Amidst their height of noon,

Changest thy countenance, and thy hand with no

regard

Of highest favours past

From thee on them, or them to thee of service.

Nor only dost degrade them, or remit

To life obscur'd, which were a fair dismission,

685

But throw'st them lower than thou didst exalt them

high,

Unseemly falls in human eye,

Too grievous for the trespass of omission;

Oft leav'st them to the hostile sword

Of heathen and profane, their carcasses

690

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

694

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

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

In crude old age:

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

For oft alike both come to evil end.

700

So deal not with this once thy glorious champion, The image of thy strength, and mighty minister. What do I beg? how hast thou dealt already!

694 dogs] Hom. II. i. 4. Newton.

700 crude] Premature, coming before its time, as funera' in Statius. Jortin.

VOL. III.

• Cruda

Behold him in this state calamitous, and turn'
His labours, for thou canst, to peaceful end.

But who is this? what thing of sea or land? 710 Female of sex it seems,

That so bedeck'd, ornate, and gay,

Comes this way sailing

Like a stately ship

Of Tarsus, bound for th' isles

Of Javan or Gadire,

With all her bravery on, and tackle trim,

Sails fill'd, and streamers waving,

710 who is this]

'Sed hic quis est, quem huc advenientem conspicor, Suam qui undantem chlamydem quassando facit ?' Plauti Epid. act. iii. sc. 3.

714

715

a stately ship] This passage may be well illustrated by a quotation from a Sermon called Wilkinson's 'Merchant Royall,' preached at the nuptials of the Lord Hay, in 1607 4to. The text is from Proverbs, xxxi. 14. She is like a Merchants shippe, she bringeth her foode from afarre! "But of all qualities, a woman must not have one quality of a ship, and that is, too much rigging. Oh! what a wonder it is to see a ship under saile, with her tacklings and her masts, and her tops, and her top-gallants, with her upper deckes, and her nether deckes, and so bedeckt with her streamers, flags, and ensignes, and I know not what; yea, but a world of wonders it is to see a woman created in God's image, so miscreate oft times and deformed with her French, her Spanish, and her foolish fashions, that he that made her, when hee lookes upon her, shall hardlie know her, with her plumes, her fannes, and a silken vizard, with a ruffe like a saile, yea, a ruffe like a rainebow, with a feather in her cap, like a flag in her top, to tell, I think, which way the winde will blowe.” p. 15,

Courted by all the winds that hold them play,
An amber scent of odorous perfume
Her harbinger, a damsel train behind;
Some rich Philistian matron she may seem,
And now, at nearer view, no other certain
Than Dalila thy wife.

720

SAMS. My wife! my traitress: let her not come [thee fix'd,

near me.

CHOR. Yet on she moves, now stands and eyes About t' have spoke, but now, with head declin'd, Like a fair flow'r surcharg'd with dew, she weeps, And words address'd seem into tears dissolv'd, Wetting the borders of her silken veil :

But now again she makes address to speak.

730

DAL. With doubtful feet and wavering resolution I came, still dreading thy displeasure, Samson, Which to have merited, without excuse,

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

735

740

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

720 amber] Sylvester's Du Bartas (1621), p. 311.
'Soft carpet knights all senting musk and amber.'
Todd.

728 Like] Virg. Æn. ix. 436. Hom. II. viii. 306.

To lighten what thou suffer'st, and appease
Thy mind with what amends is in my power, 745
Though late, yet in some part to recompense
My rash, but more unfortunate, misdeed.

SAMS. Out, out, hyæna! these are thy wonted And arts of every woman false like thee,

[arts, To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray, 750

Then, as repentant, to submit, beseech,
And reconcilement move with feign'd remorse,
Confess, and promise wonders in her change,
Not truly penitent, but chief to try

Her husband, how far urg'd his patience bears, 755
His virtue or weakness which way to assail;
Then with more cautious and instructed skill
Again transgresses, and again submits;
That wisest and best men full oft beguil'd,
With goodness principled not to reject
The penitent, but ever to forgive,
Are drawn to wear out miserable days,
Entangled with a pois'nous bosom snake,
If not by quick destruction soon cut off,
As I by thee, to ages an example.

760

765

DAL. Yet hear me, Samson; not that I endea

To lessen or extenuate my offence,

[vour

But that, on th' other side if it be weigh'd

By itself, with aggravations not surcharg'd,
Or else with just allowance counterpois'd,
I may, if possible, thy pardon find
The easier towards me, or thy hatred less.
First granting, as I do, it was a weakness

770

In me, but incident to all our sex,
Curiosity, inquisitive, importune
Of secrets, then with like infirmity

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

775

Wherein consisted all thy strength and safety? 780
To what I did thou show'dst me first the way.
But I to enemies reveal'd, and should not;
Nor should'st thou have trusted that to woman's
Ere I to thee, thou to thyself wast cruel. [frailty.
Let weakness then with weakness come to parle,
So near related, or the same of kind,

Thine forgive mine; that men may censure thine
The gentler, if severely thou exact not

More strength from me than in thyself was found.
And what if love, which thou interpret'st hate, 790
The jealousy of love, powerful of sway

In human hearts, nor less in mine towards thee,
Caus'd what I did? I saw thee mutable
Of fancy, fear'd lest one day thou would'st leave me
As her at Timna, sought by all means therefore 795
How to endear, and hold thee to me firmest:
No better way I saw than by impórtuning
To learn thy secrets, get into my power
Thy key of strength and safety. Thou wilt say,
Why then reveal'd? I was assur'd by those
Who tempted me, that nothing was design'd

800

785 parle] See Par. L. vi. 296. P. Reg. iv. 529. Shakesp. Tam. of a Shrew, act i. sc. 1. Todd.