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Because they shall not trail me through their streets Like a wild beast, I am content to go.

1405

Masters' commands come with a power resistless
To such as owe them absolute subjection;
And for a life who will not change his purpose?
(Somutable are all the ways of men)
Yet this be sure, in nothing to comply
Scandalous or forbbiden in our law.

OF. I praise thy resolution: doff these links:

By this compliance thou wilt win the lords
To favour, and perhaps to set thee free.

1411

SAM. Brethren farewel; your company along
I will not wish, lest it perhaps offend them
To see me girt with friends; and how the sight
Of me as of a common enemy,

So dreaded once, may now exasperate them,
I know not: lords are lordliest in their wine;
And the well-feasted priest then soonest fir'd
With zeal, if ought religion seem concern'd;
No less the people on their holy-days
Impetuous, insolent, unquenchable:
Happen what may, of me expect to hear
Nothing dishonorable, impure, unworthy
Our God, our law, my nation, or myself,
The last of me or no I cannot warrant.

CHOR. Go, and the Holy One

Of Israel be thy guide

1416

1421

1425

[name

To what may serve his glory best, and spread his

Great among the Heathen round;

Send thee the angel of thy birth, to stand
Volume III.

M

1430

Fast by thy side, who from thy father's field
Rode up in flames after his message told
Of thy conception, and be now a shield

Of fire; that Spirit that first rush'd on thee 1435

In the camp of Dan

1440

Be efficacious in thee now at need.
For never was from Heav'n imparted
Measure of strength so great to mortal seed,
As in thy wondrous actions hath been seen.
But wherefore comes old Manoah in such haste
With youthful steps ? much livelier than ere while
He seems: supposing here to find his son,
Or of him bringing to us some glad news?

1444

MAN. Peace with you, brethren; my inducement

[hither

Was not at present here to find my son,
By order of the lords new parted hence
To come and play before them at their feast.
I heard all as I came, the city rings,
And numbers thither flock, I had no will,
Lest I should see him forc'd to things unseemly.
But that which mov'd my coming now was chiefly
To give ye part with me what hope I have
With good success to work his liberty.

1450

1454

CHOR. That hope would much rejoice us to partake

With thee; say, reverend Sire, we thirst to hear.

MAN. I have attempted one by one the lords Either at home, or through the high street passing, With supplication prone and father's tears, 1459 To' accept of ransom for my son their pris'ner. Some much averse I found and wondrous harsh,

1466

Contemptuous, proud, set on revenge and spite;
That part most reverenc'd Dagon and his priest :
Others more moderate seeming, but their aim
Private reward, for which both God and state
They easily would set to sale: a third
More generous far and civil, who confess'd
They had enough reveng'd, having reduc'd
Their foe to misery beneath their fears,
The rest was magnanimity to remit,
If some convenient ransom were propos'd.
What noise or shout was that? it tore the sky.

1470

CHOR. Doubtless the people shouting to behold Their once great dread, captive and blind before them, Or at some proof of strength before them shown. MAN. His ransom, if my whole inheritance

1477

May compass it, shall willingly be paid
And number'd down: much rather I shall choose
To live the poorest in my tribe, than richest,
And he in that calamitous prison left.
No, I am fix'd not to part hence without him.
For his redemption all my patrimony,
If need be, I am ready to forego

1480

And quit: not wanting him I shall want nothing. CHOR. Fathers are wont to lay up for their sons,

1486

Thou for thy son art bent to lay out all:
Sons wont to nurse their parents in old age,
Thou in old age car'st how to nurse thy son
Made older than thy age through eye-sight lost.
MAN. It shall be my delight to tend his eyes,
And view him sitting in the house, ennobled 1491

With all those high exploits by him achiev'd,
And on his shoulders waving down those locks
That of a nation arm'd the strength contain'd:
And I persuade me God had not permitted
His strength again to grow up with his hair
Garrison'd round about him like a camp
Of faithful soldiery, were not his purpose
To use him further yet in some great service,

1495

Not to sit idle with so great a gift.

1500

Useless, and thence ridiculous about him.

And since his strength with eye-sight was not lost, God will restore him eye-sight to his strength.

CHOR. Thy hopes are not ill founded nor seem

vain

Of his delivery, and the joy thereon

1505

Conceiv'd, agreeable to a father's love,

In both which we, as next, participate.

[noise!

MAN, I know your friendly minds and-O what

Mercy of Heav'n, what hideous noisewas that!

Horribly loud, unlike the former shout.

1510

CHOR. Noise call you it or universal groan, As if the whole inhabitation perish'd! Blood, death, and deathful deeds are in that noise, Ruin, destruction at the utmost point.

[noise:

MAN. Of ruin indeed methought I heard the

Oh it continues, they have slain my son.

1516

CHOR, Thy son is rather slaying them, that outcry From slaughter of one foe could not ascend.

MAN. Some dismal accident it needs must be; What shall we do, stay here or run and see? 1520

[ther

CHOR. Best keep together here, lest running thiWe unawares run into Danger's mouth, This evil on the Philistines is fall'n; From whom could else a general cry be heard? The sufferers then will scarce molest us here, 1525 From other hands we need not much to fear. What if his eye-sight (for to Israel's God Nothing is hard) by miracle restor'd, He now be dealing dole among his foes, And over heaps of slaughter'd walk his way? 1530 MAN. That were a joy presumptous to be thought. CHOR. Yet God hath wrought things as incrediFor his people of old; what hinders now?

[ble

MAN. He can I know, but doubt to think he will; Yet hope would fain subscribe, and tempts belief. A little stay will bring some notice hither.

1536

CHOR. Of good or bad so great, of bad the sooner; For evil news rides post, while good news baits, And to our wish I see one hither speeding, An Hebrew, as I guess, and of our tribe.

1540

MES. O whither shall I run, or which way fly

The sight of this so horrid spectacle,
Which earst my eyes beheld and yet behold?

For dire imagination still pursues me.

But Providence or instinct of nature seems,
Or reason though disturb'd, and scarce consulted,

1545

To' have guided me aright, I know not how,

To thee first reverend Manoah, and to these

My countrymen, whom here I knew remaining,

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