The Complete Poetry of John Milton (154 page)

   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’d
¹²
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 stoutness
¹³
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, find forgiveness.

               
Yet that he may dispense with
¹⁴
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 not
¹⁵
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 attempted
¹⁶
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;