by the scent conceiv'd Her spurious first-born, treason against me? Thrice she assay'd with flattering prayers and sighs And amorous reproaches, to win from me,
My capital secret, in what part my strength Lay stor❜d, in what part summ'd, that she might know;
Thrice I deluded her, and turn'd to sport
Her importunity, each time perceiving
How openly, and with what impudence
She purpos'd to betray me, and (which was worse Than undissembled hate) with what contempt She sought to make me traitor to myself;
Yet the fourth time, when, mustering all her wiles, With blandish'd parlies, feminine assaults, Tongue-batteries, she surceas'd not, day nor night, To storm me over-watch'd, and wearied out, At times when men seek most repose and rest, I yielded, and unlock'd her all my heart, Who, with a grain of manhood well resolv'd, Might easily have shook off all her snares: But foul effeminacy held me yok'd Her bond-slave; O indignity, O blot To honour and religion! servile mind Rewarded well with servile punishment! The base degree to which I now am fallen, These rags, this grinding is not yet so base
As was my former servitude, ignoble, Unmanly, ignominious, infamous,
True slavery, and that blindness worse than this, That saw not how degenerately I serv❜d.
Manoah. I cannot praise thy marriage-choices,
Rather approv❜d them not; but thou didst plead Divine impulsion prompting how thou might'st Find some occasion to infest our foes.
I state not that; this I am sure, our foes Found soon occasion thereby to make thee Their captive, and their triumph; thou the sooner Temptation found'st, or over-potent charms, To violate the sacred trust of silence
Deposited within thee; which to have kept Tacit, was in thy power: true; and thou bear'st Enough, and more, the burden of that fault; Bitterly hast thou paid, and still art paying, That rigid score. A worse thing yet remains; This day the Philistines a popular feast Here celebrate in Gaza; and proclaim Great pomp, and sacrifice, and praises loud, To Dagon, as their God who hath deliver'd Thee, Samson, bound and blind into their hands, Them out of thine, who slew'st them many a slain. So Dagon shall be magnified, and God, Besides whom is no God, compar'd with idols, Disglorified, blasphem'd, and had in scorn
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