Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/347

 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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