These reasons in love's law have past for good, Though fond and reasonless to some perhaps; And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much woe, Yet always pity' or pardon hath obtain'd.
Be not unlike all others, not austere As thou art strong, inflexible as steel. If thou in strength all mortals dost exceed, In uncompassionate anger do not so.
SAM. How cunningly the sorceress displays Her own transgressions, to upbraid me mine! 820 That malice not repentance brought thee hither, By this appears: I gave, thou say'st, th' example,
I led the way; bitter reproach, but true;
I to myself was false ere thou to me;
Such pardon therefore as I give my folly, Take to thy wicked deed; which when thou seest
Impartial, self-severe, inexorable,
Thou wilt renounce thy seeking, and much rather Confess it feign'd: weakness is thy excuse,
And I believe it, weakness to resist Philistian gold: if weakness may excuse, What murderer, what traitor, parricide, Incestuous, sacrilegious, but may plead it ? All wickedness is weakness: that plea therefore With God or man will gain thee no remission. 835 But love constrain'd thee; call it furious rage To satisfy thy lust: love seeks to have love; My love how could'st thou hope, who took'st the way To raise in me inexpiable hate,
Knowing, as needs I must, by thee betray'd? 840 In vain thou striv'st to cover shame with shame, Or by evasions thy crime uncover'st more.
DAL. Since thou determin'st weakness for no plea In man or woman, though to thy own condemning, Hear what assaults I had, what snares besides, What sieges girt me round, ere I consented; Which might have aw'd the best resolv'd of men, The constantest, to have yielded without blame. It was not gold, as to my charge thou lay'st, That wrought with me: thou know'st the magistrates And princes of my country came in person, Solicited, commanded, threaten'd, urg'd, Adjur'd by all the bonds of civil duty And of religion, press'd how just it was, How honourable, how glorious to intrap A common enemy, who had destroy'd Such numbers of our nation and the priest Was not behind, but ever at my ear, Preaching how meritorious with the gods
It would be to insnare an irreligious
Dishonorer of Dagon: what had I
To' oppose against such powerful arguments ?
Only my love of thee held long debate,
And combated in silence all these reasons
With hard contest: at length that grounded maxim,
So rife and celebrated in the mouths
Of wisest men, that to the public good
Private respects must yield, with grave authority
Took full possession of me and prevail'd; Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty so injoining. 870
SAM. I thought where all thy circling wiles would
In feign'd religion, smooth hypocrisy. But had thy love, still odiously pretended, Been, as it ought, sincere, it would have taught thee Far other reasonings, brought forth other deeds.
I before all the daughters of my tribe
And of my nation chose thee from among My enemies, lov'd thee, as too well thou knew'st, Too well, unbosom'd all my secrets to thee, Not out of levity, but over-power'd By thy request, who could deny thee nothing; Yet now am judg'd an enemy. Why then Didst thou at first receive me for thy husband, Then, as since then, thy country's foe profess'd ? Being once a wife, for me thou wast to leave 885 Parents and country; nor was I their subject, Nor under their protection but my own, Thou mine, not theirs : if ought against my life Thy country sought of thee, it sought unjustly, Against the law of nature, law of nations, No more thy country, but an impious crew Of men conspiring to uphold their state By worse than hostile deeds, violating the ends For which our country is a name so dear; Not therefore to be' obey'd. But zeal mov'd thee; To please thy gods thou didst it; gods unable
To' acquit themselves and prosecute their foes
But by ungodly deeds, the contradiction Of their own deity, gods cannot be ;
Less therefore to be pleas'd, obey'd, or fear'd. 900 These false pretexts and varnish'd colors failing, Bare in thy guilt how foul must thou appear?
DAL. In argument with men a woman ever Goes by the worse, whatever be her cause. [breath; SAM. For want of words no doubt, or lack of Witness when I was worried with thy peals. 906 DAL. I was a fool, too rash, and, quite mistaken In what I thought would have succeeded best. Let me obtain foregiveness of thee, Samson, Afford me place to show what recompense Tow'ards thee I intend for what I have misdone, Misguided; only what remains past cure Bear not too sensibly, nor still insist To' afflict thyself in vain: though sight be lost, Life yet hath many solaces, enjoy'd Where other senses want not their delights
At home in leisure and domestic ease, Exempt from many a care and chance to which
Eye-sight exposes daily men abroad.
I to the lords will intercede, not doubting Their favorable ear, that I may fetch thee From forth this loathsome prison-house, to abide With me, where my redoubled love and care With nursing diligence, to me glad office, May ever tend about thee to old age With all things grateful cheer'd, and so supply'd, That what by me thou hast lost thou least shalt miss.
SAM. No, no, of my condition take no care; It fits not; thou and I long since are twain : Nor think me so unwary or accurs'd, To bring my feet again into the snare Where once I have been caught; I know thy trains Though dearly to my cost, thy gins, and toils; Thy fair inchanted cup, and warbling charms No more on me have power, their force is null'd, So much of adder's wisdom I have learn'd
To fence my ear against thy sorceries. If in my flower of youth and strength, when all men Lov'd, honor'd, fear'd me, thou alone couldst hate
Thy husband, slight me, sell me, and forego me; How wouldst thou use me now, blind, and thereby Deceivable, in most things as a child Helpless, thence easily contemn'd, and scorn'd, And last neglected? How wouldst thou insult, When I must live uxorious to thy will In perfect thraldom, how again betray me, Bearing my words and doings to the lords To gloss upon, and censuring, frown or smile? This jail I count the house of liberty To thine, whose doors my feet shall never enter. DAL. Let me approach at least, and touch thyhand. SAM. Not for thy life, least fierce remembrance
My sudden rage to tear thee joint by joint. At distance I forgive thee, go with that; Bewail thy falshood, and the pious works It hath brought forth to make thee memorable
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