Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/335

 SAMSON AGONISTES

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��frequently cite out of tragic poets, both to adorn and illustrate their discourse. The Apostle Paul himself thought it not unwor- thy to insert a verse of Euripides into the text of Holy Scripture, 1 Cor. xv. 33 ; and Parae- us, commenting on the Revelation, divides the whole Book, as a Tragedy, into acts, distin- guished each by a Chorus of Heavenly Harp- ings and Song between. Heretofore men in highest dignity have laboured not a little to be thought able to compose a tragedy. Of that honour Dionysius the elder was no less ambitious than before of his attaining to the tyranny. Augustus Caesar also had begun his Ajax, but, unable to please his own judgment with what he had begun, left it unfinished. Seneca, the philosopher, is by some thought the author of those tragedies (at least the best of them) that go under that name. Gregory Nazianzen, a Father of the Church, thought it not unbeseeming the sanctity of his person to write a tragedy, which he entitled Christ Suf- fering. This is mentioned to vindicate Tragedy from the small esteem, or rather infamy, which in the account of many it undergoes at this day, with other common Interludes ; happen- ing through the poet's error of intermixing comic stuff with tragic sadness and gravity, or introducing trivial and vulgar persons : which by all judicious hath been counted absurd, and brought in without discretion, corruptly to gratify the people. And, though ancient Tra- gedy use no Prologue, yet using sometimes, in case of self-defence or explanation, that which Martial calls an Epistle, in behalf of this tra-

��gedy, coming forth after the ancient manner, much different from what among us passes for best, thus much beforehand may be epistled that Chorus is here introduced after the Greek manner, not ancient only, but modern, and still in use among the Italians. In the modelling therefore of this poem, with good reason, the Ancients and Italians are rather followed, as of much more authority and fame. The mea- sure of verse used in the Chorus is of all sorts, called by the Greeks Monostrophic, or rather Apolelymenon, without regard had to Strophe, Antistrophe, or Epode, which were a kind of stanzas framed only for the music, then used with the Chorus that sung ; not essential to the poem, and therefore not material ; or, be- ing divided into stanzas or pauses, they may be called Allceostropha. Division into act and scene, referring chiefly to the stage (to which this work never was intended), is here omitted. It suffices if the whole drama be found not produced beyond the fifth act. Of the style and uniformity, and that commonly called the plot, whether intricate or explicit which is nothing indeed but such oaconomy, or dispo- sition of the fable, as may stand best with veri- similitude and decorum they only will best judge who are not unacquainted with ^schy- lus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the three tragic poets unequalled yet by any, and the best rule to all who endeavour to write Tragedy. The circumscription of time, wherein the whole drama begins and ends, is, according to ancient rule and best example, within the space of twenty-four hours.

��SAMSON AGONISTES

��THE ARGUMENT

SAMSON, made captive, blind, and now in the prison at Gaza, there to labour as in a common workhouse, on a festival day, in the general cessation from labour, comes forth into the open air, to a place nigh, some- what retired, there to sit awhile and bemoan his condi- tion. Where he happens at length to be visited by cer- tain friends and equals of his tribe, which make the Chorus, who seek to comfort him what they can ; then by his old father, Manoa, who endeavours the like, and withal tells him his purpose to procure his liberty by ransom ; lastly, that this feast was proclaimed by the Philistines as a day of thanksgiving for their deliver- ance from the hands of Samson which yet more troubles him. Manoa then departs to prosecute his en- deavour with the Philistian lords for Samson's redemp- tion : who, in the meanwhile, is visited by other per- sons, and, lastly, by a public officer to require his coming to the feast before the lords and people, to play or shew his strength in their presence. He at first refuses, dismissing the public officer with absolute denial to come ; at length, persuaded inwardly that this was from God, he yields to go along with him, who came now the second time with great threatenings to fetch him. The Chorus yet remaining on the place, Manoa returns full of joyful hope to procure ere long

��his son's deliverance ; in the midst of which discourse an Ebrew comes in haste, confusedly at first, and after- wards more distinctly, relating the catastrophe what Samson had done to the Philistines, and by accident to himself ; wherewith the Tragedy ends.

��THE PERSONS

��SAMSON

MANOA, the father of Samson. DALILA, his wife. HARAPHA of Gath.

��Public Officer. Messenger. Chorus of Danites.

��The Scene, before the Prison in Gaza.

Sams. A little onward lend thy guiding

hand

To these dark steps, a little further on; For yonder bank hath choice of sun or

shade.

There I am wont to sit, when any chance Relieves me from my task of servile toil, Daily in the common prison else enjoined me, Where I, a prisoner chained, scarce freely

draw

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