SAMSON AGONISTES
��297
��Thou never wast remiss, I bear thee wit- ness;
Yet Israel still serves with all his sons. 240 Sams. That fault I take not on me, but
transfer
On Israel's governors and heads of tribes, Who, seeing those great acts which God
had done
Singly by me against their conquerors, Acknowledged not, or not at all consid- ered, Deliverance offered. I, on the other
side,
Used no ambition to commend my deeds; The deeds themselves, though mute, spoke
loud the doer. But they persisted deaf, and would not
seem
To count them things worth notice, till at
length 250
Their lords, the Philistines, with gathered
powers,
Entered Judea, seeking me, who then Safe to the rock of Etham was retired Not flying, but forecasting in what place To set upon them, what advantaged best. Meanwhile the men of Judah, to prevent The harass of their land, beset me round; I willingly on some conditions came Into their hands, and they as gladly yield
me
To the Uncircumcised a welcome prey, 260 Bound with two cords. But cords to me
were threads Touched with the flame : on their whole host
I flew
Unarmed, and with a trivial weapon felled Their choicest youth ; they only lived who
fled. Had Judah that day joined, or one whole
tribe, They had by this possessed the Towers of
Gath, And lorded over them whom now they
serve.
But what more oft, in nations grown cor- rupt,
And by their vices brought to servitude, Than to love bondage more than lib- erty 270 Bondage with ease than strenuous liberty And to despise, or envy, or suspect, Whom God hath of his special favour
raised As their deliverer ? If he aught begin,
��1.T
��How frequent to desert him, and at last To heap ingratitude on worthiest deeds !
Chor. Thy words to my remembrance
bring
How Succoth and the fort of Penuel Their great deliverer contemned, The matchless Gideon, in pursuit 280
Of Madian, and her vanquished kings; And how ingrateful Ephraim Had dealt with Jephtha, who by argu- ment,
Not worse than by his shield and spear, Defended Israel from the Ammonite, Had not his prowess quelled their pride In that sore battle when so many died Without reprieve, adjudged to death For want of well pronouncing Shibboleth.
Sams. Of such examples add me to the roll. 290
Me easily indeed mine may neglect, But God's proposed deliverance not so.
Chor. Just are the ways of God, And justifiable to men, Unless there be who think not God at all. If any be, they walk obscure; For of such doctrine never was there school, But the heart of the Fool, And no man therein doctor but himself.
Yet more there be who doubt his ways not just, 300
As to his own edicts found contradicting; Then give the reins to wandering thought, Regardless of his glory's diminution, Till, by their own perplexities involved, They ravel more, still less resolved, But never find self-satisfying solution.
As if they would confine the Intermina- ble,
And tie him to his own prescript, W T ho made our laws to bind us, not him- self,
And hath full right to exempt 310
Whomso it pleases him by choice From national obstruction, without taint Of sin, or legal debt;
For with his own laws he can best dis- pense.
He would not else, who never wanted
means,
Nor in respect of the enemy just cause, To set his people free, Have prompted this heroic Nazarite, Against his vow of strictest purity, To seek in marriage that fallacious bride, 320 Unclean, unchaste.
�� �
