550 I drank, from the clear milky juice allaying Thirst, and refresh'd; nor envied them the grape, Whose heads that turbulent liquor fills with fumes. CHOR. O madness, to think use of strongest wines And strongest drinks our chief support of health, When God with these forbidden made choice to rear His mighty champion, strong above compare, Whose drink was only from the liquid brook. SAMS. But what avail'd this temperance, not complete Against another object more enticing? What boots it at one gate to make defence, 560 And at another to let in the foe, Effeminately vanquish'd? by which means, Now blind, dishearten'd, sham'd, dishonour'd, To what can I be useful, wherein serve [quell'd, My nation, and the work from heav'n impos'd, 565 To a contemptible old age obscure? Here rather let me drudge and earn my bread, Till vermin or the draff of servile food 560 Robustious] Drayton's Baron's Warrs, 1627. c. v. st. 85. 'Cast from my seat, in some robustious course.' Todd. 575 Consume me, and oft invocated death 580 MAN. Wilt thou then serve the Philistines with Which was expressly giv'n thee to annoy them? Better at home lie bedrid, not only idle, Inglorious, unemploy'd, with age outworn. But God, who caus'd a fountain at thy prayer From the dry ground to spring, thy thirst to allay After the brunt of battle, can as easy Cause light again within thy eyes to spring, Wherewith to serve him better than thou hast; 585 SAMS. All otherwise to me my thoughts portend, 595 From anguish of the mind and humours black, 600 That mingle with thy fancy. I however With maladies innumerable In heart, head, breast, and reins; But must secret passage find To th' inmost mind, There exercise all his fierce accidents, 610 As on entrails, joints, and limbs, With answerable pains, but more intense, 615 My griefs not only pain me As a ling'ring disease, But, finding no redress, ferment and rage, Nor less than wounds immedicable Rankle, and fester, and gangrene, To black mortification. 620 [stings, Thoughts my tormentors, arm'd with deadly Mangle my apprehensive tenderest parts, Exasperate, exulcerate, and raise 625 Dire inflammation, which no cooling herb, Or medicinal liquor can asswage, 605 healing] Eurip. Hippol. v. 478. Εἰσὶν δ ̓ ἐπώδαι, καὶ λόγοι θελκτήριοι. Todd 627 Medicinal] Milton always spells this word 'Medcinal.' Nor breath of vernal air from snowy Alp. To death's benumbing opium as my only cure: 638 Thence faintings, swoonings of despair, And sense of heav'n's desertion. I was his nursling once, and choice delight, His destin'd from the womb, Promis'd by heavenly message twice descending: Under his special eye Abstemious I grew up, and thriv'd amain; He led me on to mightiest deeds, Above the nerve of mortal arm, Against the uncircumcised, our enemies: Whom I by his appointment had provok'd, The close of all my miseries, and the balm. 640 645 650 655 With studied argument, and much persuasion Lenient of grief and anxious thought: [sought, But with th' afflicted in his pangs their sound 660 Little prevails, or rather seems a tune Harsh and of dissonant mood from his complaint; Unless he feel within Some source of consolation from above, Secret refreshings, that repair his strength, God of our fathers, what is man! That thou towards him with hand so various, 665 669 Temper'st thy providence through his short course, Not ev'nly, as thou rul'st Th' angelic orders and inferior creatures mute, Nor do I name of men the common rout, That wand'ring loose about Grow 675 680 And people's safety, which in part they effect: 669 contrarious] Chaucer, Leg. of Dido, 435. 376 Todd. summer fly] Hen. VI. P. iii., act ii. sc. vi. 'The common people swarm like summer flies.' Todd. |