The Complete Poetry of John Milton (155 page)

   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 next
¹⁸
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 dole
¹⁹
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

               
T’ have guided me aright, I know not how,

               
To thee first reverend
Manoa
, and to these

               
My Countreymen, whom here I knew remaining,

   1550   
As at some distance from the place of horrour,

               
So in the sad event too much concern’d.

            
      
       
Manoa.
The accident was loud, and here before thee

               
With rueful cry, yet what it was we hear not,

               
No Preface needs, thou seest we long to know.

   1555
      
       
Messenger.
It would burst forth, but I recover breath

               
And sense distract, to know well what I utter.

            
      
       
Manoa.
Tell us the sum, the circumstance defer.

            
      
       
Messenger. Gaza
yet stands, but all her Sons are fall’n,

               
All in a moment overwhelm’d and fall’n.

   1560
      
       
Manoa.
Sad, but thou knowst to
Israelites
not saddest

               
The desolation of a Hostile City.

            
      
       
Messenger.
Feed on that first, there may in grief be surfet.

            
      
       
Manoa.
Relate by whom.

            
      
       
Messenger.
          By
Samson.

            
      
       
Manoa.
               That still lessens

               
The sorrow, and converts it nigh to joy.

   1565
      
       
Messenger.
Ah
Manoa
, I refrain too suddenly

               
To utter what will come at last too soon;

               
Lest evil tidings with too rude irruption

               
Hitting thy aged ear should pierce too deep.

            
      
       
Manoa.
Suspense in news is torture, speak them out.

   1570
      
       
Messenger.
Then take the worst in brief,
Samson
is dead.

            
      
       
Manoa.
The worst indeed, O all my hope’s defeated

               
To free him hence! but death who sets all free

               
Hath paid his ransom now and full discharge.

               
What windy
²¹
joy this day had I conceiv’d

   1575   
Hopeful of his Delivery, which now proves

               
Abortive as the first-born bloom of spring

               
Nipt with the lagging rear of winters frost.

               
Yet e’re I give the rains to grief, say first,

               
How dy’d he? death to life is crown or shame.

   1580   
All by him fell thou say’st, by whom fell he,

               
What glorious hand gave
Samson
his deaths wound?

            
      
       
Messenger.
Unwounded of his enemies he fell.

            
      
       
Manoa.
Wearied with slaughter then or how? explain.

            
      
       
Messenger.
By his own hands.

            
      
       
Manoa.
               Self-violence? what cause

   1585   
Brought him so soon at variance with himself

               
Among his foes?

            
      
       
Messenger.
Inevitable cause

               
At once both to destroy and be destroy’d;

               
The Edifice where all were met to see him

               
Upon thir heads and on his own he pull’d.

   1590
      
       
Manoa.
O lastly over-strong against thy self!

               
A dreadful way thou took’st to thy revenge.

               
More than anough we know; but while things yet

               
Are in confusion, give us if thou canst,

               
Eye-witness of what first or last was done,

   1595   
Relation more particular and distinct.

            
      
       
Messenger.
Occasions drew me early to this City,

               
And as the gates I enter’d with Sun-rise,

               
The morning Trumpets Festival proclaim’d

               
Through each high street: little I had dispatch’t

   1600   
When all abroad was rumour’d that this day

               
Samson
should be brought forth to shew the people

               
Proof of his mighty strength in feats and games;

               
I sorrow’d at his captive state, but minded
²²

               
Not to be absent at that spectacle.

   1605   
The building was a spacious Theatre

               
Half round on two main Pillars vaulted high,

               
With seats where all the Lords and each degree

               
Of sort,
²³
might sit in order to behold,

               
The other side was op’n, where the throng