Page:The Poems of William Blake (Shepherd, 1887).djvu/103

"thee; how didst thou rend the feeble ties! Thou
"fearest nought, what shouldst thou fear? Thy
"power is more than mortal, none can hurt thee;
"thy bones are brass, thy sinews are iron! Ten
"thousand spears are like the summer grass; an
"army of mighty men are as flocks in the valleys:
"what canst thou fear? I drink my tears like
"water; I live upon sorrow! O worse than wolves
"and tigers, what canst thou give when such a
"trifle is denied me? But, oh! at last thou mockest
"me, to shame my over-fond inquiry! Thou toldest
"me to weave thee to the beam by thy strong
"hair; I did even that to try thy truth: bot when
"I cried, The Philistines be upon thee! then didst
"thou leave me to bewail that Samson loved me
"not." He sat, and inward grieved, he saw and
loved the beauteous suppliant, nor could conceal
aught that might appease her; then, leaning on
her bosom, thus he spoke: "Hear, O Dalila!
"doubt no more of Samson's love; for that fair
"breast was made the ivory palace of my inmost
"heart, where it shall lie at rest; for sorrow is the
"lot of all of woman born: for care was I brought
"forth, and labour is my lot: nor matchless might,
"nor wisdom, nor every gift enjoyed, can from
"the heart of man hide sorrow. Twice was my
"birth foretold from heaven, and twice a sacred
"vow enjoined me that I should drink no wine,
nor eat of any unclean thing, for holy unto