Knowing, as needs I must, by thee betray'd?
In vain thou striv'st to cover shame with shame,
Or by evasions thy crime uncover'st more.

DALILA.

840

845

Since thou determin'st weakness for no plea In man or woman, though to thy own condemning, Hear what assaults I had, what snares besides, What sieges girt me round, ere I consented; Which might have aw'd the best resolv'd of men, The constantest, to' have yielded without blame. It was not gold, as to my charge thou lay'st, That wrought with me: thou know'st the magistrates 850 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, press'd how just it was,
How honourable, 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,

840. Knowing, as needs I must, by thee betray'd?] The same manner of speaking as in Paradise Lost, ix. 792.

And knew not eating death: where see Mr. Richardon's note. 841. In vain thou striv'st to

cover shame with shame, Or by evasions thy crime uncover'st more.] Compare Par. Lost, ix. 1057.

-naked left

To guilty shame; he cover'd, but his
robe
Uncover'd more.

E.

855

the reading of the old editions, and particularly of Milton's own: the later ones have

For by evasionswhich is not so plain and intelligible.

850.

-thou know'st the magistrates

And princes of my country came in person,]

Judg. xvi. 5. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, &c. So exact is Milton in all the particulars of the story, and improves [i. e. applies to his purpose, makes use

842. Or by evasions] This is of] every incident.

Preaching how meritorious with the Gods
It would be to insnare an irreligious
Dishonourer of Dagon: what had I

T'oppose against such pow'rful arguments?
Only my love of thee held long debate,

And combated in silence all these reasons

860

With hard contest: at length that grounded maxim 865 So rife and celebrated in the mouths

Of wisest men, that to the public good

Private respects must yield with grave authority
Took full possession of me and prevail'd;
Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty so injoining.

SAMSON.

I thought where all thy circling wiles would end; In feign'd religion, smooth hypocrisy.

But had thy love still odiously pretended,

Been, as it ought, sincere, it would have taught thee
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, lov'd thee, as too well thou knew'st,
Too well unbosom'd all my secrets to thee,
Not out of levity, but over-power'd

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 since then, thy country's foe profess'd?
Being once a wife, for me thou wast to leave
Parents and country; nor was I their subject,

864. all these reasons] We follow the reading of Milton's

870

875

880

885

Nor under their protection but my own,
Thou mine, not theirs: if ought against my life
Thy country sought of thee, it sought unjustly,
Against the law of nature, law of nations,
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;

890

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 prosecute their foes
But by ungodly deeds, the contradiction
Of their own deity, Gods cannot be ;

Less therefore to be pleas'd, obey'd, or fear'd.
These false pretexts and varnish'd colours failing,
Bare in thy guilt how foul must thou appear?
DALILA.

In argument with men a woman ever
Goes by the worse, whatever be her cause.

SAMSON.

900

For want of words no doubt, or lack of breath; 905 Witness when I was worried with thy peals.

DALILA.

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 show what recompence
Tow'rds thee I intend for what I have misdone,
Misguided; only what remains past cure
Bear not too sensibly, nor still insist

T' afflict thyself in vain: though sight be lost,

910

Life yet hath many solaces, enjoy'd
Where other senses want not their delights
At home in leisure and domestic ease,

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

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

915

920

925

With all things grateful cheer'd, and so supplied,
That what by me thou' hast lost thou least shalt miss.
SAMSON.

No, no, of my condition take no care;

It fits not; thou and I long since are twain:
Nor think me so unwary or accurs'd,

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 inchanted cup, and warbling charms
No more on me have pow'r, their force is null❜d,
So much of adder's wisdom I have learn'd

934. Thy fair inchanted cup, and warbling charms] Alluding no doubt to the story of Circe and the Sirens; but did not our author's fondness for Greek learning make him here forget, that it is a little out of character to represent Samson acquainted with the mythology of that country? It seems the more odd, as the allusion to the adder immedi

930

935

ately following is taken from Scripture. Thyer.

He might as well be supposed to know the story of Circe and the Sirens, as of Tantalus, &c. before, ver. 500. and there is no more impropriety in the one than in the other.

936. So much of adder's wisdom I have learn'd] The allusion is to Psal. lviii. 4, 5. They are like the

To fence my ear against thy sorceries.

If in my flower of youth and strength, when all men
Lov'd, honour'd, fear'd me, thou alone could'st hate me
Thy husband, slight me, sell me, and forego me;
How would'st thou use me now, blind, and thereby
Deceivable, in most things as a child

Helpless, thence easily contemn'd, and scorn'd,
And last neglected? How would'st 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 gloss upon, and censuring, frown or smile?
This jail I count the house of liberty

To thine, whose doors my feet shall never enter.

DALILA.

Let me approach at least and touch thy hand.

SAMSON.

Not for thy life, lest fierce remembrance wake
My sudden rage to tear thee joint by joint.
At distance I forgive thee, go with that;
Bewail thy falsehood, and the pious works
It hath brought forth to make thee memorable
Among illustrious women, faithful wives:
Cherish thy hasten'd widowhood with the gold
Of matrimonial treason: so farewel.

DALILA.

I see thou art implacable, more deaf

To pray'rs, than winds and seas, yet winds to seas

Are reconcil'd at length, and sea to shore:

940

945

950

955

960

deaf adder, that stoppeth her ear; of charmers, charming never so which will not hearken to the voice wisely.