530

Of Acts indeed heroick, far beyond
The Sons of Anack, famous now and blaz'd,
Fearless of danger, like a petty God,
I walk'd about, admir'd of all and dreaded
On hostile ground, none daring my affront.
Then swoll'n with pride into the snare I fell
Of fair fallacious looks, venereal trains,
Soften'd with plexure and voluptuous life;
At length to lay my head and hallow'd pledge
Of all my strength in the lascivious lap
Of a deceitful Concubine, who Thore me,
Like a tame Wether, all my precious fleece ;
Then turn'd me out ridiculous, despoil'd,
Shav'n and disarm'd among mine enemies.

535

540

Chor. Defire of wine and all delicious drinks,
Which many a famous warrior overturns,
Thou couldtt répress ; nor did the dancing Ruby
Sparkling, out pour'd, the flavour of the smell,
Or taste, that.cheers the hearts of Gods or Men,
Allure thee from the cool Crystalline stream.

345

Sams. Where-ever fountain or fresh current flow'd Against the Eastern ray, translucent, pure, With touch ethereal of Heav'ns fiery rod, I drank; from the clear milky juice allaying 550 'Thirit, and refresht; nor envy'd them the grape, Whose heads that turbulent liquor fills with fumes.

Chor. O madness, to think use of Atrongest wines And strongest drinks our chief support of tealth, When God with these forbidd'n made choice to rear His mighty Champion, strong above compare ; Whose drink was only from the liquid brook !

556

Sam, But what avail'd this temp'rance, not compleat Againit another object more enticing ? What boots it at one gate to make defence,

560

And at another to let in the Foe,
Effeminately vanquilh'd ? by which means,
Now blind, dishearten’d, sham'd, dishonour'd, quell'd,
To what can I be useful, wherein ftrve
My Nation, and t'e work from Heav'n impos'd?

565
But to fit idle on the Houshold-hearth,
A burd'nous drone ; to visitants a gaze,
Or pity'd object; these redundant locks
Robuftious to no purpose cluftring down,
Vain monument of ftrength : till length of years

57 And sedentary numbnefs craze my limbs, To a contemptible old Age obscure. Here rather let me drudge and earn my bready Till vermin or the draff of servile food Consume me, and oft invocated death

575 Haften the welcome end of all my pains.

586

8

Man. Wilt thou then serve Philistians with that gift Which was expressly giv’n thee to annoy them? Better at home lie bed-rid, not only idle, Inglorious, unemploy'd, with age out-worn. But God, who caus'd a Fountain at thy Pray's: From the dry ground to spring, thy thirst t'allay After the brunt of Battel, can as easie Cause light again within thy eyes to spring, Wherewith to serve him better than thou haft: 585 And I persuade me fo; why else this strength Mirac'ious yet remaining in those locks ? His might continues in thee not for nought, Nor-Shall his wondrous gifts be frustrate thus.

Saml. All otherwise to me my thoughts portend ; 590 That ihese dark Orbs no more shall treat with light, Nor th' other light of life continue long, But yield to double darkness nigh at hand ; So much I feel my genial Spirits droop, My hopes all flat, Nature within me seems

595 In all her functions weary of her self;

My race of Glory run, and race of Shame,
And I shall shortly be with them that reft.

Man. Believe not these fuggestions, which proceed
From anguilh of the mind, and humours black, 600
That mingle with thy fancy. I however
Must not omit a Father's timely care
To prosecute the means of thy deliverance
By ransom, or how else : mean while be calm,
And healing words from these thy friends admit. 605

Sams. O that torment should not be confin'd
To the body's wounds and fores,
With maladies innumerable
In heart, head, breast, and reins ;
But must secret passage find

610
To ch’inmoít mind;
There exercise all his fierce accidents,
Ani on her purest spirits prey,
As on entrails, joints and limbs,
With answerable pains, but more intense,
Though void of corporal sense !

615

My griefs not only pain me,
As a lingring disease,
But finding no redress, ferment and rage,
Nor less than wounds immedicable

620
Rankle, and fester, and gangreen,
To black mortification.
Thoughts, my Tormenters arm’d with deadly stings,
Mangle my apprehensive tendereft parts,
Exasperate, exulcerate, and raise
Dire inflammation, which no cooling herb
Or medicinal liquor can assuage,
Nor breath of vernal Air from snowy Alp.
Sleep hath forsook and giv'n me o'er
To death's be numming Opium, as my only cure; 63€
Thence faintings, fwoonings of despair,

And

625

And sense of Heav'ns defertion.

I was his nursling once, and choice delight,
"His deftin'd from the womb,
Promis’d by Heav'nly message twice descending.. 635 -
Under his special eye
Abstemious I grew up, and thriv'd amain ; :
He led me on to mightieft deeds,
Above the nerve of mortal arm,
Against the uncircumcis'd, our enemies :

640
But now hath cast me off as never known,
And to those cruel enemies,
Whom I by his appointment had provok'd,
Left me all helpless, with th' irreparable lofs
Of fight, reservd alive to be repeated
The subject of their cruelty or scorn.
Nor am I in the list of them that hope ;
Hopeless are all my evils, all remediless.
This one Prayer yet remains, might I be heard,
No long petition, sp-edy death,

1630 The close of all my miseries, and the balm, ..

645

Chør. Many are the Sayings of the Wise
In ancient and in modern books enroll'd,
Extolling patience as the truest fortitude; :
And to the bearing well of all calamities, 655
All chances incident to man's frail life:
Confolatories writ
With study'd argument, and much persuasion fought, .
Lenient of grief and anxious thought.
But to th' afflicted in his

pangs

their sound : 660
Little prevails, or rather seems a tune
Harsh, and of diffonant mood from his complaint ; .
Unless he feel within
Some source of consolation from above ;
Secret refresh ngs, that repair his strength, , 665
And fainting Spirits uphold.

675

God of our Fathers! what is man! That thou towards him with hand so various, Or might I say contrarious, Temper'ít thy providence through his short course, 670 Not ev'nly, as thou rul'It Th’Angelick orders and inferior creatures mute, Irrat onal and brute! Nor do I name of men the common rout, "That wandring loose about, Grow up and perish, as the summer flie. Heads without name no more remembred; B.it such as thou haft solemnly el cted, With gifts and graces eminently adorn'd, To some great work, thy glory,

680 And peoples safety, which in part they effect : Yet toward these thus dignify'd, thou oft Amidst their height of noon, Changest thy countenance, and thy hand with no regard Of higheft favours past

685 From thee on th em, or them to thee of service.

Nor only doft degrade them, or remit To life obfcurd, which were a fair dismission, But throw'st them lower than thou didit exalt them high;; Unseemly falls. In human eye,

690 Too grievous for the trespass or omission ; Oft leav'st them to the hostile sword Of heathen and prophane, their cacalles To dogs and fowls a prey, or else captiv'd; Or to th' unjust tribunals under change of times, And condemnation of th' ingrateful multitude. If these they 'scape, perhaps in poverty With fickness and disease thou bow'il them down, Painful diseases and deform’d, In crude old age :

7.00 Though not disordinate, yet caufeless suff'ring The punishment of diffolute days; in fine, Just or unjust, alike seem miserable,

For

695