The Complete Poetry of John Milton (156 page)

   1610   
On banks
²⁴
and scaffolds under Skie might stand;

               
I among these aloof obscurely stood.

               
The Feast and noon grew high, and Sacrifice

               
Had fill’d thir hearts with mirth, high chear, and wine,

               
When to thir sports they turn’d. Immediately

   1615   
Was
Samson
as a public servant brought,

               
In thir state Livery clad; before him Pipes

               
And Timbrels, on each side went armed guards,

               
Both horse and foot before him and behind,

               
Archers, and Slingers, Cataphracts and Spears.
²⁵

   1620   
At sight of him the people with a shout

               
Rifted the Air clamouring thir god with praise,

               
Who had made thir dreadful enemy thir thrall.

               
He patient but undaunted where they led him,

               
Came to the place, and what was set before him

   1625   
Which without help of eye might be assay’d,

               
To heave, pull, draw, or break, he still perform’d

               
All with incredible, stupendious force,

               
None daring to appear Antagonist.

               
At length for intermission sake they led him

   1630   
Between the pillars; he his guide requested

               
(For so from such as nearer stood we heard)

               
As over-tir’d to let him lean a while

               
With both his arms on those two massie Pillars

               
That to the arched roof gave main support.

   1635   
He unsuspitious led him; which when
Samson

               
Felt in his arms, with head a while enclin’d,

               
And eyes fast fixt he stood, as one who pray’d,

               
Or some great matter in his mind revolv’d.

               
At last with head erect thus cry’d aloud,

   1640   
Hitherto, Lords, what your commands impos’d

               
I have perform’d, as reason was, obeying,

               
Not without wonder or delight beheld.

               
Now of my own accord such other tryal

               
I mean to shew you of my strength, yet greater;

   1645   
As with amaze shall strike all who behold.

               
This utter’d, straining all his nerves he bow’d;

               
As with the force of winds and waters pent,

               
When Mountains tremble, those two massie Pillars

               
With horrible convulsion to and fro,

   1650   
He tugg’d, he shook, till down they came and drew

               
The whole roof after them, with burst of thunder

               
Upon the heads of all who sate beneath,

               
Lords, Ladies, Captains, Councellors, or Priests,

               
Thir choice nobility and flower, not only

   1655   
Of this but each
Philistian
City round

               
Met from all parts to solemnize this Feast.

               
Samson
with these immixt, inevitably

               
Pull’d down the same destruction on himself;

               
The vulgar only scap’d who stood without.

   1660
      
       
Chorus.
O dearly-bought revenge, yet glorious!

               
Living or dying thou hast fulfill’d

               
The work for which thou wast foretold

               
To
Israel
, and now ly’st victorious

               
Among thy slain self-kill’d

   1665   
Not willingly, but tangl’d in the fold

               
Of dire necessity, whose law in death conjoin’d

               
Thee with thy slaughter’d foes in number more

               
Then all thy life had slain before.

            
      
       
Semichorus.
While thir hearts were jocund and sublime,
²⁶

   1670   
Drunk with Idolatry, drunk with Wine,

               
And fat regorg’d of Bulls and Goats,

               
Chaunting thir Idol, and preferring

               
Before our living Dread who dwells

               
In
Silo
²⁷
his bright Sanctuary:

   1675   
Among them he a spirit of phrenzie sent,

               
Who hurt thir minds,

               
And urg’d them on with mad desire

               
To call in hast for thir destroyer;

               
They only set on sport and play

   1680   
Unweetingly importun’d

               
Thir own destruction to come speedy upon them.

               
So fond
²⁸
are mortal men

               
Fall’n into wrath divine,

               
As thir own ruin on themselves t’ invite,

   1685   
Insensate left, or to sense reprobate,
²⁹

               
And with blindness internal struck.

            
      
       
Semichorus.
But he though blind of sight,

               
Despis’d and thought extinguish’t quite,

               
With inward eyes illuminated

   1690   
His fierie vertue rouz’d

               
From under ashes into sudden flame,

               
And as an ev’ning Dragon
³⁰
came,

               
Assailant on the perched roosts,

               
And nests in order rang’d

   1695   
Of tame villatic
³¹
Fowl; but as an Eagle

               
His cloudless thunder bolted on thir heads.
³²

               
So vertue giv’n for lost,

               
Deprest, and overthrown, as seem’d,

               
Like that self-begott’n bird
³³

   1700   
In th’
Arabian
woods embost,
³⁴

               
That no second knows nor third,

               
And lay e’re while a Holocaust,

               
From out her ashie womb now teem’d,

               
Revives, reflourishes, then vigorous most

   1705   
When most unactive deem’d,

               
And though her body die, her fame survives,

               
A secular
³⁵
bird ages of lives.

            
      
       
Manoa.
Come, come, no time for lamentation now,

               
Nor much more cause,
Samson
hath quit himself

   1710   
Like
Samson
, and heroicly hath finish’d

               
A life Heroic, on his Enemies

               
Fully reveng’d, hath left them years of mourning,

               
And lamentation to the Sons of
Caphtor

               
Through all
Philistian
bounds. To
Israel

   1715   
Honour hath left, and freedom, let but them

               
Find courage to lay hold on this occasion,

               
To himself and Fathers house eternal fame;

               
And which is best and happiest yet, all this

               
With God not parted from him, as was feard,

   1720   
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.

   1725   
Let us go find the body where it lies

               
Soak’t 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
³⁶
to say us nay)

   1730   
Will send for all my kindred, all my friends

               
To fetch him hence and solemnly attend

               
With silent obsequie and funeral train

               
Home to his Fathers house: there will I build him

               
A Monument, and plant it round with shade

   1735   
Of Laurel ever green, and branching Palm,

               
With all his Trophies hung, and Acts enroll’d

               
In copious Legend, or sweet Lyric Song.

               
Thither shall all the valiant youth resort,

               
And from his memory inflame thir breasts

   1740   
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.

   1745
      
       
Chorus.
All is best, though we oft doubt,

               
What th’ unsearchable dispose
³⁷

               
Of highest wisdom brings about,

               
And ever best found in the close.

               
Oft he seems to hide his face,
³⁸

   1750   
But unexpectedly returns

               
And to his faithful Champion hath in place

               
Bore witness gloriously; whence
Gaza
mourns

               
And all that band them to resist

               
His uncontroulable intent;

   1755   
His servants he with new acquist
³⁹

               
Of true experience from this great event

               
With peace and consolation hath dismist,

               
And calm of mind all passion spent.
⁴⁰