All chances incident to man's frail life,

Consolatories writ

With studied argument, and much persuasion sought Lenient of grief and anxious thought:

But with the afflicted in his pangs their sound

Little prevails, or rather seems a tune

Harsh, and of dissonant mood from his complaint;

Unless he feel within

Some source of consolation from above,

Secret refreshings, that repair his strength,

And fainting spirits uphold.

God of our fathers, what is man!

That thou towards him with hand so various,

Or might I say contrarious,

Temper❜st thy providence through his short course, Not evenly, as thou rul'st

The angelick Orders, and inferior creatures mute, Irrational and brute.

Nor do I name of men the common rout,

That wandering loose about

Grow up and perish, as the summer-fly,
Heads without name no more remember'd;
But such as thou hast solemnly elected,
With gifts and graces eminently adorn'd,
To some great work, thy glory,

And people's safety, which in part they effect:
Yet toward these thus dignified, thou oft,
Amidst their highth of noon,

Changest thy countenance, and thy hand, with no

regard

Of highest favours past

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

To life obscur'd, which were a fair dismission,
But throw'st them lower than thou didst exalt them
high,

Unseemly falls in human eye,

Too grievous for the trespass or omission;

Oft leav'st them to the hostile sword

Of Heathen and profane, their carcasses

To dogs and fowls a prey, or else captív'd;

Or to the unjust tribunals, under change of times,
And condemnation of the ingrateful multitude.
If these they 'scape, perhaps in poverty

With sickness and disease thou bow'st them down,
Painful diseases and deform'd,

In crude old age :

Though not disordinate, yet causeless suffering
The punishment of dissolute days: in fine,
Just, or unjust, alike seem miserable,

For oft alike both come to evil end.

So deal not with this once thy glorious champion, The image of thy strength, and mighty minister. What do I beg? how hast thou dealt already! Behold him in his state calamitous, and turn His labours, for thou canst, to peaceful end.

But who is this, what thing of sea or land? Female of sex it seems,

That so bedeck'd, ornate, and gay,

Comes this way sailing

Like a stately ship

Of Tarsus, bound for the isles

Of Javan or Gadire

With all her bravery on, aud tackle trim,
Sails fill'd, aud streamers waving,

Courted by all the winds that hold them play,
An amber scent of ordorous perfume

Her harbinger, a damsel train behind;
Some rich Philistian matron she may seem;
And now at nearer view, no other certain
Than Dalila thy Wife.

Samson My Wife! my Traitress: let her not

come near me.

Chorus. Yet on she moves, now stands and eyes thee fix'd,

About to have spoke; but now, with head declin'd, Like a fair flower surcharg'd with dew, she weeps. And words address'd seem into tears dissolv'd,

Wetting the borders of her silken veil :

But now again she makes address to speak.

Enter DALILA.

Dalila. With doubtful feet and wavering reso

lution

I come, still dreading thy displeasure, Samson,
Which to have merited, without excuse,

I cannot but acknowledge; yet, if tears
May expiate, (though the fact more evil drew
In the perverse event than I foresaw,)

My penance hath not slacken'd, though my pardon
No
way assur'd. But conjugal affection,
Prevailing over fear and timorous doubt,
Hath led me on, desirous to behold
Once more thy face, and know of thy estate,
If aught in my ability may serve

To lighten what thou suffer'st, and appease
Thy mind with what amends is in my power,
Though late, yet in some part to recompense
My rash, but more unfortunate, misdeed.

Samson. Out, out, Hyæna! these are thy wonted arts,

And arts of every woman false like thee,
To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray,
Then as repentant to submit, beseech,
And reconcilement move with feign'd remorse,
Confess, and promise wonders in her change;
Not truly penitent, but chief to try

Her husband, how far urg'd his patience bears,
His virtue or weakness which way to assail :
Then with more cautious and instructed skill
Again transgresses, and again submits;
That wisest and best men, full oft beguil❜d,

With goodness principled not to reject
The penitent, but ever to forgive,

Are drawn to wear out miserable days,
Entangled with a poisonous bosom snake,
If not by quick destruction soon cut off,
As I by thee, to ages an example.

Dalila. Yet hear me, Samson; not that I en-
deavour

To lessen or extenuate my offence,
But that on the other side, if it be weigh'd
By itself, with aggravations not surcharg'd,
Or else with just allowance counterpois'd,
I may, if possible, thy pardon find

The easier towards me, or thy hatred less.
First granting, as I do, it was a weakness
In me, but incident to all our sex,
Curiosity, inquisitive, impórtune

Of secrets, then with like infirmity

To publish them, both common female faults:
Was it not weakness also to make known
For importunity, that is for nought,

Wherein consisted all thy strength and safety?
To what I did thou showd'st me first the way.

But I to enemies reveal'd, and should not:

Nor should'st thou have trusted that to woman's

frailty:

Ere I to thee, thou to thyself wast cruel.

Let weakness then with weakness come to parle,