Amidst their height of noon, Changest thy countenance, and thy hand with no regard Of highest favours past From thee on them, or them to thee of service. Nor only dost degrade them, or remit 685 To life obscur'd, which were a fair dismission, But throw'st them lower than thou didst exalt them To dogs and fowls a prey, or else captív'd; 694 Or to the unjust tribunals, under change of times, Painful diseases and deform'd, In crude old age: 700 Though not disordinate, yet causeless suff'ring The punishment of dissolute days: in fine, Just or unjust, alike seem miserable, For oft alike both come to evil end. So deal not with this once thy glorious champion, The image of thy strength, and mighty minister. What do I beg? how hast thou dealt already! 694 dogs] Hom. Il. i. 4. Newton. 700 crude] Premature, coming before its time, as • Cruda funera' in Statius. Jortin. VOL. IIJ. D Behold him in this state calamitous, and turn But who is this? what thing of sea or land? 710 Female of sex it seems, That so bedeck'd, ornate, and gay, Comes this way sailing Like a stately ship Of Tarsus, bound for th' isles Of Javan or Gadire, With all her bravery on, and tackle trim, 710 who is this] • Sed hic quis est, quem huc advenientem conspicor, Suam qui undantem chlamydem quassando facit?' 714 Plauti Epid. act. iii. sc. 3. 715 a stately ship] This passage may be well illustrated by a quotation from a Sermon called Wilkinson's 'Merchant Royall,' preached at the nuptials of the Lord Hay, in 1607, 4to. The text is from Proverbs, xxxi. 14. She is like a Merchants shippe, she bringeth her foode from afarre! "But of all qualities, a woman must not have one quality of a ship, and that is, too much rigging. Oh! what a wonder it is to see a ship under saile, with her tacklings and her masts, and her tops, and her top-gallants, with her upper deckes, and her nether deckes, and so bedeckt with her streamers, flags, and ensignes, and I know not what; yea, but a world of wonders it is to see a woman created in God's image, so miscreate oft times and deformed with her French, her Spanish, and her foolish fashions, that he that made her, when hee lookes upon her, shall hardlie know her, with her plumes, her fannes, and a silken vizard, with a ruffe like a saile, yea, a ruffe like a rainebow, with a feather in her cap, like a flag in her top, to tell, I think, which way the winde will blowe." p. 15. Courted by all the winds that hold them play, Than Dalila thy wife. 720 SAMS. My wife! my traitress: let her not come near me. [thee fix'd, 730 CHOR. Yet on she moves, now stands and eyes About t' have spoke, but now, with head declin'd, ✓ Like a fair flow'r surcharg'd with dew, she weeps, And words address'd seem into tears dissolv'd, Wetting the borders of her silken veil : But now again she makes address to speak. DAL. With doubtful feet and wavering resolution I came, still dreading thy displeasure, Samson, Which to have merited, without excuse, I cannot but acknowledge; yet if tears May expiate, though the fact more evil drew In the perverse event than I foresaw, 735 740 My penance hath not slacken'd, though my pardon 720 amber] Sylvester's Du Bartas (1621), p. 311. Todd. 728 Like] Virg. Æn. ix. 436. Hom. Il. viii. 306. 745 To lighten what thou suffer'st, and appease Her husband, how far urg'd his patience bears, 755 His virtue or weakness which way to assail; Then with more cautious and instructed skill Again transgresses, and again submits; With goodness principled not to reject 760 Are drawn to wear out miserable days, 765 DAL. Yet hear me, Samson; not that I endea To lessen or extenuate my offence, The easier towards me, or thy hatred less. [vour 770 In me, but incident to all our sex, For importunity, that is, for nought, 775 Wherein consisted all thy strength and safety? 780 In human hearts, nor less in mine towards thee, • Of fancy, fear'd lest one day thou would'st leave me 800 785 parle] See Par. L. vi. 296. P. Reg. iv. 529. Shakesp. Tam. of a Shrew, act i. sc. 1. Todd. |