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Samson Agonistes

THE ARGUMENT

SAmson made Captive, Blind, and now in the Prison at Gaza, there to labour as in acommon work-house, on a Festival day, in the eneral cessation !rom labour, comes

!orth into the open Air, to a place nih, somewhat retir"d there to sit a while and bemoan

his condition# $here he happens at lenth to be visited by certain !riends and e%uals o!

his tribe, which make the Chorus, who seek to com!ort him what they can& then by his

old Father 'anoa, who endeavours the like, and withal tells him his purpose to procure

his liberty by ransom& lastly, that this Feast was proclaim"d by the Philistins as a day o!

(hanksivin !or thir deliverance !rom the hands o! Samson, which yet more troubles

him# 'anoa then departs to prosecute his endeavour with the Philistian )ords !or

Samson"s redemption& who in the mean while is visited by other persons& and lastly by a

 publick *!!icer to re%uire his comin to the Feast be!ore the )ords and People, to play

or shew his strenth in thir presence& he at !irst re!uses, dismissin the publick *!!icerwith absolute denyal to come& at lenth perswaded inwardly that this was !rom God, he

yields to o alon with him, who came now the second time with reat threatnins to

!etch him& the Chorus yet remainin on the place, 'anoa returns !ull o! +oy!ul hope, to

 procure e"re lon his Sons deliverance in the midst o! which discourse an brew comes

in haste con!usedly at !irst& and a!terward more distinctly relatin the Catastrophe, what

Samson had done to the Philistins, and by accident to himsel!& wherewith the (raedy

ends#

The Persons.

Samson

'anoa the Father o! Samson

.alila his $i!e

/arapha o! Gath

Publick *!!icer 

'essener 

Chorus o! .anites

(he Scene be!ore the Prison in Gaza 

Sams#

A )ittle onward lend thy uidin hand

(o these dark steps, a little !urther on&

For yonder bank hath choice o! Sun or shade,

(here 0 am wont to sit, when any chance

1elieves me !rom my task o! servile toyl, 2 3 4

.aily in the common Prison else en+oyn"d me,

$here 0 a Prisoner chain"d, scarce !reely draw(he air imprison"d also, close and damp,

5nwholsom drauht but here 0 !eel amends,

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(he breath o! /eav"n !resh-blowin, pure and sweet, 2 67 4

$ith day-sprin born& here leave me to respire#

(his day a solemn Feast the people hold

(o .aon thir Sea-0dol, and !orbid

)aborious works, unwillinly this rest

(hir Superstition yields me& hence with leave 2 63 41etirin !rom the popular noise, 0 seek 

(his un!re%uented place to !ind some ease,

ase to the body some, none to the mind

From restless thouhts, that like a deadly swarm

*! /ornets arm"d, no sooner !ound alone, 2 87 4

But rush upon me thronin, and present

(imes past, what once 0 was, and what am now#

* where!ore was my birth !rom /eaven !oretold

(wice by an Anel, who at last in siht

*! both my Parents all in !lames ascended 2 83 4

From o!! the Altar, where an *!!"rin burn"d,As in a !iery column chariotin

/is Godlike presence, and !rom some reat act

*r bene!it reveal"d to Abraham"s race9

$hy was my breedin order"d and prescrib"d 2 :7 4

As o! a person separate to God,

.esin"d !or reat e;ploits& i! 0 must dye

Betray"d, Captiv"d, and both my yes put out,

'ade o! my nemies the scorn and aze&

(o rind in Brazen Fetters under task 2 :3 4

$ith this /eav"n-i!ted strenth9 * lorious strenth

Put to the labour o! a Beast, debas"t

)ower then bondslave< Promise was that 0

Should 0srael !rom Philistian yoke deliver&

Ask !or this reat .eliverer now, and !ind him 2 =7 4

yeless in Gaza at the 'ill with slaves,

/imsel! in bonds under Philistian yoke&

>et stay, let me not rashly call in doubt

.ivine Prediction& what i! all !oretold

/ad been !ul!ill"d but throuh mine own de!ault, 2 =3 4

$hom have 0 to complain o! but my sel!9

$ho this hih i!t o! strenth committed to me,0n what part lod"d, how easily bere!t me,

5nder the Seal o! silence could not keep,

But weakly to a woman must reveal it, 2 37 4

*"recome with importunity and tears#

* impotence o! mind, in body stron<

But what is strenth without a double share

*! wisdom, vast, unwieldy, burdensom,

Proudly secure, yet liable to !all 2 33 4

By weakest subtleties, not made to rule,

But to subserve where wisdom bears command#

God, when he ave me strenth, to shew withal/ow sliht the i!t was, hun it in my /air#

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But peace, 0 must not %uarrel with the will 2 ?7 4

*! hihest dispensation, which herein

/app"ly had ends above my reach to know

Su!!ices that to me strenth is my bane,

And proves the sourse o! all my miseries&

So many, and so hue, that each apart 2 ?3 4$ould ask a li!e to wail, but chie! o! all,

* loss o! siht, o! thee 0 most complain<

Blind amon enemies, * worse then chains,

.uneon, or beery, or decrepit ae<

)iht the prime work o! God to me is e;tinct, 2 @7 4

And all her various ob+ects o! deliht

Annull"d, which miht in part my rie! have eas"d,

0n!eriour to the vilest now become

*! man or worm& the vilest here e;cel me,

(hey creep, yet see, 0 dark in liht e;pos"d 2 @3 4

(o daily !raud, contempt, abuse and wron,$ithin doors, or without, still as a !ool,

0n power o! others, never in my own&

Scarce hal! 0 seem to live, dead more then hal!#

* dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze o! noon, 2 7 4

0rrecoverably dark, total clipse

$ithout all hope o! day<

* !irst created Beam, and thou reat $ord,

)et there be liht, and liht was over all&

$hy am 0 thus bereav"d thy prime decree9 2 3 4

(he Sun to me is dark 

And silent as the 'oon,

$hen she deserts the niht

/id in her vacant interlunar cave#

Since liht so necessary is to li!e, 2 7 4

And almost li!e itsel!, i! it be true

(hat liht is in the Soul,

She all in every part& why was the siht

(o such a tender ball as th" eye con!in"d9

So obvious and so easie to be %uench"t, 2 3 4

And not as !eelin throuh all parts di!!us"d,

(hat she miht look at will throuh every pore9(hen had 0 not been thus e;il"d !rom liht&

As in the land o! darkness yet in liht,

(o live a li!e hal! dead, a livin death, 2 677 4

And buried& but * yet more miserable<

'y sel!, my Sepulcher, a movin Grave,

Buried, yet not e;empt

By privilede o! death and burial

From worst o! other evils, pains and wrons, 2 673 4

But made hereby obno;ious more

(o all the miseries o! li!e,

)i!e in captivityAmon inhuman !oes#

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But who are these9 !or with +oint pace 0 hear 2 667 4

(he tread o! many !eet stearin this way&

Perhaps my enemies who come to stare

At my a!!liction, and perhaps to insult,

(hir daily practice to a!!lict me more#

Chor# (his, this is he& so!tly a while, 2 663 4

)et us not break in upon him&

* chane beyond report, thouht, or belie!<

See how he lies at random, carelessly di!!us"d,

$ith lanuish"t head unpropt,

As one past hope, abandon"d, 2 687 4

And by himsel! iven over&

0n slavish habit, ill-!itted weeds

*"re worn and soil"d&

*r do my eyes misrepresent9 Can this be hee,

(hat /eroic, that 1enown"d, 2 683 40rresistible Samson9 whom unarm"d

 o strenth o! man, or !iercest wild beast could withstand&

$ho tore the )ion, as the )ion tears the Did,

1an on embattelld Armies clad in 0ron,

And weaponless himsel!, 2 6:7 4

'ade Arms ridiculous, useless the !orery

*! brazen shield and spear, the hammer"d Cuirass,

Chalybean temper"d steel, and !rock o! mail

Adamantean Proo!&

But sa!est he who stood aloo!, 2 6:3 4

$hen insupportably his !oot advanc"t,

0n scorn o! thir proud arms and warlike tools,

Spurn"d them to death by (roops# (he bold Ascalonite

Fled !rom his )ion ramp, old $arriors turn"d

(hir plated backs under his heel& 2 6=7 4

*r rovlin soild thir crested helmets in the dust#

(hen with what trivial weapon came to hand,

(he Eaw o! a dead Ass, his sword o! bone,

A thousand !ore-skins !ell, the !lower o! Palestin

0n 1amath-lechi !amous to this day 2 6=3 4

(hen by main !orce pull"d up, and on his shoulders bore(he Gates o! Azza, Post, and massie Bar 

5p to the /ill by /ebron, seat o! Giants old,

 o +ourney o! a Sabbath day, and loaded so&

)ike whom the Gentiles !ein to bear up /eav"n# 2 637 4

$hich shall 0 !irst bewail,

(hy Bondae or lost Siht,

Prison within Prison

0nseparably dark9

(hou art become * worst imprisonment< 2 633 4

(he .uneon o! thy sel! & thy Soul

$hich 'en en+oyin siht o!t without cause complain0mprison"d now indeed,

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0n real darkness o! the body dwells,

Shut up !rom outward liht 2 6?7 4

(o incorporate with loomy niht&

For inward liht alas

Puts !orth no visual beam#

* mirror o! our !ickle state,Since man on earth unparallel"d< 2 6?3 4

(he rarer thy e;ample stands,

By how much !rom the top o! wondrous lory,

Stronest o! mortal men,

(o lowest pitch o! ab+ect !ortune thou art !all"n#

For him 0 reckon not in hih estate 2 6@7 4

$hom lon descent o! birth

*r the sphear o! !ortune raises&

But thee whose strenth, while vertue was her mate

'iht have subdu"d the arth,

5niversally crown"d with hihest praises# 2 6@3 4

Sam# 0 hear the sound o! words, thir sense the air 

.issolves un+ointed e"re it reach my ear#

Chor# /ee speaks, let us draw nih# 'atchless in miht,

(he lory late o! 0srael, now the rie!&

$e come thy !riends and neihbours not unknown 2 67 4

From shtaol and Hora"s !ruit!ul Iale

(o visit or bewail thee, or i! better,

Counsel or Consolation we may brin,

Salve to thy Sores, apt words have power to swae

(he tumors o! a troubl"d mind, 2 63 4

And are as Balm to !ester"d wounds#

Sam# >our comin, Friends, revives me, !or 0 learn

 ow o! my own e;perience, not by talk,

/ow counter!eit a coin they are who !riends

Bear in their Superscription o! the most 2 67 4

0 would be understood in prosperous days

(hey swarm, but in adverse withdraw their head

 ot to be !ound, thouh souht# >ee see, * !riends,/ow many evils have enclos"d me round&

>et that which was the worst now least a!!licts me, 2 63 4

Blindness, !or had 0 siht, con!us"d with shame,

/ow could 0 once look up, or heave the head,

$ho like a !oolish Pilot have shipwrack"t,

'y Iessel trusted to me !rom above,

Gloriously ri"d& and !or a word, a tear, 2 877 4

Fool, have divul"d the secret i!t o! God

(o a deceit!ul $oman tell me Friends,

Am 0 not sun and proverbd !or a Fool

0n every street, do they not say, how wellAre come upon him his deserts9 yet why9 2 873 4

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0mmeasurable strenth they miht behold

0n me, o! wisdom nothin more then mean&

(his with the other should, at least, have paird,

(hese two proportion"d ill drove me transverse#

Chor# (a; not divine disposal, wisest 'en 2 867 4/ave err"d, and by bad $omen been deceiv"d&

And shall aain, pretend they ne"re so wise#

.e+ect not so overmuch thy sel!,

$ho hast o! sorrow thy !ull load besides&

>et truth to say, 0 o!t have heard men wonder 2 863 4

$hy thou shouldst wed Philistian women rather 

(hen o! thine own (ribe !airer, or as !air,

At least o! thy own ation, and as noble#

Sam# (he !irst 0 saw at (imna, and she pleas"d

'ee, not my Parents, that 0 souht to wed, 2 887 4(he dauhter o! an 0n!idel they knew not

(hat what 0 motion"d was o! God& 0 knew

From intimate impulse, and there!ore ur"d

(he 'arriae on& that by occasion hence

0 miht bein 0srael"s .eliverance, 2 883 4

(he work to which 0 was divinely call"d&

She provin !alse, the ne;t 0 took to $i!e

* that 0 never had< !ond wish too late#

$as in the Iale o! Sorec, .alila,

(hat specious 'onster, my accomplisht snare# 2 8:7 4

0 thouht it law!ul !rom my !ormer act,

And the same end& still watchin to oppress

0srael"s oppressours o! what now 0 su!!er 

She was not the prime cause, but 0 my sel!,

$ho van%uisht with a peal o! words * weakness< 2 8:3 4

Gave up my !ort o! silence to a $oman#

Chor# 0n seekin +ust occasion to provoke

(he Philistine, thy Countries nemy,

(hou never wast remiss, 0 bear thee witness

>et 0srael still serves with all his Sons# 2 8=7 4

Sam# (hat !ault 0 take not on me, but trans!er 

*n 0srael"s Governours, and /eads o! (ribes,

$ho seein those reat acts which God had done

Sinly by me aainst their Con%uerours

Acknowled"d not, or not at all consider"d 2 8=3 4

.eliverance o!!er"d 0 on th" other side

5s"d no ambition to commend my deeds,

(he deeds themselves, thouh mute, spoke loud the dooer&

But they persisted dea!, and would not seem

(o count them thins worth notice, till at lenth 2 837 4(hir )ords the Philistines with ather"d powers

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nter"d Eudea seekin mee, who then

Sa!e to the rock o! tham was retir"d,

 ot !lyin, but !ore-castin in what place

(o set upon them, what advanta"d best& 2 833 4

'ean while the men o! Eudah to prevent

(he harrass o! thir )and, beset me round&0 willinly on some conditions came

0nto thir hands, and they as ladly yield me

(o the uncircumcis"d a welcom prey, 2 8?7 4

Bound with two cords& but cords to me were threds

(oucht with the !lame on thir whole /ost 0 !lew

5narm"d, and with a trivial weapon !ell"d

(hir choicest youth& they only liv"d who !led#

/ad Eudah that day +oin"d, or one whole (ribe, 2 8?3 4

(hey had by this possess"d the (owers o! Gath,

And lorded over them whom now they serve&

But what more o!t in ations rown corrupt,And by thir vices brouht to servitude,

(hen to love Bondae more then )iberty, 2 8@7 4

Bondae with ease then strenuous liberty&

And to despise, or envy, or suspect

$hom God hath o! his special Favour rais"d

As thir .eliverer& i! he auht bein,

/ow !re%uent to desert him, and at last 2 8@3 4

(o heap inratitude on worthiest deeds9

Chor# (hy words to my remembrance brin

/ow Succoth and the Fort o! Penuel

(hir reat .eliverer contemn"d,

(he matchless Gideon in pursuit 2 87 4

*! 'adian and her van%uisht Dins

And how inrate!ul phraim

/ad dealt with Eephtha, who by arument,

 ot worse then by his shield and spear 

.e!ended 0srael !rom the Ammonite, 2 83 4

/ad not his prowess %uell"d thir pride

0n that sore battel when so many dy"d

$ithout 1eprieve ad+ud"d to death,For want o! well pronouncin Shibboleth# 

Sam# *! such e;amples add mee to the roule, 2 87 4

'ee easily indeed mine may nelect,

But Gods propos"d deliverance not so#

Chor# Eust are the ways o! God,

And +usti!iable to 'en&

5nless there be who think not God at all, 2 83 4

0! any be, they walk obscure&

For o! such .octrine never was there School,

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But the heart o! the Fool,

And no man therein .octor but himsel!#

>et more there be who doubt his ways not +ust, 2 :77 4

As to his own edicts, !ound contradictin,

(hen ive the rains to wandrin thouht,1eardless o! his lories diminution&

(ill by thir own perple;ities involv"d

(hey ravel more, still less resolv"d, 2 :73 4

But never !ind sel!-satis!yin solution# 

As i! they would con!ine th" interminable,

And tie him to his own prescript,

$ho made our )aws to bind us, not himsel!,

And hath !ull riht to e;empt 2 :67 4

$hom so it pleases him by choice

From ational obstriction, without taint*! sin, or leal debt&

For with his own )aws he can best dispence#

/e would not else who never wanted means, 2 :63 4

 or in respect o! the enemy +ust cause

(o set his people !ree,

/ave prompted this /eroic azarite,

Aainst his vow o! strictest purity,

(o seek in marriae that !allacious Bride, 2 :87 4

5nclean, unchaste#

.own 1eason then, at least vain reasonins down,

(houh 1eason here aver 

(hat moral verdit %uits her o! unclean

5nchaste was subse%uent, her stain not his# 2 :83 4

But see here comes thy reverend Sire

$ith care!ul step, )ocks white as doune,

*ld 'anoa advise

Forthwith how thou ouhtst to receive him#

Sam# Ay me, another inward rie! awak"d, 2 ::7 4

$ith mention o! that name renews th" assault#

'an# Brethren and men o! .an, !or such ye seem,

(houh in this uncouth place& i! old respect,

As 0 suppose, towards your once loried !riend,

'y Son now Captive, hither hath in!orm"d 2 ::3 4

>our youner !eet, while mine cast back with ae

Came lain a!ter& say i! he be here#

Chor# As sinal now in low de+ected state,As earst in hihest, behold him where he lies#

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'an# * miserable chane< is this the man, 2 :=7 4

(hat invincible Samson, !ar renown"d,

(he dread o! 0srael"s !oes, who with a strenth

%uivalent to Anels walk"d thir streets,

 one o!!erin !iht& who sinle combatant

.uell"d thir Armies rank"t in proud array, 2 :=3 4/imsel! an Army, now une%ual match

(o save himsel! aainst a coward arm"d

At one spears lenth# * ever !ailin trust

0n mortal strenth< and oh what not in man

.eceivable and vain< ay what thin ood 2 :37 4

Pray"d !or, but o!ten proves our woe, our bane9

0 pray"d !or Children, and thouht barrenness

0n wedlock a reproach& 0 ain"d a Son,

And such a Son as all 'en hail"d me happy&

$ho would be now a Father in my stead9 2 :33 4

* where!ore did God rant me my re%uest,And as a blessin with such pomp adorn"d9

$hy are his i!ts desirable, to tempt

*ur earnest Prayers, then iv"n with solemn hand

As Graces, draw a Scorpions tail behind9 2 :?7 4

For this did the Anel twice descend9 !or this

*rdain"d thy nurture holy, as o! a Plant&

Select, and Sacred, Glorious !or a while,

(he miracle o! men then in an hour 

nsnar"d, assaulted, overcome, led bound, 2 :?3 4

(hy Foes derision, Captive, Poor, and Blind

0nto a .uneon thrust, to work with Slaves9

Alas methinks whom God hath chosen once

(o worthiest deeds, i! he throuh !railty err,

/e should not so o"rewhelm, and as a thrall 2 :@7 4

Sub+ect him to so !oul indinities,

Be it but !or honours sake o! !ormer deeds#

Sam# Appoint not heavenly disposition, Father,

 othin o! all these evils hath be!all"n me

But +ustly& 0 my sel! have brouht them on, 2 :@3 4

Sole Author 0, sole cause i! auht seem vile,As vile hath been my !olly, who have pro!an"d

(he mystery o! God ivn me under plede

*! vow, and have betray"d it to a woman,

A Canaanite, my !aithless enemy# 2 :7 4

(his well 0 knew, nor was at all surpris"d,

But warn"d by o!t e;perience did not she

*! (imna !irst betray me, and reveal

(he secret wrested !rom me in her hihth

*! uptial )ove pro!est, carryin it strait 2 :3 4

(o them who had corrupted her, my Spies,

And 1ivals9 0n this other was there !ound'ore Faith9 who also in her prime o! love,

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Spousal embraces, vitiated with Gold,

(houh o!!er"d only, by the sent conceiv"d 2 :7 4

/er spurious !irst-born& (reason aainst me9

(hrice she assay"d with !latterin prayers and sihs,

And amorous reproaches to win !rom me

'y capital secret, in what part my strenth)ay stor"d, in what part summ"d, that she miht know 2 :3 4

(hrice 0 deluded her, and turn"d to sport

/er importunity, each time perceivin

/ow openly, and with what impudence

She purpos"d to betray me, and which was worse

(hen undissembl"d hate with what contempt 2 =77 4

She souht to make me (raytor to my sel!&

>et the !ourth time, when mustrin all her wiles,

$ith blandisht parlies, !eminine assaults,

(onue-batteries, she surceas"d not day nor niht

(o storm me over-watch"t, and wearied out# 2 =73 4At times when men seek most repose and rest,

0 yielded, and unlock"d her all my heart,

$ho with a rain o! manhood well resolv"d

'iht easily have shook o!! all her snares

But !oul e!!eminacy held me yok"t 2 =67 4

/er Bond-slave& * indinity, * blot

(o /onour and 1eliion< servil mind

1ewarded well with servil punishment<

(he base deree to which 0 now am !all"n,

(hese ras, this rindin, is not yet so base 2 =63 4

As was my !ormer servitude, inoble,

5nmanly, inominious, in!amous,

(rue slavery, and that blindness worse then this,

(hat saw not how deeneratly 0 serv"d#

'an# 0 cannot praise thy 'arriae choises, Son, 2 =87 4

1ather approv"d them not& but thou didst plead

.ivine impulsion promptin how thou miht"st

Find some occasion to in!est our Foes#

0 state not that& this 0 am sure& our Foes

Found soon occasion thereby to make thee 2 =83 4(hir Captive, and thir triumph& thou the sooner 

(emptation !ound"st, or over-potent charms

(o violate the sacred trust o! silence

.eposited within thee& which to have kept

(acit, was in thy power& true& and thou bear"st 2 =:7 4

nouh, and more the burden o! that !ault&

Bitterly hast thou paid, and still art payin

(hat riid score# A worse thin yet remains,

(his day the Philistines a popular Feast

/ere celebrate in Gaza& and proclaim 2 =:3 4

Great Pomp, and Sacri!ice, and Praises loud(o .aon, as their God who hath deliver"d

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By pains and slaveries, worse then death in!licted 2 =3 4

*n thee, who now no more canst do them harm#

Sam# Spare that proposal, Father, spare the trouble

*! that sollicitation& let me here,

As 0 deserve, pay on my punishment&And e;piate, i! possible, my crime, 2 =7 4

Shame!ul arrulity# (o have reveal"d

Secrets o! men, the secrets o! a !riend,

/ow heinous had the !act been, how deservin

Contempt, and scorn o! all, to be e;cluded

All !riendship, and avoided as a blab, 2 =3 4

(he mark o! !ool set on his !ront9

But 0 Gods counsel have not kept, his holy secret

Presumptuously have publish"d, impiously,

$eakly at least, and shame!ully A sin

(hat Gentiles in thir Parables condemn 2 377 4(o thir abyss and horrid pains con!in"d#

'an# Be penitent and !or thy !ault contrite,

But act not in thy own a!!liction, Son,

1epent the sin, but i! the punishment

(hou canst avoid, sel!-preservation bids& 2 373 4

*r th" e;ecution leave to hih disposal,

And let another hand, not thine, e;act

(hy penal !or!eit !rom thy sel!& perhaps

God will relent, and %uit thee all his debt&

$ho evermore approves and more accepts 2 367 4

Best pleas"d with humble and !ilial submission

/im who implorin mercy sues !or li!e,

(hen who sel!-riorous chooses death as due&

$hich arues over-+ust, and sel!-displeas"d

For sel!-o!!ence, more then !or God o!!ended# 2 363 4

1e+ect not then what o!!erd means, who knows

But God hath set be!ore us, to return thee

/ome to thy countrey and his sacred house,

$here thou may"st brin thy o!!"rins, to avert

/is !urther ire, with praiers and vows renew"d# 2 387 4

Sam# /is pardon 0 implore& but as !or li!e,

(o what end should 0 seek it9 when in strenth

All mortals 0 e;cell"d, and reat in hopes

$ith youth!ul courae and mananimous thouhts

*! birth !rom /eav"n !oretold and hih e;ploits, 2 383 4

Full o! divine instinct, a!ter some proo! 

*! acts indeed heroic, !ar beyond

(he Sons o! Anac, !amous now and blaz"d,

Fearless o! daner, like a petty God

0 walk"d about admir"d o! all and dreaded 2 3:7 4*n hostile round, none darin my a!!ront#

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(hen swoll"n with pride into the snare 0 !ell

*! !air !allacious looks, venereal trains,

So!tn"d with pleasure and voluptuous li!e&

At lenth to lay my head and hallow"d plede 2 3:3 4

*! all my strenth in the lascivious lap

*! a deceit!ul Concubine who shore me)ike a tame $eather , all my precious !leece,

(hen turn"d me out ridiculous, despoil"d,

Shav"n, and disarm"d amon my enemies# 2 3=7 4

Chor# .esire o! wine and all delicious drinks,

$hich many a !amous $arriour overturns,

(hou could"st repress, nor did the dancin 1ubie

Sparklin, out-pow"red, the !lavor, or the smell,

*r taste that cheers the heart o! Gods and men, 2 3=3 4

Allure thee !rom the cool Crystalline stream# 

Sam# $here ever !ountain or !resh current !low"d

Aainst the astern ray, translucent, pure,

$ith touch Jtherial o! /eav"ns !iery rod

0 drank, !rom the clear milkie +uice allayin 2 337 4

(hirst, and re!resht& nor envy"d them the rape

$hose heads that turbulent li%uor !ills with !umes#

Chor# * madness, to think use o! stronest wines

And stronest drinks our chie! support o! health,

$hen God with these !orbid"n made choice to rear 2 333 4

/is mihty Champion, stron above compare,

$hose drink was only !rom the li%uid brook#

Sam# But what avail"d this temperance, not compleat

Aainst another ob+ect more enticin9

$hat boots it at one ate to make de!ence, 2 3?7 4

And at another to let in the !oe

!!eminatly van%uish"t9 by which means,

 ow blind, dishearten"d, sham"d, dishonour"d, %uell"d,

(o what can 0 be use!ul, wherein serve

'y ation, and the work !rom /eav"n impos"d, 2 3?3 4But to sit idle on the houshold hearth,

A burdenous drone& to visitants a aze,

*r pitied ob+ect, these redundant locks

1obustious to no purpose clustrin down,

Iain monument o! strenth& till lenth o! years 2 3@7 4

And sedentary numness craze my limbs

(o a contemptible old ae obscure#

/ere rather let me drude and earn my bread,

(ill vermin or the dra!! o! servil !ood

Consume me, and o!t-invocated death 2 3@3 4

/ast"n the welcom end o! all my pains#

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'an# $ilt thou then serve the Philistines with that i!t

$hich was e;pressly iv"n thee to annoy them9

Better at home lie bed-rid, not only idle,

0nlorious, unimploy"d, with ae out-worn# 2 37 4

But God who caus"d a !ountain at thy prayer 

From the dry round to sprin, thy thirst to allayA!ter the brunt o! battel, can as easie

Cause liht aain within thy eies to sprin,

$herewith to serve him better then thou hast& 2 33 4

And 0 perswade me so& why else this strenth

'iraculous yet remainin in those locks9

/is miht continues in thee not !or nauht,

 or shall his wondrous i!ts be !rustrate thus#

Sam# All otherwise to me my thouhts portend, 2 37 4

(hat these dark orbs no more shall treat with liht,

 or th" other liht o! li!e continue lon,But yield to double darkness nih at hand

So much 0 !eel my enial spirits droop,

'y hopes all !lat, nature within me seems 2 33 4

0n all her !unctions weary o! her sel!&

'y race o! lory run, and race o! shame,

And 0 shall shortly be with them that rest# 

'an# Believe not these suestions which proceed

From anuish o! the mind and humours black, 2 ?77 4

(hat minle with thy !ancy# 0 however 

'ust not omit a Fathers timely care

(o prosecute the means o! thy deliverance

By ransom or how else mean while be calm,

And healin words !rom these thy !riends admit# 2 ?73 4

Sam# * that torment should not be con!in"d

(o the bodies wounds and sores

$ith maladies innumerable

0n heart, head, brest, and reins&

But must secret passae !ind 2 ?67 4

(o th" inmost mind,(here e;ercise all his !ierce accidents,

And on her purest spirits prey,

As on entrails, +oints, and limbs,

$ith answerable pains, but more intense, 2 ?63 4

(houh void o! corporal sense#

'y rie!s not only pain me

As a linrin disease,

But !indin no redress, !erment and rae,

 or less then wounds immedicable 2 ?87 4

1anckle, and !ester, and anrene,(o black morti!ication#

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(houhts my (ormenters arm"d with deadly stins

'anle my apprehensive tenderest parts,

;asperate, e;ulcerate, and raise 2 ?83 4

.ire in!lammation which no coolin herb

*r medcinal li%uor can asswae,

 or breath o! Iernal Air !rom snowy Alp#Sleep hath !orsook and iv"n me o"re

(o deaths benummin *pium as my only cure# 2 ?:7 4

(hence !aintins, swounins o! despair,

And sense o! /eav"ns desertion#

0 was his nurslin once and choice deliht,

/is destin"d !rom the womb,

Promisd by /eavenly messae twice descendin# 2 ?:3 4

5nder his special eie

Abstemious 0 rew up and thriv"d amain&

/e led me on to mihtiest deedsAbove the nerve o! mortal arm

Aainst the uncircumcis"d, our enemies# 2 ?=7 4

But now hath cast me o!! as never known,

And to those cruel enemies,

$hom 0 by his appointment had provok"t,

)e!t me all helpless with th" irreparable loss

*! siht, reserv"d alive to be repeated 2 ?=3 4

(he sub+ect o! thir cruelty, or scorn#

 or am 0 in the list o! them that hope&

/opeless are all my evils, all remediless&

(his one prayer yet remains, miht 0 be heard,

 o lon petition, speedy death, 2 ?37 4

(he close o! all my miseries, and the balm#

Chor# 'any are the sayins o! the wise

0n antient and in modern books enroll"d&

;tollin Patience as the truest !ortitude&

And to the bearin well o! all calamities, 2 ?33 4

All chances incident to mans !rail li!e

Consolatories writ

$ith studied arument, and much perswasion souht)enient o! rie! and an;ious thouht,

But with th" a!!licted in his pans thir sound 2 ??7 4

)ittle prevails, or rather seems a tune,

/arsh, and o! dissonant mood !rom his complaint,

5nless he !eel within

Some sourse o! consolation !rom above&

Secret re!reshins, that repair his strenth, 2 ??3 4

And !aintin spirits uphold#

God o! our Fathers, what is man<

(hat thou towards him with hand so various,*r miht 0 say contrarious,

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$ith all her bravery on, and tackle trim,

Sails !ill"d, and streamers wavin,

Courted by all the winds that hold them play,

An Amber sent o! odorous per!ume 2 @87 4

/er harbiner, a damsel train behind&

Some rich Philistian 'atron she may seem,And now at nearer view, no other certain

(hen .alila thy wi!e#

Sam# 'y $i!e, my (raytress, let her not come near me# 2 @83 4

Chor# >et on she moves, now stands K eies thee !i;t,

About t" have spoke, but now, with head declin"d

)ike a !air !lower surchar"d with dew, she weeps

And words addrest seem into tears dissolv"d,

$ettin the borders o! her silk"n veil 2 @:7 4

But now aain she makes address to speak#

.al# $ith doubt!ul !eet and waverin resolution

0 came, still dreadin thy displeasure, Samson,

$hich to have merited, without e;cuse,

0 cannot but acknowlede& yet i! tears 2 @:3 4

'ay e;piate thouh the !act more evil drew

0n the perverse event then 0 !oresaw

'y penance hath not slack"n"d, thouh my pardon

 o way assur"d# But con+ual a!!ection

Prevailin over !ear, and timerous doubt 2 @=7 4

/ath led me on desirous to behold

*nce more thy !ace, and know o! thy estate#

0! auht in my ability may serve

(o liht"n what thou su!!er"st, and appease

(hy mind with what amends is in my power, 2 @=3 4

(houh late, yet in some part to recompense

'y rash but more un!ortunate misdeed#

Sam# *ut, out /yJna& these are thy wonted arts,

And arts o! every woman !alse like thee,

(o break all !aith, all vows, deceive, betray, 2 @37 4(hen as repentant to submit, beseech,

And reconcilement move with !ein"d remorse,

Con!ess, and promise wonders in her chane,

 ot truly penitent, but chie! to try

/er husband, how !ar ur"d his patience bears, 2 @33 4

/is vertue or weakness which way to assail

(hen with more cautious and instructed skill

Aain transresses, and aain submits&

(hat wisest and best men !ull o!t beuil"d

$ith oodness principl"d not to re+ect 2 @?7 4

(he penitent, but ever to !orive,Are drawn to wear out miserable days,

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ntanl"d with a poysnous bosom snake,

0! not %uick destruction soon cut o!! 

As 0 by thee, to Aes an e;ample# 2 @?3 4

.al# >et hear me Samson& not that 0 endeavour 

(o lessen or e;tenuate my o!!ence,But that on th" other side i! it be weih"d

By it sel!, with aravations not surchar"d,

*r else with +ust allowance counterpois"d 2 @@7 4

0 may, i! possible, thy pardon !ind

(he easier towards me, or thy hatred less#

First rantin, as 0 do, it was a weakness

0n me, but incident to all our se;,

Curiosity, in%uisitive, importune 2 @@3 4

*! secrets, then with like in!irmity

(o publish them, both common !emale !aults

$as it not weakness also to make knownFor importunity, that is !or nauht,

$herein consisted all thy strenth and sa!ety9 2 @7 4

(o what 0 did thou shewdst me !irst the way#

But 0 to enemies reveal"d, and should not#

 or shouldst thou have trusted that to womans !railty

"re 0 to thee, thou to thy sel! wast cruel#

)et weakness then with weakness come to parl 2 @3 4

So near related, or the same o! kind,

(hine !orive mine& that men may censure thine

(he entler, i! severely thou e;act not

'ore strenth !rom me, then in thy sel! was !ound#

And what i! )ove, which thou interpret"st hate, 2 @7 4

(he +ealousie o! )ove, power!ul o! sway

0n human hearts, nor less in mine towards thee,

Caus"d what 0 did9 0 saw thee mutable

*! !ancy, !ear"d lest one day thou wouldst leave me

As her at (imna, souht by all means there!ore 2 @3 4

/ow to endear, and hold thee to me !irmest

 o better way 0 saw then by importunin

(o learn thy secrets, et into my power 

(hy key o! strenth and sa!ety thou wilt say,$hy then reveal"d9 0 was assur"d by those 2 77 4

$ho tempted me, that nothin was desin"d

Aainst thee but sa!e custody, and hold

(hat made !or me, 0 knew that liberty

$ould draw thee !orth to perilous enterprises,

$hile 0 at home sate !ull o! cares and !ears 2 73 4

$ailin thy absence in my widow"d bed&

/ere 0 should still en+oy thee day and niht

'ine and )oves prisoner, not the Philistines,

$hole to my sel!, unhazarded abroad,

Fearless at home o! partners in my love# 2 67 4(hese reasons in )oves law have past !or ood,

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(houh !ond and reasonless to some perhaps&

And )ove hath o!t, well meanin, wrouht much wo,

>et always pity or pardon hath obtain"d#

Be not unlike all others, not austere 2 63 4

As thou art stron, in!le;ible as steel#

0! thou in strenth all mortals dost e;ceed,0n uncompassionate aner do not so#

Sam# /ow cunninly the sorceress displays

/er own transressions, to upbraid me mine9 2 87 4

(hat malice not repentance brouht thee hither,

By this appears 0 ave, thou say"st, th" e;ample,

0 led the way& bitter reproach, but true,

0 to my sel! was !alse e"re thou to me,

Such pardon there!ore as 0 ive my !olly, 2 83 4

(ake to thy wicked deed which when thou seest

0mpartial, sel!-severe, ine;orable,(hou wilt renounce thy seekin, and much rather 

Con!ess it !ein"d, weakness is thy e;cuse,

And 0 believe it, weakness to resist 2 :7 4

Philistian old i! weakness may e;cuse,

$hat 'urtherer, what (raytor, Parricide,

0ncestuous, Sacrileious, but may plead it9

All wickedness is weakness that plea there!ore

$ith God or 'an will ain thee no remission# 2 :3 4

But )ove constrain"d thee& call it !urious rae

(o satis!ie thy lust )ove seeks to have )ove&

'y love how couldst thou hope, who tookst the way

(o raise in me ine;piable hate,

Dnowin, as needs 0 must, by thee betray"d9 2 =7 4

0n vain thou striv"st to cover shame with shame,

*r by evasions thy crime uncoverst more#

.al# Since thou determinst weakness !or no plea

0n man or woman, thouh to thy own condemnin,

/ear what assaults 0 had, what snares besides, 2 =3 4

$hat siees irt me round, e"re 0 consented&

$hich miht have aw"d the best resolv"d o! men,(he constantest to have yielded without blame#

0t was not old, as to my chare thou lay"st,

(hat wrouht with me thou know"st the 'aistrates 2 37 4

And Princes o! my countrey came in person,

Sollicited, commanded, threatn"d, ur"d,

Ad+ur"d by all the bonds o! civil .uty

And o! 1eliion, press"d how +ust it was,

/ow honourable, how lorious to entrap 2 33 4

A common enemy, who had destroy"d

Such numbers o! our ation and the Priest

$as not behind, but ever at my ear,Preachin how meritorious with the ods

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0t would be to ensnare an irreliious 2 ?7 4

.ishonourer o! .aon what had 0

(o oppose aainst such power!ul aruments9

*nly my love o! thee held lon debate&

And combated in silence all these reasons

$ith hard contest at lenth that rounded ma;im 2 ?3 4So ri!e and celebrated in the mouths

*! wisest men& that to the public ood

Private respects must yield& with rave authority

(ook !ull possession o! me and prevail"d&

Iertue, as 0 thouht, truth, duty so en+oynin# 2 @7 4

Sam# 0 thouht where all thy circlin wiles would end&

0n !ein"d 1eliion, smooth hypocrisie#

But had thy love, still odiously pretended,

Bin, as it ouht, sincere, it would have tauht thee

Far other reasonins, brouht !orth other deeds# 2 @3 40 be!ore all the dauhters o! my (ribe

And o! my ation chose thee !rom amon

'y enemies, lov"d thee, as too well thou knew"st,

(oo well, unbosom"d all my secrets to thee,

 ot out o! levity, but over-powr"d 2 7 4

By thy re%uest, who could deny thee nothin&

>et now am +ud"d an enemy# $hy then

.idst thou at !irst receive me !or thy husband9

(hen, as since then, thy countries !oe pro!est

Bein once a wi!e, !or me thou wast to leave 2 3 4

Parents and countrey& nor was 0 their sub+ect,

 or under their protection but my own,

(hou mine, not theirs i! auht aainst my li!e

(hy countrey souht o! thee, it souht un+ustly,

Aainst the law o! nature, law o! nations, 2 7 4

 o more thy countrey, but an impious crew

*! men conspirin to uphold thir state

By worse then hostile deeds, violatin the ends

For which our countrey is a name so dear&

 ot there!ore to be obey"d# But zeal mov"d thee& 2 3 4

(o please thy ods thou didst it& ods unable(o ac%uit themselves and prosecute their !oes

But by unodly deeds, the contradiction

*! their own deity, Gods cannot be

)ess there!ore to be pleas"d, obey"d, or !ear"d, 2 77 4

(hese !alse prete;ts and varnish"d colours !ailin,

Bare in thy uilt how !oul must thou appear9

.al# 0n arument with men a woman ever 

Goes by the worse, whatever be her cause#

Sam# For want o! words no doubt, or lack o! breath, 2 73 4$itness when 0 was worried with thy peals#

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.al# 0 was a !ool, too rash, and %uite mistaken

0n what 0 thouht would have succeeded best#

)et me obtain !oriveness o! thee, Samson,

A!!ord me place to shew what recompense 2 67 4

(owards thee 0 intend !or what 0 have misdone,

'isuided only what remains past cureBear not too sensibly, nor still insist

(o a!!lict thy sel! in vain thouh siht be lost,

)i!e yet hath many solaces, en+oy"d 2 63 4

$here other senses want not their delihts

At home in leisure and domestic ease,

;empt !rom many a care and chance to which

ye-siht e;poses daily men abroad#

0 to the )ords will intercede, not doubtin 2 87 4

(hir !avourable ear, that 0 may !etch thee

From !orth this loathsom prison-house, to abide

$ith me, where my redoubl"d love and care$ith nursin dilience, to me lad o!!ice,

'ay ever tend about thee to old ae 2 83 4

$ith all thins rate!ul chear"d, and so suppli"d,

(hat what by me thou hast lost thou least shalt miss#

Sams# o, no, o! my condition take no care&

0t !its not& thou and 0 lon since are twain&

 or think me so unwary or accurst 2 :7 4

(o brin my !eet aain into the snare

$here once 0 have been cauht& 0 know thy trains

(houh dearly to my cost, thy inns, and toyls&

(hy !air enchanted cup, and warblin charms

 o more on me have power, their !orce is null"d, 2 :3 4

So much o! Adders wisdom 0 have learn"t

(o !ence my ear aainst thy sorceries#

0! in my !lower o! youth and strenth, when all men

)ov"d, honour"d, !ear"d me, thou alone could hate me

(hy /usband, sliht me, sell me, and !oro me& 2 =7 4

/ow wouldst thou use me now, blind, and thereby

.eceiveable, in most thins as a child

/elpless, thence easily contemn"d, and scorn"d,And last nelected9 /ow wouldst thou insult

$hen 0 must live u;orious to thy will 2 =3 4

0n per!et thraldom, how aain betray me,

Bearin my words and doins to the )ords

(o loss upon, and censurin, !rown or smile9

(his Gaol 0 count the house o! )iberty

(o thine whose doors my !eet shall never enter# 2 37 4

.al# )et me approach at least, and touch thy hand#

Sam# ot !or thy li!e, lest !ierce remembrance wake'y sudden rae to tear thee +oint by +oint#

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At distance 0 !orive thee, o with that&

Bewail thy !alshood, and the pious works 2 33 4

0t hath brouht !orth to make thee memorable

Amon illustrious women, !aith!ul wives

Cherish thy hast"n"d widowhood with the old

*! 'atrimonial treason so !arwel#

.al# 0 see thou art implacable, more dea! 2 ?7 4

(o prayers, then winds and seas, yet winds to seas

Are reconcil"d at lenth, and Sea to Shore

(hy aner, unappeasable, still raes,

ternal tempest never to be calm"d#

$hy do 0 humble thus my sel!, and suin 2 ?3 4

For peace, reap nothin but repulse and hate9

Bid o with evil omen and the brand

*! in!amy upon my name denounc"t9

(o mi; with thy concernments 0 desist/ence!orth, nor too much disapprove my own# 2 @7 4

Fame i! not double-!ac"t is double-mouth"d,

And with contrary blast proclaims most deeds,

*n both his wins, one black, th" other white,

Bears reatest names in his wild aerie !liht#

'y name perhaps amon the Circumcis"d 2 @3 4

0n .an, in Eudah, and the borderin (ribes,

(o all posterity may stand de!am"d,

$ith malediction mention"d, and the blot

*! !alshood most uncon+ual traduc"t#

But in my countrey where 0 most desire, 2 7 4

0n cron, Gaza, Asdod, and in Gath

0 shall be nam"d amon the !amousest

*! $omen, sun at solemn !estivals,

)ivin and dead recorded, who to save

/er countrey !rom a !ierce destroyer, chose 2 3 4

Above the !aith o! wedlock-bands, my tomb

$ith odours visited and annual !lowers#

 ot less renown"d then in 'ount phraim,

Eael, who with inhospitable uile

Smote Sisera sleepin throuh the (emples nail"d# 2 7 4 or shall 0 count it hainous to en+oy

(he public marks o! honour and reward

Con!err"d upon me, !or the piety

$hich to my countrey 0 was +ud"d to have shewn#

At this who ever envies or repines 2 3 4

0 leave him to his lot, and like my own#

Chor# She"s one, a mani!est Serpent by her stin

.iscover"d in the end, till now conceal"d#

Sam# So let her o, God sent her to debase me,And aravate my !olly who committed 2 6777 4

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(o such a viper his most sacred trust

*! secresie, my sa!ety, and my li!e#

Chor# >et beauty, thouh in+urious, hath strane power,

A!ter o!!ence returnin, to reain

)ove once possest, nor can be easily 2 6773 41epuls"t, without much inward passion !elt

And secret stin o! amorous remorse#

Sam# )ove-%uarrels o!t in pleasin concord end,

 ot wedlock-trechery endanerin li!e#

Cho# 0t is not vertue, wisdom, valour, wit, 2 6767 4

Strenth, comliness o! shape, or amplest merit

(hat womans love can win or lon inherit&

But what it is, hard is to say,

/arder to hit,$hich way soever men re!er it 2 6763 4

'uch like thy riddle, Samson, in one day

*r seven, thouh one should musin sit&

0! any o! these or all, the (imnian bride

/ad not so soon pre!err"d

(hy Paranymph, worthless to thee compar"d, 2 6787 4

Successour in thy bed,

 or both so loosly disally"d

(hir nuptials, nor this last so treacherously

/ad shorn the !atal harvest o! thy head#

0s it !or that such outward ornament 2 6783 4

$as lavish"t on thir Se;, that inward i!ts

$ere le!t !or haste un!inish"t, +udment scant,

Capacity not rais"d to apprehend

*r value what is best

0n choice, but o!test to a!!ect the wron9 2 67:7 4

*r was too much o! sel!-love mi;t,

*! constancy no root in!i;t,

(hat either they love nothin, or not lon9

$hat e"re it be, to wisest men and best

Seemin at !irst all heavenly under virin veil, 2 67:3 4

So!t, modest, meek, demure,

*nce +oin"d, the contrary she proves, a thorn

0ntestin, !ar within de!ensive arms

A cleavin mischie!, in his way to vertue

Adverse and turbulent, or by her charms 2 67=7 4

.raws him awry enslav"d

$ith dotae, and his sense deprav"d

(o !olly and shame!ul deeds which ruin ends#

$hat Pilot so e;pert but needs must wreck mbar%u"d with such a Stears-mate at the /elm9 2 67=3 4

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Favour"d o! /eav"n who !inds

*ne vertuous rarely !ound,

(hat in domestic ood combines

/appy that house< his way to peace is smooth

But vertue which breaks throuh all opposition, 2 6737 4

And all temptation can remove,'ost shines and most is acceptable above#

(here!ore Gods universal )aw

Gave to the man despotic power 

*ver his !emale in due awe, 2 6733 4

 or !rom that riht to part an hour,

Smile she or lowre

So shall he least con!usion draw

*n his whole li!e, not sway"d

By !emale usurpation, nor dismay"d# 2 67?7 4

But had we best retire, 0 see a storm9

Sam# Fair days have o!t contracted wind and rain#

Chor# But this another kind o! tempest brins#

Sam# Be less abstruse, my riddlin days are past#

Chor# )ook now !or no inchantin voice, nor !ear 2 67?3 4

(he bait o! honied words& a rouher tonue

.raws hitherward, 0 know him by his stride,

(he Giant /arapha o! Gath, his look 

/auhty as is his pile hih-built and proud#

Comes he in peace9 what wind hath blown him hither 2 67@7 4

0 less con+ecture then when !irst 0 saw

(he sumptuous .alila !loatin this way

/is habit carries peace, his brow de!iance#

Sam# *r peace or not, alike to me he comes#

Chor# /is !rauht we soon shall know, he now arrives# 2 67@3 4

/ar# 0 come not Samson, to condole thy chance,

As these perhaps, yet wish it had not been,

(houh !or no !riendly intent# 0 am o! Gath,

'en call me /arapha, o! stock renown"d

As * or Anak and the mims old 2 677 4

(hat Diriathaim held, thou knowst me now

0! thou at all art known# 'uch 0 have heard

*! thy prodiious miht and !eats per!orm"d

0ncredible to me, in this displeas"d,

(hat 0 was never present on the place 2 673 4*! those encounters, where we miht have tri"d

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ach others !orce in camp or listed !ield

And now am come to see o! whom such noise

/ath walk"d about, and each limb to survey,

0! thy appearance answer loud report# 2 677 4

Sam# (he way to know were not to see but taste#

/ar# .ost thou already sinle me& 0 thouht

Gives and the 'ill had tam"d thee& * that !ortune

/ad brouht me to the !ield where thou art !am"d

(o have wrouht such wonders with an Asses Eaw& 2 673 4

0 should have !orc"d thee soon with other arms,

*r le!t thy carkass where the Ass lay thrown

So had the lory o! Prowess been recover"d

(o Palestine, won by a Philistine

From the un!oreskinn"d race, o! whom thou bear"st 2 6677 4

(he hihest name !or valiant Acts, that honour Certain to have won by mortal duel !rom thee,

0 lose, prevented by thy eyes put out#

Sam# Boast not o! what thou wouldst have done, but do

$hat then thou would"st, thou seest it in thy hand# 2 6673 4

/ar# (o combat with a blind man 0 disdain,

And thou hast need much washin to be toucht#

Sam# Such usae as your honourable )ords

A!!ord me assassinated and betray"d,

$ho durst not with thir whole united powers 2 6667 4

0n !iht withstand me sinle and unarm"d,

 or in the house with chamber Ambushes

Close-banded durst atta%ue me, no not sleepin,

(ill they had hir"d a woman with their old

Breakin her 'arriae Faith to circumvent me# 2 6663 4

(here!ore without !ein"d shi!ts let be assin"d

Some narrow place enclos"d, where siht may ive thee,

*r rather !liht, no reat advantae on me&

(hen put on all thy oreous arms, thy /elmetAnd Briandine o! brass, thy broad /abereon, 2 6687 4

Iant-brass and Greves, and Gauntlet, add thy Spear 

A $eavers beam, and seven-times-!olded shield,

0 only with an *ak"n sta!! will meet thee,

And raise such out-cries on thy clatter"d 0ron,

$hich lon shall not with-hold mee !rom thy head, 2 6683 4

(hat in a little time while breath remains thee,

(hou o!t shalt wish thy sel! at Gath to boast

Aain in sa!ety what thou wouldst have done

(o Samson, but shalt never see Gath more#

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/ar# (hou durst not thus disparae lorious arms 2 66:7 4

$hich reatest /eroes have in battel worn,

(hir ornament and sa!ety, had not spells

And black enchantments, some 'aicians Art

Arm"d thee or charm"d thee stron, which thou !rom /eaven

Feindst at thy birth was iv"n thee in thy hair, 2 66:3 4$here strenth can least abide, thouh all thy hairs

$ere bristles ran"d like those that ride the back 

*! cha!"t wild Boars, or ru!!l"d Porcupines# 

Sam# 0 know no Spells, use no !orbidden Arts&

'y trust is in the livin God who ave me 2 66=7 4

At my ativity this strenth, di!!us"d

 o less throuh all my sinews, +oints and bones,

(hen thine, while 0 preserv"d these locks unshorn,

(he plede o! my unviolated vow#

For proo! hereo!, i! .aon be thy od, 2 66=3 4Go to his (emple, invocate his aid

$ith solemnest devotion, spread be!ore him

/ow hihly it concerns his lory now

(o !rustrate and dissolve these 'aic spells,

$hich 0 to be the power o! 0srael"s God 2 6637 4

Avow, and challene .aon to the test,

*!!erin to combat thee his Champion bold,

$ith th" utmost o! his Godhead seconded

(hen thou shalt see, or rather to thy sorrow

Soon !eel, whose God is stronest, thine or mine# 2 6633 4

/ar# Presume not on thy God, what e"re he be,

(hee he reards not, owns not, hath cut o!! 

Luite !rom his people, and delivered up

0nto thy nemies hand, permitted them

(o put out both thine eyes, and !etter"d send thee 2 66?7 4

0nto the common Prison, there to rind

Amon the Slaves and Asses thy comrades,

As ood !or nothin else, no better service

$ith those thy boyst"rous locks, no worthy match

For valour to assail, nor by the sword 2 66?3 4*! noble $arriour, so to stain his honour,

But by the Barbers razor best subdu"d#

Sam# All these indinities, !or such they are

From thine, these evils 0 deserve and more,

Acknowlede them !rom God in!licted on me 2 66@7 4

Eustly, yet despair not o! his !inal pardon

$hose ear is ever open& and his eye

Gracious to re-admit the suppliant&

0n con!idence whereo! 0 once aain

.e!ie thee to the trial o! mortal !iht, 2 66@3 4

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By combat to decide whose od is od,

(hine or whom 0 with 0srael"s Sons adore#

/ar# Fair honour that thou dost thy God, in trustin

/e will accept thee to de!end his cause,

A 'urtherer, a 1evolter, and a 1obber# 2 667 4

Sam# (onue-doubtie Giant, how dost thou prove me these9

/ar# 0s not thy ation sub+ect to our )ords9

(heir 'aistrates con!est it, when they took thee

As a )eaue-breaker and deliver"d bound

0nto our hands !or hadst thou not committed 2 663 4

 otorious murder on those thirty men

At Askalon, who never did thee harm,

(hen like a 1obber stripdst them o! thir robes9

(he Philistines, when thou hadst broke the leaue,$ent up with armed powers thee only seekin, 2 667 4

(o others did no violence nor spoil#

Sam# Amon the .auhters o! the Philistines

0 chose a $i!e, which aru"d me no !oe&

And in your City held my uptial Feast

But your ill-meanin Politician )ords, 2 663 4

5nder pretence o! Bridal !riends and uests,

Appointed to await me thirty spies,

$ho threatenin cruel death constrain"d the bride

(o wrin !rom me and tell to them my secret,

(hat solv"d the riddle which 0 had propos"d# 2 6877 4

$hen 0 perceiv"d all set on enmity,

As on my enemies, where ever chanc"d,

0 us"d hostility, and took thir spoil

(o pay my underminers in thir coin#

'y ation was sub+ected to your )ords# 2 6873 4

0t was the !orce o! Con%uest& !orce with !orce

0s well e+ected when the Con%uer"d can#

But 0 a private person, whom my Countrey

As a leaue-breaker ave up bound, presum"dSinle 1ebellion and did /ostile Acts# 2 6867 4

0 was no private but a person rais"d

$ith strenth su!!icient and command !rom /eav"n

(o !ree my Countrey& i! their servile minds

'e their .eliverer sent would not receive,

But to thir 'asters ave me up !or nouht, 2 6863 4

(h" unworthier they& whence to this day they serve#

0 was to do my part !rom /eav"n assin"d,

And had per!orm"d it i! my known o!!ence

/ad not disabl"d me, not all your !orce

(hese shi!ts re!uted, answer thy appellant 2 6887 4(houh by his blindness maim"d !or hih attempts,

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$ho now de!ies thee thrice to sinle !iht,

As a petty enterprise o! small en!orce#

/ar# $ith thee a 'an condemn"d, a Slave enrol"d,

.ue by the )aw to capital punishment9 2 6883 4

(o !iht with thee no man o! arms will dein# 

Sam# Cam"st thou !or this, vain boaster, to survey me,

(o descant on my strenth, and ive thy verdit9

Come nearer, part not hence so sliht in!orm"d&

But take ood heed my hand survey not thee# 2 68:7 4

/ar# * Baal-zebub< can my ears unus"d

/ear these dishonours, and not render death9

Sam# o man with-holds thee, nothin !rom thy hand

Fear 0 incurable& brin up thy van,'y heels are !etter"d, but my !ist is !ree# 2 68:3 4

/ar# (his insolence other kind o! answer !its#

Sams# Go ba!!l"d coward, lest 0 run upon thee,

(houh in these chains, bulk without spirit vast,

And with one bu!!et lay thy structure low,

*r swin thee in the Air, then dash thee down 2 68=7 4

(o the hazard o! thy brains and shatter"d sides#

/ar# By Astaroth e"re lon thou shalt lament

(hese braveries in 0rons loaden on thee#

Chor# /is Giantship is one somewhat crest-!all"n,

Stalkin with less unconsci"nable strides, 2 68=3 4

And lower looks, but in a sultrie cha!e#

Sam# 0 dread him not, nor all his Giant-brood,

(houh Fame divule him Father o! !ive Sons

All o! Giantic size, Goliah chie!#

Chor# /e will directly to the )ords, 0 !ear, 2 6837 4

And with malitious counsel stir them up

Some way or other yet !urther to a!!lict thee#

Sam# /e must allee some cause, and o!!er"d !iht

$ill not dare mention, lest a %uestion rise

$hether he durst accept the o!!er or not, 2 6833 4

And that he durst not plain enouh appear"d#

'uch more a!!liction then already !elt

(hey cannot well impose, nor 0 sustain&

0! they intend advantae o! my labours(he work o! many hands, which earns my keepin 2 68?7 4

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$ith no small pro!it daily to my owners#

But come what will, my deadliest !oe will prove

'y speediest !riend, by death to rid me hence,

(he worst that he can ive, to me the best#

>et so it may !all out, because thir end 2 68?3 4

0s hate, not help to me, it may with mine.raw thir own ruin who attempt the deed#

Chor# *h how comely it is and how revivin

(o the Spirits o! +ust men lon opprest<

$hen God into the hands o! thir deliverer 2 68@7 4

Puts invincible miht

(o %uell the mihty o! the arth, th" oppressour,

(he brute and boist"rous !orce o! violent men

/ardy and industrious to support

(yrannic power, but rain to pursue 2 68@3 4

(he rihteous and all such as honour (ruth&/e all thir Ammunition

And !eats o! $ar de!eats

$ith plain /eroic manitude o! mind

And celestial viour arm"d 2 687 4

(hir Armories and 'aazins contemns,

1enders them useless, while

$ith wined e;pedition

Swi!t as the lihtnin lance he e;ecutes

/is errand on the wicked, who supris"d 2 683 4

)ose thir de!ence distracted and amaz"d#

But patience is more o!t the e;ercise

*! Saints, the trial o! thir !ortitude,

'akin them each his own .eliverer,

And Iictor over all 2 687 4

(hat tyrannie or !ortune can in!lict,

ither o! these is in thy lot,

Samson, with miht endu"d

Above the Sons o! men& but siht bereav"d

'ay chance to number thee with those 2 683 4

$hom Patience !inally must crown#(his 0dols day hath bin to thee no day o! rest,

)abourin thy mind

'ore then the workin day thy hands,

And yet perhaps more trouble is behind# 2 6:77 4

For 0 descry this way

Some other tendin, in his hand

A Scepter or %uaint sta!! he bears,

Comes on amain, speed in his look#

By his habit 0 discern him now 2 6:73 4

A Public *!!icer, and now at hand#/is messae will be short and voluble#

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*!!# brews, the Pris"ner Samson here 0 seek#

Chor# /is manacles remark him, there he sits#

*!!# Samson, to thee our )ords thus bid me say& 2 6:67 4

(his day to .aon is a solemn Feast,$ith Sacri!ices, (riumph, Pomp, and Games&

(hy strenth they know surpassin human rate,

And now some public proo! thereo! re%uire

(o honour this reat Feast, and reat Assembly& 2 6:63 4

1ise there!ore with all speed and come alon,

$here 0 will see thee heartn"d and !resh clad

(o appear as !its be!ore th" illustrious )ords#

Sam# (hou knowst 0 am an brew, there!ore tell them,

*ur )aw !orbids at thir 1eliious 1ites 2 6:87 4

'y presence& !or that cause 0 cannot come#

*!!# (his answer, be assur"d, will not content them#

Sam# /ave they not Sword-players, and ev"ry sort

*! Gymnic Artists, $restlers, 1iders, 1unners,

Eulers and .ancers, Antics, 'ummers, 'imics, 2 6:83 4

But they must pick me out with shackles tir"d,

And over-labour"d at thir publick 'ill,

(o make them sport with blind activity9

.o they not seek occasion o! new %uarrels

*n my re!usal to distress me more, 2 6::7 4

*r make a ame o! my calamities9

1eturn the way thou cam"st, 0 will not come#

*!!# 1eard thy sel!, this will o!!end them hihly#

Sam# 'y sel!9 my conscience and internal peace#

Can they think me so broken, so debas"d 2 6::3 4

$ith corporal servitude, that my mind ever 

$ill condescend to such absurd commands9

Althouh thir drude, to be thir !ool or +ester,And in my midst o! sorrow and heart-rie! 

(o shew them !eats and play be!ore thir od, 2 6:=7 4

(he worst o! all indinities, yet on me

Eoyn"d with e;tream contempt9 0 will not come#

*!!# 'y messae was impos"d on me with speed,

Brooks no delay is this thy resolution9

Sam# So take it with what speed thy messae needs# 2 6:=3 4

*!!# 0 am sorry what this stoutness will produce#

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Sa# Perhaps thou shalt have cause to sorrow indeed#

Chor# Consider, Samson& matters now are strain"d

5p to the hihth, whether to hold or break&

/e"s one, and who knows how he may report 2 6:37 4

(hy words by addin !uel to the !lame9;pect another messae more imperious,

'ore )ordly thund"rin then thou well wilt bear#

Sam# Shall 0 abuse this Consecrated i!t

*! strenth, aain returnin with my hair 2 6:33 4

A!ter my reat transression, so re%uite

Favour renew"d, and add a reater sin

By prostitutin holy thins to 0dols&

A azarite in place abominable

Iauntin my strenth in honour to thir .aon9 2 6:?7 4

Besides, how vile, contemptible, ridiculous,$hat act more e;ecrably unclean, prophane9

Chor# >et with this strenth thou serv"st the Philistines,

0dolatrous, uncircumcis"d, unclean#

Sam# ot in thir 0dol-worship, but by labour 2 6:?3 4

/onest and law!ul to deserve my !ood

*! those who have me in thir civil power#

Chor# $here the heart +oins not, outward acts de!ile not# 

Sam# $here outward !orce constrains, the sentence holds&

But who constrains me to the (emple o! .aon, 2 6:@7 4

 ot drain9 the Philistian )ords command#

Commands are no constraints# 0! 0 obey them,

0 do it !reely& venturin to displease

God !or the !ear o! 'an, and 'an pre!er,

Set God behind which in his +ealousie 2 6:@3 4

Shall never, unrepented, !ind !oriveness#

>et that he may dispense with me or thee

Present in (emples at 0dolatrous 1itesFor some important cause, thou needst not doubt#

Chor# /ow thou wilt here come o!! surmounts my reach# 2 6:7 4

Sam# Be o! ood courae, 0 bein to !eel

Some rouzin motions in me which dispose

(o somethin e;traordinary my thouhts#

0 with this 'essener will o alon,

 othin to do, be sure, that may dishonour 2 6:3 4

*ur )aw, or stain my vow o! azarite#

0! there be auht o! presae in the mind,

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(his day will be remarkable in my li!e

By some reat act, or o! my days the last#

Chor# 0n time thou hast resolv"d, the man returns# 2 6:7 4

*!!# Samson, this second messae !rom our )ords(o thee 0 am bid say# Art thou our Slave,

*ur Captive, at the public 'ill our drude,

And dar"st thou at our sendin and command

.ispute thy comin9 come without delay& 2 6:3 4

*r we shall !ind such nines to assail

And hamper thee, as thou shalt come o! !orce,

(houh thou wert !irmlier !astn"d then a rock#

Sam# 0 could be well content to try thir Art,

$hich to no !ew o! them would prove pernicious# 2 6=77 4

>et knowin thir advantaes too many,Because they shall not trail me throuh thir streets

)ike a wild Beast, 0 am content to o#

'asters commands come with a power resistless

(o such as owe them absolute sub+ection& 2 6=73 4

And !or a li!e who will not chane his purpose9

So mutable are all the ways o! men

>et this be sure, in nothin to comply

Scandalous or !orbidden in our )aw#

*!!# 0 praise thy resolution, do!! these links 2 6=67 4

By this compliance thou wilt win the )ords

(o !avour, and perhaps to set thee !ree#

Sam# Brethren !arwel, your company alon

0 will not wish, lest it perhaps o!!end them

(o see me irt with Friends& and how the siht 2 6=63 4

*! me as o! a common nemy,

So dreaded once, may now e;asperate them

0 know not# )ords are )ordliest in thir wine&

And the well-!easted Priest then soonest !ir"d

$ith zeal, i! auht 1eliion seem concern"d 2 6=87 4 o less the people on thir /oly-days

0mpetuous, insolent, un%uenchable&

/app"n what may, o! me e;pect to hear 

 othin dishonourable, impure, unworthy

*ur God, our )aw, my ation, or my sel!, 2 6=83 4

(he last o! me or no 0 cannot warrant#

Chor# Go, and the /oly *ne

*! 0srael be thy uide

(o what may serve his lory best, K spread his name

Great amon the /eathen round 2 6=:7 4Send thee the Anel o! thy Birth, to stand

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Fast by thy side, who !rom thy Fathers !ield

1ode up in !lames a!ter his messae told

*! thy conception, and be now a shield

*! !ire& that Spirit that !irst rusht on thee 2 6=:3 4

0n the camp o! .an

Be e!!icacious in thee now at need#For never was !rom /eaven imparted

'easure o! strenth so reat to mortal seed,

As in thy wond"rous actions hath been seen# 2 6==7 4

But where!ore comes old 'anoa in such hast

$ith youth!ul steps9 much livelier then e"re while

/e seems supposin here to !ind his Son,

*r o! him brinin to us some lad news9

'an# Peace with you brethren& my inducement hither 2 6==3 4

$as not at present here to !ind my Son,

By order o! the )ords new parted hence(o come and play be!ore them at thir Feast#

0 heard all as 0 came, the City rins

And numbers thither !lock, 0 had no will, 2 6=37 4

)est 0 should see him !orc"t to thins unseemly#

But that which moved my comin now, was chie!ly

(o ive ye part with me what hope 0 have

$ith ood success to work his liberty#

Cho# (hat hope would much re+oyce us to partake 2 6=33 4

$ith thee& say reverend Sire, we thirst to hear#

'an# 0 have attempted one by one the )ords

ither at home, or throuh the hih street passin,

$ith supplication prone and Fathers tears

(o accept o! ransom !or my Son thir pris"ner, 2 6=?7 4

Some much averse 0 !ound and wondrous harsh,

Contemptuous, proud, set on revene and spite&

(hat part most reverenc"d .aon and his Priests,

*thers more moderate seemin, but thir aim

Private reward, !or which both God and State 2 6=?3 4

(hey easily would set to sale, a third'ore enerous !ar and civil, who con!ess"d

(hey had anouh reven"d, havin reduc"t

(hir !oe to misery beneath thir !ears,

(he rest was mananimity to remit, 2 6=@7 4

0! some convenient ransom were propos"d#

$hat noise or shout was that9 it tore the Skie#

Chor# .oubtless the people shoutin to behold

(hir once reat dread, captive, K blind be!ore them,

*r at some proo! o! strenth be!ore them shown# 2 6=@3 4

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'an# /is ransom, i! my whole inheritance

'ay compass it, shall willinly be paid

And numberd down much rather 0 shall chuse

(o live the poorest in my (ribe, then richest,

And he in that calamitous prison le!t# 2 6=7 4

 o, 0 am !i;t not to part hence without him#For his redemption all my Patrimony,

0! need be, 0 am ready to !oro

And %uit not wantin him, 0 shall want nothin#

Chor# Fathers are wont to lay up !or thir Sons, 2 6=3 4

(hou !or thy Son art bent to lay out all&

Sons wont to nurse thir Parents in old ae,

(hou in old ae car"st how to nurse thy Son,

'ade older then thy ae throuh eye-siht lost#

'an# 0t shall be my deliht to tend his eyes, 2 6=7 4And view him sittin in the house, enobl"d

$ith all those hih e;ploits by him atchiev"d,

And on his shoulders wavin down those locks,

(hat o! a ation arm"d the strenth contain"d

And 0 perswade me God had not permitted 2 6=3 4

/is strenth aain to row up with his hair 

Garrison"d round about him like a Camp

*! !aith!ul Souldiery, were not his purpose

(o use him !urther yet in some reat service,

 ot to sit idle with so reat a i!t 2 6377 4

5seless, and thence ridiculous about him#

And since his strenth with eye-siht was not lost,

God will restore him eye-siht to his strenth#

Chor# (hy hopes are not ill !ounded nor seem vain

*! his delivery, and thy +oy thereon 2 6373 4

Conceiv"d, areeable to a Fathers love,

0n both which we, as ne;t participate#

'an# 0 know your !riendly minds and M * what noise<

'ercy o! /eav"n what hideous noise was that</orribly loud unlike the !ormer shout# 2 6367 4

Chor# oise call you it or universal roan

As i! the whole inhabitation perish"d,

Blood, death, and death!ul deeds are in that noise,

1uin, destruction at the utmost point#

'an# *! ruin indeed methouht 0 heard the noise, 2 6363 4

*h it continues, they have slain my Son#

Chor# (hy Son is rather slayin them, that outcryFrom slauhter o! one !oe could not ascend#

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'an# Some dismal accident it needs must be&

$hat shall we do, stay here or run and see9 2 6387 4

Chor# Best keep toether here, lest runnin thither 

$e unawares run into daners mouth#

(his evil on the Philistines is !all"n,From whom could else a eneral cry be heard9

(he su!!erers then will scarce molest us here, 2 6383 4

From other hands we need not much to !ear#

$hat i!  his eye-siht !or to 0sraels God

 othin is hard by miracle restor"d,

/e now be dealin dole amon his !oes,

And over heaps o! slauhter"d walk his way9 2 63:7 4

'an# (hat were a +oy presumptuous to be thouht#

Chor# >et God hath wrouht thins as incredibleFor his people o! old& what hinders now9

'an# /e can 0 know, but doubt to think he will&

>et /ope would !ain subscribe, and tempts Belie!# 2 63:3 4

A little stay will brin some notice hither # 

Chor# *! ood or bad so reat, o! bad the sooner&

For evil news rides post, while ood news baits#

And to our wish 0 see one hither speedin,

An brew, as 0 uess, and o! our (ribe# 2 63=7 4

'ess# * whither shall 0 run, or which way !lie

(he siht o! this so horrid spectacle

$hich earst my eyes beheld and yet behold&

For dire imaination still persues me#

But providence or instinct o! nature seems, 2 63=3 4

*r reason thouh disturb"d, and scarce consulted

(o have uided me ariht, 0 know not how,

(o thee !irst reverend 'anoa, and to these

'y Countreymen, whom here 0 knew remainin,

As at some distance !rom the place o! horrour, 2 6337 4So in the sad event too much concern"d#

'an# (he accident was loud, K here be!ore thee

$ith rue!ul cry, yet what it was we hear not,

 o Pre!ace needs, thou seest we lon to know#

'ess# 0t would burst !orth, but 0 recover breath 2 6333 4

And sense distract, to know well what 0 utter#

'an# (ell us the sum, the circumstance de!er#

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'ess# Gaza yet stands, but all her Sons are !all"n,

All in a moment overwhelm"d and !all"n#

'an# Sad, but thou knowst to 0sraelites not saddest 2 63?7 4

(he desolation o! a /ostile City#

'ess# Feed on that !irst, there may in rie! be sur!et#

'an# 1elate by whom# 'ess# By Samson# 'an# (hat still lessens

(he sorrow, and converts it nih to +oy#

'ess# Ah 'anoa 0 re!rain, too suddenly 2 63?3 4

(o utter what will come at last too soon&

)est evil tidins with too rude irruption

/ittin thy aed ear should pierce too deep#

'an# Suspense in news is torture, speak them out#

'ess# (hen take the worst in brie!, Samson is dead# 2 63@7 4

'an# (he worst indeed, * all my hope"s de!eated

(o !ree him hence< but death who sets all !ree

/ath paid his ransom now and !ull dischare#

$hat windy +oy this day had 0 conceiv"d

/ope!ul o! his .elivery, which now proves 2 63@3 4

Abortive as the !irst-born bloom o! sprin

 ipt with the lain rear o! winters !rost#

>et e"re 0 ive the reins to rie!, say !irst,

/ow dy"d he9 death to li!e is crown or shame#

All by him !ell thou say"st, by whom !ell he, 2 637 4

$hat lorious hand ave Samson his deaths wound9

'ess# 5nwounded o! his enemies he !ell#

'an# $earied with slauhter then or how9 e;plain#

'ess# By his own hands# 'an# Sel!-violence9 what cause

Brouht him so soon at variance with himsel! 2 633 4Amon his !oes9 'ess# 0nevitable cause

At once both to destroy and be destroy"d&

(he di!ice where all were met to see him

5pon thir heads and on his own he pull"d#

'an# * lastly over-stron aainst thy sel!< 2 637 4

A dread!ul way thou took"st to thy revene#

'ore then anouh we know& but while thins yet

Are in con!usion, ive us i! thou canst,

ye-witness o! what !irst or last was done,

1elation more particular and distinct# 2 633 4

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(his utter"d, strainin all his nerves he bow"d,

As with the !orce o! winds and waters pent,

$hen 'ountains tremble, those two massie Pillars

$ith horrible convulsion to and !ro,

/e tu"d, he shook, till down thy came and drew 2 6?37 4

(he whole roo! a!ter them, with burst o! thunder 5pon the heads o! all who sate beneath,

)ords, )adies, Captains, Councellors, or Priests,

(hir choice nobility and !lower, not only

*! this but each Philistian City round 2 6?33 4

'et !rom all parts to solemnize this Feast#

Samson with these immi;t, inevitably

Pulld down the same destruction on himsel!&

(he vular only scap"d who stood without# 

Chor# * dearly-bouht revene, yet lorious< 2 6??7 4

)ivin or dyin thou hast !ul!ill"d(he work !or which thou wast !oretold

(o 0srael, and now ly"st victorious

Amon thy slain sel!-kill"d

 ot willinly, but tanl"d in the !old 2 6??3 4

*! dire necessity, whose law in death con+oin"d

(hee with thy slauhter"d !oes in number more

(hen all thy li!e had slain be!ore# 

Semichor# $hile thir hearts were +ocund and sublime,

.runk with 0dolatry, drunk with $ine, 2 6?@7 4

And !at reor"d o! Bulls and Goats,

Chauntin thir 0dol, and pre!errin

Be!ore our livin .read who dwells

0n Silo his briht Sanctuary

Amon them he a spirit o! phrenzy sent, 2 6?@3 4

$ho hurt thir minds,

And ur"d them on with mad desire

(o call in hast !or thir destroyer&

(hey only set on sport and play

5nweetinly importun"d 2 6?7 4

(hir own destruction to come speedy upon them#So !ond are mortal men

Fall"n into wrath divine,

As thir own ruin on themselves to invite,

0nsensate le!t, or to sense reprobate, 2 6?3 4

And with blindness internal struck#

Semichor# But he thouh blind o! siht,

.espis"d and thouht e;tinuish"t %uite,

$ith inward eyes illuminated

/is !ierie vertue rouz"d 2 6?7 4

From under ashes into sudden !lame,And as an ev"nin .raon came,

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Assailant on the perched roosts,

And nests in order ran"d

*! tame villatic Fowl& but as an ale 2 6?3 4

/is cloudless thunder bolted on thir heads#

So vertue iv"n !or lost,

.eprest, and overthrown, as seem"d,)ike that sel!-beott"n bird

0n the Arabian woods embost, 2 6@77 4

(hat no second knows nor third,

And lay e"re while a /olocaust,

From out her ashie womb now teem"d

1evives, re!lourishes, then viorous most

$hen most unactive deem"d, 2 6@73 4

And thouh her body die, her !ame survives,

A secular bird aes o! lives#

'an# Come, come, no time !or lamentation now, or much more cause, Samson hath %uit himsel! 

)ike Samson, and heroicly hath !inish"d 2 6@67 4

A li!e /eroic, on his nemies

Fully reven"d, hath le!t them years o! mournin,

And lamentation to the Sons o! Caphtor 

(hrouh all Philistian bounds# (o 0srael

/onour hath le!t, and !reedom, let but them 2 6@63 4

Find courae to lay hold on this occasion,

(o himsel! and Fathers house eternal !ame&

And which is best and happiest yet, all this

$ith God not parted !rom him, as was !ear"d,

But !avourin and assistin to the end# 2 6@87 4

 othin is here !or tears, nothin to wail

*r knock the breast, no weakness, no contempt,

.ispraise, or blame, nothin but well and !air,

And what may %uiet us in a death so noble#

)et us o !ind the body where it lies 2 6@83 4

Sok"t in his enemies blood, and !rom the stream

$ith lavers pure and cleansin herbs wash o!! 

(he clotted ore# 0 with what speed the while

Gaza is not in pliht to say us nay$ill send !or all my kindred, all my !riends 2 6@:7 4

(o !etch him hence and solemnly attend

$ith silent obse%uie and !uneral train

/ome to his Fathers house there will 0 build him

A 'onument, and plant it round with shade

*!  )aurel ever reen, and branchin Palm, 2 6@:3 4

$ith all his (rophies hun, and Acts enroll"d

0n copious )eend, or sweet )yric Son#

(hither shall all the valiant youth resort,

And !rom his memory in!lame thir breasts

(o matchless valour, and adventures hih 2 6@=7 4(he Iirins also shall on !east!ul days

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 beinnin o! Aristotle"s treatment o! traedy N(raedy is, then, a representation o! an

action, # # # throuh pity and !ear it e!!ects relie! to these and similar emotionsN

translated by $# A Fy!e# 'ilton"s drama, however, miht be said to concentrate more

on representin the inner mental and emotional strule aon o! its hero, than on

representin his actions# (he most sini!icant outward action o! the playMSamson"s

murder o! the Philistine elite in .aon"s templeMtakes place o!!-stae# 0n his essay ontraedy, 'ilton echoed Aristotle"s phrase, Nimitation o! an action,N but with a sini!icant

chane

  (raedy, as it was antiently compos"d, hath been ever held the ravest, moralest, and

most pro!itable o! all other Poems there!ore said by Aristotle to be o! power by raisin

 pity and !ear, or terror, to pure the mind o! those and such like passions, that is to

temper and reduce them to +ust measure with a kind o! deliht, stirr"d up by readin or

seein those passions well imitated#

0n Paradise )ost, 'ilton tried to rede!ine heroism as NPatience and /eroic 'artyrdomN

Paradise )ost #:8& Samson"s traic heroism is similarly an inward sort# $hether ornot his outward action counts as heroic depends upon how we evaluate the Nrouzin

motionsN that prompt it Samson 6:8#

(he story that underlies 'ilton"s plot in Samson comes !rom the Biblical book o!

Eudes, chapters 6:-6?# 'ilton added characters to the biblical story /arapha the

arroant carpet-kniht iant and the Publick *!!icer, inored some Samson"s mother,

in!lated others Samson"s !ather, but the most sini!icant chane was to make .alila

Samson"s leally wedded wi!e# Eudes 6?= describes .elilah as a Philistine woman

N!rom the valley o! SoreckN whom Samson NlovedN sometime a!ter havin one Nin

untoN a NharlotN in Gaza 6?6# Flavius Eosephus, in his Eewish Anti%uities 3:7? writes

the !ollowin N2Samson4 at lenth transressed the laws o! his country, and altered his

own reular way o! livin, and imitated the strane customs o! !oreiners, which thin

was the beinnin o! his miseries& !or he !ell in love with a woman that was a harlot

amon the Philistines her name was .elilah, and he lived with her#N Paradise )ost

re!ers once to .elilah as a harlot Paradise )ost #67?7# 0n this poem, however, 'ilton

re-casts .alila as Samson"s N(raytressN wi!e, perhaps the most per!ect e;ample in every

 particular o! the Nun!it and mistak"n wi!eN 'ilton described in his .octrine and

.iscipline o! .ivorce o! 6?==# Search the te;t !or Nun!itN to !ind many more e;amples#

0t may be help!ul to reard Samson as achievin a sort o! heroism Adam could not

Samson divorces his un!it wi!e#

(he 'ilton 1eadin 1oom te;t o! both these poems was prepared !rom the 6?@6 edition

as !ound in the 1auner Special Collections o! the .artmouth Collee )ibrary Ial#

8=O'?=O5?68# (his copy appears to be made up o! the !ollowin sinature states

identi!ied by /arris Fletcher =#:7-:= Sinature B-state 6& C-6& F-8& /-6& D-8& '-8&

 -6& P-8# (here are no sinatures A or E& all other sinatures display no printin

variations accordin to Fletcher# All o! the errors listed as NrrataN at the end o! the

volume have been corrected in ink or erasures by a care!ul hand, e;cept that where the

NrrataN calls !or removin a !ull stop a!ter N!rail li!eN in SA ?3?, the period has been

chaned to a comma# )aura Ferrell and (homas /# )u;on

(he Arument# (he NarumentN here is a summary o! the action o! the play, similar tothe aruments that precede each book o! Paradise )ost# (he plot o! the dramatic poem

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comes !rom Eudes 6:-6?# *rel and Goldber think that in choosin his plot, Samson"s

last days, 'ilton imitates Sophocles" *edipus at Colonus#

Gaza# (he principal city o! the Philistines durin the period o! their domination over the

/ebrews#

Festival day# (he !estival in honor o! .aon, one o! the Philistine dieties# 'ilton

represents .aon as a NSea 'onster, upward 'an and downward FishN in Paradise )ost

6#=?8-?:#

tribe# Samson"s tribe is the .anites the descendants o! .an# 'ilton describes Samson

as Nthe .anite stronN in Paradise )ost #673#

Catastrophe# (he turnin point o! the drama& the event that produces the denouement#

Aristotle called it the peripety& see Poetics 6=38a-6=38b#

 by accident# (hat is, as a secondary e!!ect o! his chie! intention# 0n Eudes 6? :7,Samson prays, N)et me die with the Philistines,N but 'ilton may be tryin here to

remove or make ambiuous, the implication o! suicide#

his $i!e# 0n Eudes 6=-6?, .elilah is never described as Samson"s wi!e#

/arapha# 'ilton added this !ictional iant to the Samson story# 0n lines 68=-=, 'ilton

calls him NFather o! !ive SonsO All o! Giantic Size, Goliath chie!#N For the .avid and

Goliath story, see 6 Samuel 6@-88#

dark steps# (hese openin lines resemble the openin o! Sophocles"s *edipus at

Colonus, in which Antione leads her blind !ather, *edipus#

day-sprin# daybreak# See )uke 6 @# Also, compare to Paradise )ost 3#6: and ?#386#

 popular noise# (hat is, the noise o! the people athered !or the !estival#

like a deadly swarm# See Paradise 1eain"d 6#6?-@ where the Son is described as

 beset with NmultitudesN o! thouhts as he is led into the desert#

what once 0 was# Compare this phrase to Satan"s lament Nbitter memoryO *! what he

was, what isN in Paradise )ost =#8=-83#

!rom /eaven !oretold# See Eudes 6: :-3#

!iery column chariotin# Compare to Eosephus"s Eewish Anti%uities 3#8@, in which he

writes that the anel rose to heaven !rom the rock where 'anoa burned his sacri!ice Nby

means o! the smoke, as by a vehicle#N

a person separate to God# Samson was a azarite, seperated !rom others !rom birth !or

ritual purity and piety, dedicated specially to God# See umbers ? 8#

 bondslave# A more emphatic word than simply NslaveN, as de!ined in *.8#

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what part lod"d# (hat is, as Samson supposes, in his hair# A azarite was never to Nuse

a razor on his head#N See umbers ? 3#

Seal o! Silence# 0n the Eudes story, Samson does not take a vow o! silence# See

 umbers ? 6-86 !or a azarite"s vows and duties#

Proudly secure, yet liable to !all# Compare to Paradise )ost :# NSu!!icient to have

stood, thouh !ree to !all#N

* loss o! siht# 'ilton also was blind and o!ten thematized his blindness# See Sonnet 6

sometimes numbered as 6?, N$hen 0 consider how my liht is spent#N See also

Paradise )ost :#88-33#

)iht the prime work o! God# (he !irst created thin# See Genesis 6 : and Paradise )ost

@#8=:#

e;tinct# e;tinuished#

daily !raud, contempt, abuse and wron# Compare this to 'ilton"s complaint about daily

 bein oblied to deal with !ools in Colasterion#

still# Always, persistently#

)ines @-@# Samson"s words here are ambiuous and capable o! meanin more,

 perhaps, than he intends# /e thinks o! himsel! as more than hal! dead, but we also miht

say he has never been the possessor o! his own power, but o! a special power leant by

his God# Accordin to Puritan doctrine, livin !ully will re%uire a Ndeath to sel!#N

silent as the 'oon# Compare to .ante"s 0n!erno6#?7 in which he says that the sun is

silent in hell#

interlunar cave# (he period between the wanin and wa;in or new moon that is,

 between moons#

She all in every part# Auustine tauht that the soul is di!!used throuhout every part o!

the body in his .e (rinitate 3#?#

tore the )ion# See Eudes 6= 3-?#

'ade Arms ridiculous# 0n Paradise )ost #8-=6, 'ilton scorns epics that celebrate arms

and battles# Both Iiril in his Aeneid and /omer in his 0liad made battles and arms their 

epic sub+ects#

tender ball# (houh my !irst 'ilton teacher, Barbara )ewalski, told me she thinks the

idea perverse, 0 cannot help hearin Samson here e;press some an;iety about the

!raility o! masculinity, as well as o! the sense o! siht# 0n any case, loss o! manhood is

all o! a piece here with loss o! siht, power, and apparently, God"s other special i!ts#

not as !eelin# (hat is, not like the sense o! touch# Both Aristotle and Auustine reveredthe sense o! siht as the most noble o! the senses and that o! touch as the least# Samson

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laments that the least noble sense is di!!used throuhout the body and siht con!ined to

a !raile Ntender ball#N

'y sel! my Sepulcher# (his implies the Puritan notion o! the sel! as body as the tomb

or Nlivin deathN o! the sel! as soul# Samson echoes Paul"s re!erence to the Nbody o!

this deathN in 1omans @ 8=# (he line also tends to echo Satan"s acknowledement inParadise )ost =#@3 N'ysel! am /ell#N 0n addition, this line can be compared to Adam

dreadin Na livin deathN in Paradise )ost 67#@#

obno;ious# ;posed to every harm#

inhuman !oes# (he Philistines are not, o! course, inhuman# Perhaps we should

understand the word as Ninhumane,N but it is more likely that 'ilton portrays Samson as

one who thinks o! the Philistines as less than human# $hether or not 'ilton shares

Samson"s racist attitude is a matter !or debate#

Chor# (he Chrous# 'ilton !ollows the classical practice o! usin a chorus as a kind o!commentator on the drama as it un!olds# Sophocles used a chorus in his traedies see

Sophocles" A+a;# (he practice was uncommon in early modern traedy# Shakespeare"s

/amlet has no chorus, but his /enry I does#

)ines 66-66# (hese lines echo *vid"s description o! /ermaphroditus in

'etamorphoses =#:@:#

weeds# Clothes#

Chalybean# Iiril celebrated the Chalybes !or their metal-workin skills in his Georics

6#3#

Adamantean# 1ock-hard#

tools# weapons# 0n Shakespeare"s 1omeo and Euliet 6#6#8, the word meant sword

N.raw thy tool#N

Ascalonite# Ascalon Ashkelon was, alon with Gaza, one o! the !ive principal cities o!

the Philistines# Samson slew thirty men there# See Eudes 6= 6#

 +aw o! a dead Ass# See the story in Eudes 63 63-6?#

thousand !ore-skins# (he Philistines were, o! course, uncircumcised# (he Chorus re!ers

to them here metonymically, and scorn!ully, as !oreskins#

1amath-lechi# See Eudes 63 6@ Samson named the place a!ter his deed, literally, the

castin away o! the +awbone#

Azza# Iariant o! Gaza#

)ines 6=-6=# (hese lines re!er to the Eewish law that no man should No out o! his

 placeN on the Sabbath# See ;odus 6? 8# Samson de!ied that law in carryin the ates

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see .octrine 6#:# Also, in (etrachordon, 'ilton depicted Adam as the sole man who

could choose the correct mate accordin to God"s command#

Philistian women# Althouh Samson"s !irst wi!e, the $oman o! (imna, was a Philistine

Eudes 6= 6, the Bible does not speci!ically say that .alila was also# 'ilton can be

seen as interpretin her as such in order to emphasize her association with an idolatrousreliion, that o! worshippin .aon#

(he !irst 0 saw at (imna# *n Samson"s !irst wi!e, see Eudes 6= =-87#

motion"d# Compare to Samson"s Nrouzin motionsN line 6:8 be!ore he pulls down the

temple# Accordin to the *.8, Nmotion"dN can mean Ninward promptinN or Nstirrin

o! the soul#N 0n this instance such NstirrinN would be caused by God#

She provin !alse# 'ilton here nelects to retell part o! the Samson story A!ter the

woman o! (imna betrayed him, he set the Philistine !ields on !ire by attachin torches to

!o;es" tails# 0n revene, the Philistines burned Samson"s wi!e and her !ather# See Eudes63 6-?#

speciousOsnare# 0n this line Samson characterizes .alila# Compare this description to

Satan bein specious in the Serpent Paradise )ost #:?6 and Satan"s i!ts bein

specious in Paradise 1eain"d 8#:6# Also note the similarity to ve namin hersel!

Adam"s snare a!ter the Fall in Paradise )ost 66#6?3#

my sel!# Compare this assumption o! responsibility to Adam and ve eventually

 blamin themselves, not each other, !or their own sins# See Paradise )ost 67#3-3#

van%uisht with a peal o! words# Compare this to 'ilton"s sense o! the cause o! Adam"s

oriinal sin NFondly overcome with !emale charmN in Paradise )ost ##

Governours# Samson"s words here contradict the Biblical account o! his li!e, which

states that he ruled 0srael !or twenty years himsel!# See Eudes 63 87 and 6? :6#

the rock o! tham# See Eudes 63 #

trivial weapon# (hat is, the !amous +awbone o! an ass#

love Bondae more then )iberty# For 'ilton"s e;plicit theories o! political liberty, seethe (enure o! Dins and 'aistrates& see also 'ichael"s theory o! the connection

 between personal and political corruption in Paradise )ost 68#:-676#

Succoth and the Fort o! Penuel# (he people o! these cities re!used to help Gideon pursue

the !leein 'idian kins& see Eudes #

inrate!ul phraim# (he people o! phraim re!used to help Eephtha aainst the

Ammonites& Eephtha later slew them Eudes 66-68#

Shibboleth# $hen Eeptha"s men o! Gilead were testin phraimites who had escaped,

they used this word because the phraimites could not pronounce it#

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)ines 8:-8=# (he Chorus here echoes 1evelation 63: and Paradise )ost 6#8?#

heart o! the Fool# See Psalms 6= 6 N(he !ool hath said in his heart, (here is no God#N

ravel# (hat is, Nto entanle, con!use, perple;,N as de!ined in *.8#

)ine :7?# 0n the 5'0 micro!ilm copy o! 6?@6, this line is double-indented& the 1auner

)ibrary copy shows it !lush le!t#

obstriction# (hat is, national law# .euteronomy @#= indicates that marriae between

/ebrews and the surroundin tribes o! Canaan can be considered idolatry# See *n

Christian .octrine !or 'ilton"s interpretation o! that te;t# (he poem seems uninterested

in the problem that bothered Francis Luarles in his /istory o! Samson 6?:6 how it

was that Samson, a azarite, could kill with impunity, since, accordin to umbers ?, a

 azarite could not touch dead bodies, let alone kill men or touch the carcass o! a dead

lion#

5nclean# All Gentiles were considered ritually unclean# 0n zekiel = 6:, the bread that

the 0sraelites eat while amon the Gentiles is Nde!iled#N

5nchaste# (he Chorus"s words here seem !alse (he $oman o! (imna Nwas iven to his

2Samson"s4 companionN Eudes 6= 87# She did not o o! her own accord# (hus it is

di!!icult to label her actions as unchaste#

in!orm"d# uided# See A 'ask lines 6@-7 Nwhere elseO Shall 0 in!orm my

unac%uainted !eet9N#

)ine :?7# See )uke 66 66#

nor was at all supris"d# Aain, compare this to Adam"s !all in Paradise )ost #-

Nnot deceiv"dN#

spurious !irst-born# .alila conceived corruptly because she went to Samson"s bed driven

 by the desire o! wealth that the Philistines o!!ered her to betray him# See Eudes 6? 3#

!oul e!!eminacy# Aain, compare this estimation o! manly virtue lost to that o! Adam in

Paradise )ost 66#?:=#

.ivine 0mpulsion# 'anoa here casts doubt on the divine inspiration that prompted

Samson"s !irst marriae#

over-potent charms# See NFondly overcome with !emale charmN in Paradise )ost ##

0 do acknowlede and con!ess# (his mimics the con!ession o! sin !rom the Book o!

Common Prayer 633 Nacknowlede and bewayle oure mani!olde synnes and

wyckednesse#N

connive# (he *.8 de!ines NconniveN both as to remain dormant or inactiveN and Nto

shut the eyes to crime or wron#N 'erritt /uhes pre!ers the second readin, comparinit to Paradise )ost 67#?8=#

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thy ransom# (here is nothin about ransom in the biblical story in Eudes#

)ines =-376# 'ilton here describes the myth o! (antalus, who was sent to /ades !or

revealin secrets o! the ods, accordin to uripides in *restes 6#

God will relent# 'anoa echoes 'ammon"s mistaken supposition in Paradise )ost 8#8:@-

: NSuppose he 2God4 should relentO And publish Grace to all#N

implorin mercy# 'ilton did not share the commonplace early modern belie! that

Eudaism was a reliion without any concept o! mercy# 0n (he 'erchant o! Ienice,

Shakespeare"s Ienetians all share this misconception o! Eews and Eudaism 'erchant

=#6#@6#

instinct# 0nnate impulse# See Paradise )ost 67#8?:#

Sons o! Anac# (he iants mentioned in line 6= above#

venereal trains# (raps o! erotic desire#

tame $eather# Accordin to the *.8, a male sheep or castrated male sheep# 'ilton

creates a weak, vulnerable, ridiculous imae o! Samson as a shorn sheep# Furthermore,

this imae re!ers to Eudes 6? 6, in which .alila has a man shave locks o! Samson"s

hair as he is sleepin in her lap, a!ter which he loses his strenth# See also Antonio"s line

!rom (he 'erchant o! Ienice =#6#66?#

(hou couldst repress# Part o! the azarite vow o! purity to which Samson subscribed

re%uired abstention !rom drink# See umbers ? :#

)ines 3=6-3=?# 0n short, Samson could easily abstain !rom drink, but had di!!iculty

resistin se;ual temptation# Compare this to the temptations in A 'ask 38=-38?#

)ine 3=# 6?@6 has a period a!ter NpureN& since this renders Samson"s !irst sentence a

!rament, it looks like a printer"s error# 0 have supplied a comma instead#

milkie# (his ad+ective is also used to describe !resh water in Paradise )ost 3#:7?# (his

 phrasin creates an imae o! earth as mother# See Son o! Solomon 3 68#

!umes# !!ects o! !ood andOor drink on the body and mind# Compare to Paradise )ost

#6737 where Nunkindly !umesN !rom the !ruit o! the (ree o! Dnowlede put Adam and

ve into a deep, unnatural sleep#

temperance# For 'ilton"s de!inition o! temperance, see Christian .octrine 8#= and

Paradise )ost 66#3:6-:8#

!!eminatly# (o be e!!eminate here does not mean to be like a woman so much as it

means to be swayed by !eminine charms, to love women too much#

)ines 33-3@8# Some critics hear hints o! 'ilton lamentin his own situation a!ter the1estoration by likenin it to that o! Samson in prison#

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caus"d a !ountain# See Eudes 63 6-6# 'ilton reads the passae as indicatin the

!ountain rises !rom the round rather than !rom the +awbone#

locks# A passae !rom Eudes 6? 88 N/owbeit the hair o! his head bean to row aain

a!ter he was shavenN puts !orth the possibility that Samson"s strenth miht return withthe rowth o! his hair#

'y hopes # # #O 0n all her !unctions weary o! hersel!# (his phrase echoes that o! the

melancholy /amlet in Shakespeare"s play N/ow weary, stale, !lat and unpro!itable,O

Seem to me all the uses o! this world<N /amlet 6#8#6:@#

)ines 36-3# (his e;chane seems to echo a conversation in Apollonius 1hodius,

Aronautica 8#=:-=# Phineus replies to Eason Nnor is there any remedy herea!ter, !or

 blasted are my sihtless eyes# But instead o! that may the od rant me death at once,

and a!ter death 0 shall take my share in per!ect bliss#N

humours black# (hat is, bilious or melancholy humours, accordin to traditional

 physioloy#

healin words# Compare to the urse"s misused healin words in uripides" /ippolytus

6#=@#

reins# Didneys#

accidents# Symptoms#

Alp# A hih mountain# 0n Paradise )ost 8#?87, the !allen anels +ourney N*"re many a

Frozen, many a !ierie Alpe#N

the uncircumcis"d# Gentiles in eneral, but in this case the Philistines especially#

truest !ortitude# 'ilton also praises patience as heroic in Paradise )ost #:8-:: and

 pious in Paradise 1eain"d 6#=8?#

mood# As a musical term# Compare to N0n per!ect Phalan; to the .orian moodO *!

Flutes and so!t 1ecordersN in Paradise )ost 6#337-36#

what is man# (he phrase echoes the e;postulations o! the Psalmist in Psalm =-

Nwhat is man that thou art mind!ull o! him9N /amlet"s solilo%uy also echoes this

 passae N$hat a piece o! work is a manN /amlet 8#8#:6#

(o dos and !owls a prey# (hese lines resemble the 0liad 6#6 in which /omer writes that

the dead !rom the (ro+an war Nmade them themselves spoil !or dos and every birdN in

N/adesN#

)ike a stately Ship# Compare to Ben Eonson"s description o! )ady Pecunia in (he Staple

o! ews Act 00 as Na alley, Gilt in the prowN wearin adornment that costs Nas much as

!urnishin a !leet#N

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law o! nature, law o! nations# 'ilton studied Eohn Selden"s work and praised it as Nthat

noble volume written by our learned Selden, *! the law o! nature K o! ationsN in the

second book o! .octrine and .iscipline o! .ivorce#

trains, inns, toyls# All words !or traps#

!air enchanted cup# (his imae e%uates .alila with Circe /omer"s *dyssey 67#6:3-

:? and her various 1enaissance descendants includin Comus A 'ask 37#

Adders# See Psalm 3 =-3 !or another e;ample o! the superstition that adders are dea!#

tear thee +oint by +oint# Compare to Polymestor"s desire to Nrend her 2/ecuba4 limb !rom

limbN in uripides, /ecuba 6683#

double-mouth"d# Fame or rumor, in )atin !ama, is proverbially double-mouthed,

speakin both ood and ill reports# See, !or e;ample, Chaucer"s /ouse o! Fame,

especially 678:-67:6#

the Circumcis"d# (he 0sraelites, the sons o! Abraham#

cron, Gaza, Asdod, and in Gath# Principal cities o! the Philistines#

odours# spices# See Eeremiah := 3#

Eael# .alila re!ers, with unwittin irony, to the story o! .eborah and her son o! praise

!or Eael who slew the Canaanite eneral Sisera Eudes =#

 beauty# For 'ilton"s notions o! the power o! !emale beauty, see Adam"s remarks to

1aphael in Paradise )ost #3:8-3@7#

what it is, hard is to say# (he %uestion o! what women desire has been considered by

men a riddle !or many aes# (his NriddleN is the burden, !or e;ample, o! Chaucer"s (he

$i!e o! Bath"s (ale 73#

thy riddle# (he riddle Samson posed to the Philistines at his !irst weddin at (imnah

N*ut o! the eater came !orth meat, and out o! the stron came !orth sweetness#N Samson

allowed the men seven days to solve the riddle Eudes 6= 6=#

musin# 'isprinted Nmu sinN in 1auner copy#

(hy Paranymph# $hile Samson is away Eudes 6= 87, his !irst wi!e sleeps with his

 best man#

outward ornamentOinward i!ts# *n outward beauty and inward beauty and 'ilton"s

habit o! enderin such !eatures, see Paradise )ost #3:-3=? and =#=-=6#

to wisest men and best# (hat even the wisest and soberest men can be ravely mistaken

in their marriae choices is one o! 'ilton"s chie! themes in (he .octrine and .iscipline

o! .ivorce#

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virin veil# Compare to (he .octrine and .iscipline o! .ivorce 6#: Nand who knows

not that the bash!ull muteness o! a virin may o!t-times hide all the unlivelines and

naturall sloth which is really un!it !or conversation#N

to the man despotic power# See the !amous dictum in Paradise )ost =#8 N/ee !or God

only, shee !or God in him#N 'ilton believed that !emale sub+ection to men wasestablished in creation#

!emale usurpation# 'ilton held that Adam"s oriinal transression was, in part, an

improper sub+ection o! himsel!, his Nmanhood,N to his wi!e# See Paradise )ost #3?-@3,

67#6==-63?# 'uch o! his account o! Adam"s !irst sin is derived !rom Genesis :6@,

where God pre!aces his sentence on Adam with the words, NBecause you have listened

to the voice o! your wi!e, # # #N

(he Giant /arapha# /arapha is never mentioned in the scriptural narrative o! Eudes#

/e is 'ilton"s own invention# /is name may be derived !rom the /ebrew !or iant, ha

raphah# /# )oewe also notes that the /ebrew 1ephaim, which means NiantsN is actuallya euphemism derived !rom rapha, Nto be weakN meanin Nthe !labby, powerless ones#N

/is habit carries peace# /abit means clothin, that is, he is unarmed#

Gath# (he comma, which makes sense here, is missin in the 1auner copy& 0 have

supplied it based on state 8 o! sinature as described by Fletcher =#::

* or Anak and the mims# Giants mentioned in the Bible .euteronomy 8 67-66& :

66& umbers 6: ::#

Diriathaim# (he mims lived in this place Genesis 6= 3#

0! thou at all art known# An echo o! Satan"s boast!ul speech to Hephon in Paradise )ost

=#8@-:7#

encounters# (he comma, which makes sense here, is missin in the 1auner copy& 0 have

supplied it based on state 8 o! sinature as described by Fletcher =#::#

listed !ield# (hat is, in the lists, or tournament !ield#

sinle me# Challene me to sinle combat#

the un!oreskinn"d race# (he 0sraelites, spoken with derision#

in thy hand# $ithin reach#

assassinated# (reacherously attacked, not actually killed#

Briandine# Body armour composed o! iron rins or small thin iron plates, sewed upon

canvas, linen, or leather, and covered over with similar materials *.8#

/abereon# A sleeveless coat or +acket o! mail or scale armour, oriinally smaller andlihter than a hauberk, but sometimes the same *.8#

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Iant-brass# A vambrace is de!ensive armour !or the !ore-arm *.8#

Greves# Greaves are de!ensive armor !or the shins *.8#

Gauntlet# An armored love *.8#

$eavers beam# (he wooden roller in a loom on which the warp is wound, or the roller

on which the cloth is wound# Also see 6 Samuel 6@ @ *! Goliath NAnd the sta!! o! his

spear was like a weaver"s beam#N

seven-times-!olded shield# Similar to the shield o! A+a; or Aias in (he 0liad, which

was made o! seven layers o! bull"s hide#

disparae lorious arms# 'ilton was !ond o! disparain arms and the accoutrements o!

war and tournament& see Paradise )ost #8@-=6#

ru!!l"d Porcupines# Compare to Shakespeare"s /amlet 6#3#6-87 NAnd each particular

hair to stand on end,O )ike %uills upon the !ret!ul porpentine#N

0 know no Spells, use no !orbidden Arts# Compare to the oath taken by parties in sinle

combat Selden, .uello := Nthat hee was !ree !rom all use o! Art 'ai%ue, that he did

not carry with him any hearbe, stone or other kinde o! e;periment o! $itchcra!t#N

those thirty men# At his !irst weddin !east, Samson slew thirty Askalonites and ave

their cothes to the Philistines who solved his riddle, thus keepin his barain# (he

Philistines used Samson"s wi!e to !ind the answer to the riddle Eudes 6=#

spies# (here is nothin in the book o! Eudes to indicate that the thirty NcompanionsN

were spies, althouh Eosephus, in Anti%uities 3#, writes that they were Nin pretence to

 be his companions, but in reality to be a uard upon him#N

the !orce o! Con%uest# See 'ilton"s theory o! tyranny in (he (enure o! Dins and

'aistrates#

de!ies thee thrice to sinle !iht# Pepys"s account o! the coronation o! Charles 00

describes the medieval custom o! challenin three times in +udicial combats Nthe

Champion !lins down his auntlet, and all this he do three times in his oin up towardthe Din"s table#N

(o !iht with thee no man o! arms will dein# /arapha implies that he is o! too hih a

rank to !iht with a common slave such as Samson#

Baal-zebub# /arapha swears by Beelzebub, the Nod o! the !lies,N one o! the many

!orms o! the Philistine God Baal whose shrine was at kron# 0n Paradise )ost,

Beelzebub appears as the chie! o! Satan"s companion devils Paradise )ost 6#6#

van# Ianuard#

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Astaroth# ow /arapha swears by another paan deity, the !ertility oddess Astarte,

!emale counterpart to Baal# See 'ilton"s Nativity *de#N

crest-!all"n# As Flannaan notes, literally, /arapha"s knihtly crest has toppled when

!aced with Samson"s strenth#

Goliah# Goliath, whom .avid !ouht and slew with a slin and N!ive smooth stonesN 6

Samuel 6@#

/eroic manitude o! mind# Compare this to Paradise )ost #:6-:8#

 patience# (hat is, su!!erin, and waitin upon God#

Saints# /oly people, or Nthe elect,N in the Protestant sense#

*ur )aw !orbids# See the second o! the ten commandments o! the law ;odus 87 =-3#

commands9 (he 1auner copy has a period here instead o! a %uestion mark# (he %uestion

mark is supplied based on the second state accordin to Fletcher =#::#

$here the heart +oins not, outward acts de!ile not# (his ma;im may be an echo o!

Aristotle"s icomachean thics 6667a#

that he may dispense# Samson voices the conviction that God can dispense with any o!

his laws or commandments as he sees !it# (his, Samson claims, was the case with his

marriae to the (imnan woman# (he Chorus arees& see above, lines :7@-:6=#

'asters commands come with a power resistless# /ow does this consist with Samson"s

earlier distinction between command and constraint, lines 6:?:-6:@?9

)ines 6=86-88# See /orace, Ars Poetica 88= N(he spectator, a!ter the rites had been

observed, was drunk and in a lawless mood#N

Spirit# See Eudes 83#

)ines 6=?6-?:# 'ilton takes this opportunity to attack priests, possibly in re!erence to

his own opinion o! the Catholic priesthood#

)ine 6=# 6?@6 has a period here, which e!!ectively orphans the !ollowin !rament& 0

have substituted a comma#

those locks,O (hat o! a ation arm"d the strenth contain"d# Compare to *vid"s

'etamorphoses, # 63, where the security o! the kindom o! isus depends on a lock o! 

his hair#

as ne;t# As ne;t o! kin, the tribesmen o! .an#

$hat i!# (hese lines, !rom 638@-63:3 and 63:@, do not appear in the 6?@6 copy-te;t#

(hey are supplied !rom a notice entitled N*missaN provided on pae 676, +ust be!ore therrata lists# (he N*missaN reads as !ollows

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as one who pray"d# Compare to Eudes 6? :7# (he suicidal implications o! this speech

have lon been an obstacle to those who would reard Samson as a saint# See also

Eudes 6? 8?, N)et me die with the Philistines#N

)ords, )adies, Captains, Councellors, or Priests# Contrasted with the NvularN or the

NthronN who survive the disaster#

)ine 6?3# (his is not !ound in the Biblical account in Eudes 6? :7#

dire necessity# See /orace, *des, :#8?#?#

)ines 6??@-?# (hese lines echo Eudes 6? :7

Silo# (he ark o! the covenant was located in Shiloh# 6 Samuel = = records its removal

!rom Shiloh NSo the people sent to Shiloh, that they miht brin !rom thence the ark o!

the covenant#N

ev"nin .raon# A !iredrake a meteroloical event similar to the will-o"-the-wisp#

that sel!-beott"n bird# (he Phoeni;& see N.amon"s pitaphN 63-6@ and Paradise )ost

3#8@8-8@=#

mbost# (he word most likely meant is Nimbosked,N which means hidden, concealed or

sheltered in a wood or !orest *.8##

(hat no second knows or third# *nly one phoeni; may be alive at once#

/olocaust# A sacri!ice consumed by !ire#

Sons o! Caphtor# (he Philistines were thouht to have oriially come to Canaan !rom

Caphtor, or Crete#

 othin is here !or tears# 0! there is here no reason !or tears, perhaps 'anoa !ails to

 perceive anythin traic in his son"s death# See N*! that Sort o! .ramatic Poem which is

call"d (raedy#

)ines 6@:7-::# See Eudes 6? :6#

/ome to his Fathers house# Compare to the endin o! Paradise 1eain"d =#?:, where

Eesus is N/ome to his 'others house private return"d#N

)aurel ever reen# )aurels were sacred to Apollo and a traditional crown o! poets# See

the openin lines o! )ycidas#

ac%uist# A%uisition#