Against thee but safe custody, and hold:
Thai made for me; I knew that liberty
Would draw thee forth to perilous enterprises,
While I at home fat full of cares and fears,
Wailing thy abfence in my widow'd bed;
Here I should ftill enjoy thee day and night
Mine and love's prisoner, not the Philistines,
Whole to myself, unhazarded abroad,
Fearless at home of partners in my love.
These reasons in love's law have paft for good,

Though fond and reasonless to some perhaps ;

805

810

And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought much woe,

Yet always pity' or pardon hath obtain'd.

Be not unlike all others, not auftere

815

As thou art ftrong, inflexible as steel.

If thou in ftrength all mortals doft exceed,
In uncompaffionate anger do not fo.

SAMS. How cunningly the forceress displays
Her own tranfgreffions, to upbraid me mine!
That malice not repentance brought thee hither,
By this appears I gave, thou fay'ft, th' example,
I led the way; bitter reproach, but true;

I to myself was falfe ere thou to me;
Such pardon therefore as I give my folly,

Take to thy wicked deed; which when thou seest
Impartial, felf-fevere, inexorable,

Thou wilt renounce thy seeking, and much rather
Confefs it feign'd: weakness is thy excufe,

And I believe it, weakness to resist

Philiftian gold if weakness may excufe,

:

820

825

830

What

835

What murderer, what traitor, parricide,
Incestuous, facrilegious, but may plead it?
All wickedness is weakness: that plea therefore
With God or Man will gain thee no remission.
But love constrain'd thee; call it furious
rage
To fatisfy thy luft: love feeks 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

845

In vain thou ftriv'ft to cover fhame with fhame, Or by evasions thy crime uncover'st more. DAL. Since thou determin'ft weakness for no plea In man or woman, though to thy own condemning, Hear what affaults I had, what fnares befides, What fieges girt me round, ere I consented; Which might have aw'd the beft-refolv'd of men, The conftanteft, to' have yielded without blame. It was not gold, as to my charge thou lay'st, That wrought with me: thou know'ft the magiftrates 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, prefs'd how juft it was, How honorable, 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 infnare an irreligious Dishonorer of Dagon: what had I

D 2

853

860

T' op

T'oppose against such pow'rful arguments ?
Only my love of thee held long debate,
And combated in filence all these reasons

With hard conteft: at length that grounded maxim
So rife and celebrated in the mouths

Of wifeft men, that to the public good

Private refpects muft yield, with grave authority
Took full poffeffion of me and prevail'd;

Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty so injoining.

870

SAMS. I thought where all thy circling wiles would

In feign'd religion, fmooth hypocrify.

But had thy love, ftill odiously pretended,

[end;

Been, as it ought, fincere, it would have taught thee Far other reafonings, brought forth other deeds. 875 I before all the daughters of my tribe

And of my nation chofe thee from among

My enemies, lov'd thee, as too well thou knew'st,
Too well, unbofom'd all my fecrets to thee,
Not out of levity, but over-power'd

880

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 fince then, thy country's foe profess'd?
Being once a wife, for me thou waft to leave
Parents and country; nor was I their subject,
Nor under their protection but my own,

885

Thou mine, not theirs : if ought against my life
Thy country fought of thee, it fought unjustly,
Against the law of nature, law of nations,
No more thy country, but an impious crew

890

Of

Of men confpiring 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; 895
To please thy Gods thou didst it; Gods unable
T'acquit themselves and profecute their foes
But by ungodly deeds, the contradiction
Of their own deity, Gods cannot be;
Lefs therefore to be pleas'd, obey'd, or fear'd.
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.

900

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 fucceeded beft.
Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samfon,
Afford me place to show what recompense
Tow'ards thee I intend for what I have misdone,
Mifguided; only what remains paft cure

910

Bear not too sensibly, nor still infilt

T' afflict thyself in vain: though fight be loft,

Life yet hath many folaces, enjoy'd

915

Where other fenfes want not their delights

At home in leifure and domestic ease,

Exempt from many a care and chance to which
Eye-fight exposes daily men abroad.

I to the Lords will intercede, not doubting
Their favorable ear, that I may fetch thee

D 3

920

From

From forth this loathsome prison-house, to abide
With me, where redoubled love and care

my

With nursing diligence, to me glad office,

May ever tend about thee to old age

925

With all things grateful chear'd, and so supply'd,
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 fince are twain:
Nor think me fo unwary or accurs'd,

To bring my feet again into the fnare

930

Where once I have been caught; I know thy trains
Though dearly to my coft, thy gins, and toils
Thy fair inchanted cup, and warbling charms

No more on me have power, their force is null'd, 935
So much of adder's wifdom I have learn'd

To fence my ear against thy forceries.

If in my flower of youth and strength, when all men
Lov'd, honor'd, fear'd me, thou alone could'ft hate me
'Thy husband, flight me, fell me, and forego me;
How wouldst thou use me now, blind, and thereby
Deceivable, in most things as a child

940

Helpless, thence easily contemn'd, and fcorn'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 glofs upon, and cenfuring, frown or smile?
This jail I count the house of liberty

945

To thine, whofe doors my feet shall never enter.

950

DAL. Let me approach at least, and touch thy hand.

SAMS.