The Complete Poetry of John Milton

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by John Milton


  To th’ hazard of thy brains and shatter’d sides.

  Harapha. By Astaroth7 e’re long thou shalt lament

  These braveries in Irons loaden on thee.

  Chorus. His Giantship is gone somewhat crest-fall’n,

  1245

  Stalking with less unconsci’nable strides,

  And lower looks, but in a sultrie chafe.

  Samson. I dread him not, nor all his Giant-brood,

  Though Fame divulge him Father of five Sons

  All of Gigantic size, Goliah chief.8

  1250

  Chorus. He will directly to the Lords, I fear,

  And with malitious counsel stir them up

  Some way or other yet further to afflict thee.

  Samson. He must allege some cause, and offer’d fight

  Will not dare mention, lest a question rise

  1255

  Whether he durst accept the offer or not,

  And that he durst not plain enough appear’d.

  Much more affliction then already felt

  They cannot well impose, nor I sustain;

  If they intend advantage of my labours

  1260

  The work of many hands, which earns my keeping

  With no small profit daily to my owners.

  But come what will, my deadliest foe will prove

  My speediest friend, by death to rid me hence,

  The worst that he can give, to me the best.

  1265

  Yet so it may fall out, because thir end

  Is hate, not help to me, it may with mine

  Draw thir own ruin who attempt the deed.

  Chorus. Oh how comely it is and how reviving

  To the Spirits of just men long opprest!

  1270

  When God into the hands of thir deliverer

  Puts invincible might

  To quell the mighty of the Earth, th’ oppressour,

  The brute and boist’rous force of violent men

  Hardy and industrious to support

  1275

  Tyrannic power, but raging to pursue

  The righteous and all such as honour Truth;

  He all thir Ammunition

  And feats of War defeats

  With plain Heroic magnitude of mind

  1280

  And celestial vigour arm’d,

  Thir Armories and Magazins contemns,

  Renders them useless, while

  With winged expedition

  Swift as the lightning glance he executes

  1285

  His errand on the wicked, who surpris’d

  Lose thir defence, distracted and amaz’d.

  But patience is more oft the exercise

  Of Saints, the trial of thir fortitude,

  Making them each his own Deliverer,

  1290

  And Victor over all

  That tyrannie or fortune can inflict;

  Either of these is in thy lot,

  Samson, with might endu’d

  Above the Sons of men; but sight bereav’d

  1295

  May chance to number thee with those

  Whom Patience finally must crown.

  This Idols day hath bin to thee no day of rest,

  Labouring thy mind

  More then the working day thy hands,

  1300

  And yet perhaps more trouble is behind.

  For I descry this way

  Some other tending, in his hand

  A Scepter or quaint9 staff he bears,

  Comes on amain, speed in his look.

  1305

  By his habit I discern him now

  A Public Officer, and now at hand.

  His message will be short and voluble.

  Officer. Ebrews, the Pris’ner Samson here I seek.

  Chorus. His manacles remark10 him, there he sits.

  1310

  Officer. Samson, to thee our Lords thus bid me say;

  This day to Dagon is a solemn Feast,

  With Sacrifices, Triumph, Pomp, and Games;

  Thy strength they know surpassing human rate,

  And now some public proof thereof require

  1315

  To honour this great Feast, and great Assembly;

  Rise therefore with all speed and come along,

  Where I will see thee heart’n’d and fresh clad

  T’ appear as fits before th’ illustrious Lords.

  Samson. Thou knowst I am an Ebrew, therefore tell them,

  1320

  Our Law forbids at thir Religious Rites

  My presence; for that cause I cannot come.

  Officer. This answer, be assur’d, will not content them.

  Samson. Have they not Sword-players, and ev’ry sort

  Of Gymnic Artists, Wrestlers, Riders, Runners,

  1325

  Juglers and Dancers, Antics, Mummers, Mimics,

  But they must pick me out with shackles tir’d,

  And over-labour’d at thir publick Mill,

  To make them sport with blind activity?

  Do they not seek occasion of new quarrels

  1330

  On my refusal to distress me more,

  Or make a game of my calamities?

  Return the way thou cam’st, I will not come.

  Officer. Regard thy self,11 this will offend them highly.

  Samson. My self? my conscience and internal peace.

  1335

  Can they think me so broken, so debas’d

  With corporal servitude, that my mind ever

  Will condescend to such absurd commands?

  Although thir drudge, to be thir fool or jester,

  And in my midst of sorrow and heart-grief

  1340

  To shew them feats, and play before thir god,

  The worst of all indignities, yet on me

  Joyn’d12 with extream contempt? I will not come.

  Officer. My message was impos’d on me with speed,

  Brooks no delay: is this thy resolution?

  1345

  Samson. So take it with what speed thy message needs.

  Officer. I am sorry what this stoutness13 will produce.

  Samson. Perhaps thou shalt have cause to sorrow indeed.

  Chorus. Consider, Samson; matters now are strain’d

  Up to the highth, whether to hold or break;

  1350

  He’s gone, and who knows how he may report

  Thy words by adding fuel to the flame?

  Expect another message more imperious,

  More Lordly thund’ring then thou well wilt bear.

  Samson. Shall I abuse this Consecrated gift

  1355

  Of strength, again returning with my hair

  After my great transgression, so requite

  Favour renew’d, and add a greater sin

  By prostituting holy things to Idols;

  A Nazarite in place abominable

  1360

  Vaunting my strength in honour to thir Dagon?

  Besides, how vile, contemptible, ridiculous,

  What act more execrably unclean, prophane?

  Chorus. Yet with this strength thou serv’st the Philistines,

  Idolatrous, uncircumcis’d, unclean.

  1365

  Samson. Not in thir Idol-worship, but by labour

  Honest and lawful to deserve my food

  Of those who have me in thir civil power.

  Chorus. Where the heart joins not, outward acts defile not.

  Samson. Where outward force constrains, the sentence holds;

  1370

  But who constrains me to the Temple of Dagon,

  Not dragging? the Philistian Lords command.

  Commands are no constraints. If I obey them,

  I do it freely; venturing to displease

  God for the fear of Man, and Man prefer,

  1375

  Set God behind: which in his jealousie

  Shall never, unrepented, f
ind forgiveness.

  Yet that he may dispense with14 me or thee

  Present in Temples at Idolatrous Rites

  For some important cause, thou needst not doubt.

  1380

  Chorus. How thou wilt here come off surmounts my reach.

  Samson. Be of good courage, I begin to feel

  Some rouzing motions in me which dispose

  To something extraordinary my thoughts.

  I with this Messenger will go along,

  1385

  Nothing to do, be sure, that may dishonour

  Our Law, or stain my vow of Nazarite.

  If there be aught of presage in the mind,

  This day will be remarkable in my life

  By some great act, or of my days the last.

  1390

  Chorus. In time thou hast resolv’d, the man returns.

  Officer. Samson, this second message from our Lords

  To thee I am bid say. Art thou our Slave,

  Our Captive, at the public Mill our drudge,

  And dar’st thou at our sending and command

  1395

  Dispute thy coming? come without delay;

  Or we shall find such Engines to assail

  And hamper thee, as thou shalt come of force,

  Though thou wert firmlier fast’n’d then a rock.

  Samson. I could be well content to try thir Art,

  1400

  Which to no few of them would prove pernicious.

  Yet knowing thir advantages too many,

  Because they shall not15 trail me through thir streets

  Like a wild Beast, I am content to go.

  Masters commands come with a power resistless

  1405

  To such as owe them absolute subjection;

  And for a life who will not change his purpose?

  (So mutable are all the ways of men)

  Yet this be sure, in nothing to comply

  Scandalous or forbidden in our Law.

  1410

  Officer. I praise thy resolution, doff these links:

  By this compliance thou wilt win the Lords

  To favour, and perhaps to set thee free.

  Samson. Brethren farewel, your company along

  I will not wish, lest it perhaps offend them

  1415

  To see me girt with Friends; and how the sight

  Of me as of a common Enemy,

  So dreaded once, may now exasperate them

  I know not. Lords are Lordliest in thir wine;

  And the well-feasted Priest then soonest fir’d

  1420

  With zeal, if aught Religion seem concern’d:

  No less the people on thir Holy-days

  Impetuous, insolent, unquenchable;

  Happ’n what may, of me expect to hear

  Nothing dishonourable, impure, unworthy

  1425

  Our God, our Law, my Nation, or my self,

  The last of me or no I cannot warrant.

  Chorus. Go, and the Holy One

  Of Israel be thy guide

  To what may serve his glory best, and spread his name

  1430

  Great among the Heathen round:

  Send thee the Angel of thy Birth, to stand

  Fast by thy side, who from thy Fathers field

  Rode up in flames after his message told

  Of thy conception, and be now a shield

  1435

  Of fire; that Spirit that first rusht on thee

  In the Camp of Dan

  Be efficacious in thee now at need.

  For never was from Heav’n imparted

  Measure of strength so great to mortal seed,

  1440

  As in thy wond’rous actions hath been seen.

  But wherefore comes old Manoa in such hast

  With youthful steps? much livelier then e’re while

  He seems: supposing here to find his Son,

  Or of him bringing to us some glad news?

  1445

  Manoa. Peace with you brethren; my inducement hither

  Was not at present here to find my Son,

  By order of the Lords new parted hence

  To come and play before them at thir Feast.

  I heard all as I came, the City rings

  1450

  And numbers thither flock; I had no will,

  Lest I should see him forc’t to things unseemly.

  But that which mov’d my coming now, was chiefly

  To give ye part with me what hope I have

  With good success to work his liberty.

  1455

  Chorus. That hope would much rejoyce us to partake

  With thee; say reverend Sire, we thirst to hear.

  Manoa. I have attempted16 one by one the Lords

  Either at home, or through the high street passing,

  With supplication prone and Fathers tears

  1460

  T’ accept of ransom for my Son thir pris’ner;

  Some much averse I found and wondrous harsh,

  Contemptuous, proud, set on revenge and spite;

  That part most reverenc’d Dagon and his Priests;

  Others more moderate seeming, but thir aim

  1465

  Private reward, for which both God and State

  They easily would set to sale; a third

  More generous far and civil, who confess’d

  They had anough reveng’d, having reduc’t

  Thir foe to misery beneath thir fears;

  1470

  The rest was magnanimity to remit,17

  If some convenient ransom were propos’d.

  What noise or shout was that? it tore the Skie.

  Chorus. Doubtless the people shouting to behold

  Thir once great dread, captive, and blind before them,

  1475

  Or at some proof of strength before them shown.

  Manoa. His ransom, if my whole inheritance

  May compass it, shall willingly be paid

  And numberd down: much rather I shall chuse

  To live the poorest in my Tribe, then richest,

  1480

  And he in that calamitous prison left.

  No, I am fixt not to part hence without him.

  For his redemption all my Patrimony,

  If I need be, I am ready to forgo

  And quit: not wanting him, I shall want nothing.

  1485

  Chorus. Fathers are wont to lay up for thir Sons,

  Thou for thy Son art bent to lay out all;

  Sons wont to nurse thir Parents in old age,

  Thou in old age car’st how to nurse thy Son,

  Made older then thy age through eye-sight lost.

  1490

  Manoa. It shall be my delight to tend his eyes,

  And view him sitting in the house, ennobl’d

  With all those high exploits by him atchiev’d,

  And on his shoulders waving down those locks,

  That of a Nation arm’d the strength contain’d:

  1495

  And I perswade me God had not permitted

  His strength again to grow up with his hair

  Garrison’d round about him like a Camp

  Of faithful Souldiery, were not his purpose

  To use him further yet in some great service,

  1500

  Not to sit idle with so great a gift

  Useless, and thence ridiculous about him.

  And since his strength with eye-sight was not lost,

  God will restore him eye-sight to his strength.

  Chorus. Thy hopes are not ill founded nor seem vain

  1505

  Of his delivery, and thy joy thereon

  Conceiv’d, agreeable to a Fathers love,

  In both which we, as next18 participate.

  Manoa. I know your friendly minds and—O what noise!

  Mercy of Heav’n what hideous noise was that!

  1510


  Horribly loud unlike the former shout.

  Chorus. Noise call you it or universal groan

  As if the whole inhabitation perish’d;

  Blood, death, and deathful deeds are in that noise,

  Ruin, destruction at the utmost point.

  1515

  Manoa. Of ruin indeed methought I heard the noise,

  Oh it continues, they have slain my Son.

  Chorus. Thy Son is rather slaying them, that outcry

  From slaughter of one foe could not ascend.

  Manoa. Some dismal accident it needs must be;

  1520

  What shall we do, stay here or run and see?

  Chorus. Best keep together here, lest running thither

  We unawares run into dangers mouth.

  This evil on the Philistines is fall’n,

  From whom could else a general cry be heard?

  1525

  The sufferers then will scarce molest us here,

  From other hands we need not much to fear.

  What if his eye-sight (for to Israels God

  Nothing is hard) by miracle restor’d,

  He now be dealing dole19 among his foes,

  1530

  And over heaps of slaughter’d walk his way?

  Manoa. That were a joy presumptuous to be thought.

  Chorus. Yet God hath wrought things as incredible

  For his people of old; what hinders now?

  Manoa. He can I know, but doubt to think he will;

  1535

  Yet Hope would fain subscribe, and tempts Belief.

  A little stay will bring some notice hither.

  Chorus. Of good or bad so great, of bad the sooner;

  For evil news rides post, while good news baits.20

  And to our wish I see one hither speeding,

  1540

  An Ebrew, as I guess, and of our Tribe.

  Messenger. O whither shall I run, or which way flie

  The sight of this so horrid spectacle

  Which earst my eyes beheld and yet behold;

  For dire imagination still persues me?

  1545

  But providence or instinct of nature seems,

  Or reason though disturb’d, and scarse consulted

 

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