Their own destruction to come speedy upon them.

So fond are mortal men,

Fallen into wrath divine,

As their own ruin on themselves to invite,
Insensate left, or to sense reprobate,
And with blindness internal struck.

Semichor. But he, though blind of sight,
Despised, and thought extinguished quite,
With inward eyes illuminated,

His fiery virtue roused

From under ashes into sudden flame,
And as an evening dragon came,

Assailant on the perched roosts

And nests in order ranged

Of tame villatic fowl, but as an eagle

His cloudless thunder bolted on their heads.

So Virtue, given for lost,

Depressed and overthrown, as seemed,
Like that self-begotten bird,

In the Arabian woods embost,

That no second knows nor third,

And lay erewhile a holocaust,
From out her ashy womb now teemed,

Through all Philistian bounds; to Israel

Honour hath left and freedom, let but them
Find courage to lay hold on this occasion;

VOL. III.

1690

Revives, reflourishes, then vigorous most

When most unactive deemed;

And, though her body die, her fame survives,
A secular bird, ages of lives.

Man. Come, come; no time for lamentation now, Nor much more cause. Samson hath quit himself Like Samson, and heroicly hath finished

A life heroic, on his enemies

1700

Fully revenged-hath left them years of mourning
And lamentation to the sons of Caphtor

L

1710

To himself and father's house eternal fame ;
And, which is best and happiest yet, all this
With God not parted from him, as was feared,
But favouring and assisting to the end.
Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail
Or knock the breast; no weakness, no contempt,
Dispraise, or blame; nothing but well and fair,
And what may quiet us in a death so noble.
Let us go find the body where it lies

Soaked in his enemies' blood, and from the stream
With lavers pure, and cleansing herbs, wash off
The clotted gore. I, with what speed the while
(Gaza is not in plight to say us nay),
Will send for all my kindred, all my friends,
To fetch him hence, and solemnly attend,
With silent obsequy and funeral train,
Home to his father's house. There will I build him
A monument, and plant it round with shade
Of laurel ever green and branching palm,
With all his trophies hung, and acts enrolled
In copious legend, or sweet lyric song.
Thither shall all the valiant youth resort,
And from his memory inflame their breasts
To matchless valour and adventures high;
The virgins also shall, on feastful days,
Visit his tomb with flowers, only bewailing
His lot unfortunate in nuptial choice,
From whence captivity and loss of eyes.

Chor. All is best, though we oft doubt
What the unsearchable dispose
Of Highest Wisdom brings about,
And ever best found in the close.

Oft He seems to hide his face,

But unexpectedly returns,

And to his faithful champion hath in place
Bore witness gloriously; whence Gaza mourns,

1720

1730

1740

1750

And all that band them to resist
His uncontrollable intent.

His servants He, with new acquist
Of true experience from this great event,
With peace and consolation hath dismissed,
And calm of mind, all passion spent.

THE END.

ESSAY ON MILTON'S

ENGLISH AND VERSIFICATION.