Mess. Man. Unwounded of his enemies he fell. Wearied with slaughter, then, or how? explain. Mess. By his own hands. Self-violence! What cause Man. Mess. More than enough we know; but, while things yet Mess. Occasions drew me early to this city; 1590 Through each high street. Little I had dispatched, When all abroad was rumoured that this day 1600 Samson should be brought forth, to show the people Proof of his mighty strength in feats and games. I sorrowed at his captive state, but minded The building was a spacious theatre, Half round on two main pillars vaulted high, With seats where all the lords, and each degree Of sort, might sit in order to behold; The other side was open, where the throng On banks and scaffolds under sky might stand: 1610 I among these aloof obscurely stood. The feast and noon grew high, and sacrifice. Had filled their hearts with mirth, high cheer, and wine, When to their sports they turned. Immediately Was Samson as a public servant brought, In their state livery clad: before him pipes And timbrels; on each side went armed guards; 1620 All with incredible, stupendious force, At length, for intermission sake, they led him I mean to show you of my strength yet greater 1630 1640 When mountains tremble, those two massy pillars He tugged, he shook, till down they came, and drew 1650 The whole roof after them with burst of thunder Upon the heads of all who sat beneath, Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or priests, Chor. O dearly bought revenge, yet glorious! 1660 Living or dying thou hast fulfilled' The work for which thou wast foretold Among thy slain self-killed; Not willingly, but tangled in the fold Of dire Necessity, whose law in death conjoined Thee with thy slaughtered foes, in number more Than all thy life had slain before. Semichor. While their hearts were jocund and sublime, Drunk with idolatry, drunk with wine 1670 And fat regorged of bulls and goats, Chaunting their idol, and preferring Before our living Dread, who dwells In Silo, his bright sanctuary, Among them he a spirit of phrenzy sent, And urged them on with mad desire To call in haste for their destroyer. 1680 Their own destruction to come speedy upon them. Unweetingly importuned So fond are mortal men, Fallen into wrath divine, As their own ruin on themselves to invite, Insensate left, or to sense reprobate, And with blindness internal struck. Semichor. But he, though blind of sight, Despised, and thought extinguished quite, His fiery virtue roused From under ashes into sudden flame, Assailant on the perched roosts 1690 And nests in order ranged Of tame villatic fowl, but as an eagle His cloudless thunder bolted on their heads. So Virtue, given for lost, Depressed and overthrown, as seemed, Like that self-begotten bird In the Arabian woods embost, That no second knows nor third, And lay erewhile a holocaust, 1700 From out her ashy womb now teemed, Revives, reflourishes, then vigorous most When most unactive deemed ; And, though her body die, her fame survives, A secular bird, ages of lives. Man. Come, come; no time for lamentation now, Nor much more cause. Samson hath quit himself Like Samson, and heroicly hath finished 1710 A life heroic, on his enemies Fully revenged-hath_left them years of mourning, 1720 Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail Or knock the breast; no weakness, no contempt, Soaked in his enemies' blood, and from the stream Will send for all my kindred, all my friends, 1730 To fetch him hence, and solemnly attend, With silent obsequy and funeral train, Home to his father's house. There will I build him A monument, and plant it round with shade Of laurel ever green and branching palm, Of Highest Wisdom brings about, 1740 His uncontrollable intent. His servants He, with new acquist Of true experience from this great event, With peace and consolation hath dismissed, THE END. |