SAMSON AGONISTES
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��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, loved thee, as too well thou knew'st;
Too well; unbosomed all my secrets to thee,
Not out of levity, but overpowered 880
By thy request, who could deny thee nothing;
Yet now am judged an enemy. Why, then,
Didst thou at first receive me for thy hus- band
Then, as since then, thy country's foe pro- fessed ?
Being once a wife, for me thou wast to leave
Parents and country; nor was I their sub- ject,
Nor under their protection, but my own;
Thou mine, not theirs. If aught against my life
Thy country sought of thee, it sought un- justly,
Against the law of nature, law of na- tions; 890
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 obeyed. But zeal moved 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 pleased, obeyed, or feared. 900
These false pretexts and varnished colours failing,
Bare in thy guilt, how foul must thou ap- pear !
Dal. In argument with men a woman ever
Goes by the worse, whatever be her cause. Sams. For want of words, no doubt, or
lack of breath ! Witness when I was worried with thy
peals.
Dal. I was a fool, too rash, and quite mistaken
��In what I thought would have succeeded
best.
Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samson ; Afford me place to shew what recom- pense 910 Towards 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, enjoyed Where other senses want not their de- lights
At home, in leisure and domestic ease, Exempt from many a care and chance to
which
Eyesight exposes, daily, men abroad. 919 I to the Lords will intercede, not doubting Their favourable 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 cheered, and so
supplied That what by me thou hast lost thou least
shalt miss. Sams. No, no; of my condition take no
care;
It fits not; thou and I long since are twain; Nor think me so unwary or accursed 930 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 enchanted cup, and warbling
charms, No moro on me have power; their force is
nulled;
So much of adder's wisdom I have learned, To fence my ear against thy sorceries. If in my flower of youth and strength,
when all men Loved, honoured, feared me, thou alone
could hate me, Thy husband, slight me, sell me, and
forgo me, 940
How would'st thou use me now, blind, and
thereby
Deceivable, in most things as a child Helpless, thence easily contemned and
scorned,
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