The Complete Poetry of John Milton (145 page)
Read The Complete Poetry of John Milton Online
Authors: John Milton
Tags: #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #Poetry, #European
53
the Sphinx, who devoured those unable to solve her riddle; when Oedipus gave the correct answer (“Man”), she flung herself from the acropolis into the river Ismenus. The answer “Man” is symbolically meaningful at this point in the Son’s defeat of Satan.
54
wings.
55
Thus does God’s command come to pass; the Son solved his dilemma through faith.
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subdue.
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Hell.
58
See
El.
4, n. 20.
59
The traditional dating of the entire epic after 1665 and before
SA
has been challenged by the editor in “Chronology of Milton’s Major Poems” where these dates are conjectured. Parker,
Milton, A Biography
, II, 1140, suggests a date of c. 1656–58 for the first attempts at
PR.
1
OF THAT SORT OF DRAMATIC POEM WHICH IS CALL’D TRAGEDY
Tragedy, as it was antiently compos’d, hath been ever held the gravest, moralest, and most profitable of all other Poems: therefore said by
Aristotle
to be of power by raising pity and fear, or terror, to purge the mind of those and such like passions, that is to temper and reduce them to just measure with a kind of delight, stirr’d up by reading or seeing those passions well imitated.
2
Nor is Nature wanting in her own effects to make good his assertion: for so in Physic things of melancholic hue and quality are us’d against melancholy, sowr against sowr, salt to remove salt humours. Hence Philosophers and other gravest Writers, as
Cicero, Plutarch
and others, frequently cite out of Tragic Poets, both to adorn and illustrate thir discourse. The Apostle
Paul
himself thought it not unworthy to insert a verse of
Euripides
into the Text of Holy Scripture, 1
Cor.
15.33.
3
and
Paræus
4
commenting on the
Revelation
, divides the whole Book as a Tragedy, into Acts distinguisht each by a Chorus of Heavenly Harpings and Song between. Heretofore Men in highest dignity
have labour’d not a little to be thought able to compose a Tragedy. Of that honour
Dionysius
the elder
5
was no less ambitious, then before of his attaining to the Tyranny.
Augustus Cæsar
also had begun his
Ajax
, but unable to please his own judgment with what he had begun, left it unfinisht.
6
Seneca
the Philosopher is by some thought the Author of those Tragedies (at least the best of them) that go under that name.
Gregory Nazianzen
a Father of the Church, thought it not unbeseeming the sanctity of his person to write a Tragedy, which he entitl’d,
Christ suffering.
7
This is mention’d to vindicate Tragedy from the small esteem, or rather infamy, which in the account of many it undergoes at this day with other common Interludes; hap’ning through the Poets error of intermixing Comic stuff with Tragic sadness and gravity; or introducing trivial and vulgar persons, which by all judicious hath bin counted absurd; and brought in without discretion, corruptly to gratifie the people. And though antient Tragedy use no Prologue,
8
yet using sometimes, in case of self defence, or explanation, that which
Martial
calls an Epistle; in behalf of this Tragedy coming forth after the antient manner, much different from what among us passes for best, thus much before-hand may be Epistl’d; that
Chorus
is here introduc’d after the Greek manner, not antient only but modern, and still in use among the
Italians.
In the modelling therefore of this Poem, with good reason, the Antients and
Italians
are rather follow’d, as of much more authority and fame. The measure of Verse us’d in the Chorus is of all sorts, call’d by the Greeks
Monostrophic
,
9
or rather
Apolelymenon
, without regard had to
Strophe, Antistrophe
or
Epod
, which were a kind of Stanzas fram’d only for the Music, then us’d with the Chorus that sung; not essential to the Poem, and therefore not material; or being divided into Stanzas or Pauses, they may be call’d
Allæostropha.
10
Division into Act and Scene referring chiefly to the Stage (to which this work never was intended) is here omitted. It suffices if the whole Drama be found not produc’t beyond the fift Act.
Of the style and uniformitie, and that commonly call’d the Plot, whether intricate or explicit, which is nothing indeed but such œconomy, or disposition of the fable as may stand best with verisimilitude and decorum, they only will best judge who are not unacquainted with
Æschulus, Sophocles
, and
Euripides
, the three Tragic Poets unequall’d yet by any, and the best rule to all who endeavour to write Tragedy. The circumscription of time wherein the whole Drama begins and ends, is according to antient rule, and best example, within the space of 24 hours.
THE ARGUMENT
Samson
made Captive, Blind, and now in the Prison at
Gaza
,
11
there to labour as in a common work-house, on a Festival day, in the general cessation from labour, comes forth into the open Air, to a place nigh, somewhat retir’d, there to sit a while and bemoan his condition. Where he happens at length to be visited by certain friends and equals of his tribe, which make the Chorus, who seek to comfort him what they can; then by his old Father
Manoa
, who endeavours the like, and withal tells him his purpose to procure his liberty by ransom; lastly, that this Feast was proclaim’d by the
Philistins
as a day of Thanksgiving for thir deliverance from the hands of
Samson
, which yet more troubles him.
Manoa
then departs to prosecute his endeavour with the
Philistian
Lords for
Samson
’s redemption; who in the mean while is visited by other persons; and lastly by a publick Officer to require his coming to the Feast before the Lords and People, to play or shew his strength in thir presence; he at first refuses, dismissing the publick Officer with absolute denyal to come; at length perswaded inwardly that this was from God, he yields to go along with him, who came now the second time with great threatnings to fetch him; the Chorus yet remaining on the place,
Manoa
returns full of joyful hope, to procure e’re long his Sons deliverance: in the midst of which discourse an Ebrew comes in haste, confusedly at first; and afterward more distinctly relating the Catastrophe, what
Samson
had done to the
Philistins
, and by accident to himself; wherewith the Tragedy ends.
THE PERSONS
Samson
Manoa
the Father of
Samson
Dalila
his Wife
Harapha
of
Gath
Publick Officer
Messenger
Chorus
of
Danites
The Scene before the Prison in
Gaza
Samson.
A little onward lend thy guiding hand
To these dark steps, a little further on;
For yonder bank hath choice of Sun or shade,
There I am wont to sit, when any chance
5
Relieves me from my task of servile toyl,
Daily in the common Prison else enjoyn’d me,
Where I a Prisoner chain’d, scarce freely draw
The air imprison’d also, close and damp,
Unwholsom draught: but here I feel amends,
10
The breath of Heav’n fresh-blowing, pure and sweet,
With day-spring born; here leave me to respire.
This day a solemn Feast the people hold
To
Dagon
12
thir Sea-Idol, and forbid
Laborious works, unwillingly this rest
15
Thir Superstition yields me; hence with leave
Retiring from the popular noise, I seek
This unfrequented place to find some ease;
Ease to the body some, none to the mind
From restless thoughts, that like a deadly swarm
20
Of Hornets arm’d, no sooner found alone,
But rush upon me thronging, and present
Times past, what once I was, and what am now.
O wherefore was my birth from Heav’n foretold
Twice by an Angel, who at last in sight
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Of both my Parents all in flames ascended
From off the Altar, where an Off’ring burn’d,
As in a fiery column charioting
His Godlike presence, and from some great act
Or benefit reveal’d to
Abraham
’s race?
30
Why was my breeding order’d and prescrib’d
As of a person separate to God,
Design’d for great exploits; if I must dye
Betray’d, Captiv’d, and both my Eyes put out,
Made of my Enemies the scorn and gaze;
35
To grind in Brazen Fetters under task
With this Heav’n-gifted strength? O glorious strength
Put to the labour of a Beast, debas’t
Lower then bondslave! Promise was that I
Should
Israel
from
Philistian
yoke deliver;
40
Ask for this great Deliverer now, and find him
Eyeless in
Gaza
at the Mill with slaves,
Himself in bonds under
Philistian
yoke;
Yet stay, let me not rashly call in doubt
Divine Prediction; what if all foretold
45
Had been fulfill’d but through mine own default,
Whom have I to complain of but my self?
Who this high gift of strength committed to me,
In what part lodg’d, how easily bereft me,
Under the Seal of silence could not keep,
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But weakly to a woman must reveal it,
O’recome with importunity and tears.
O impotence of mind, in body strong!
But what is strength without a double share
Of wisdom? Vast, unwieldy, burdensom,
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Proudly secure, yet liable to fall
By weakest suttleties, not made to rule,
But to subserve where wisdom bears command.
God, when he gave me strength, to shew withal
How slight the gift was, hung it in my Hair.
60
But peace, I must not quarrel with the will
Of highest dispensation,
13
which herein
Happ’ly had ends above my reach to know:
Suffices that to me strength is my bane,
And proves the sourse of all my miseries;
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So many, and so huge, that each apart
Would ask
14
a life to wail, but chief of all,
O loss of sight, of thee I most complain!
Blind among enemies, O worse then chains,
Dungeon, or beggery, or decrepit age!
70
Light the prime work of God to me is extinct,
And all her various objects of delight
Annull’d, which might in part my grief have eas’d,
Inferiour to the vilest now become
Of man or worm; the vilest here excel me,
75
They creep, yet see, I dark in light expos’d
To daily fraud, contempt, abuse and wrong,
Within doors, or without, still as a fool,
In power of others, never in my own;
Scarce half I seem to live, dead more then half.