Man. I know your friendly minds, and-O, what noise!
Mercy of heaven! what hideous noise was that?

Horribly loud, unlike the former shout.

Cho. 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.

Man. Of ruin indeed methought I heard the noise :
O! it continues: they have slain my son.

Cho. Thy son is rather slaying them; that outcry

From slaughter of one foe could not ascend.

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Cho. Best keep together here, lest, running thither,

Man. Some dismal accident it needs must be:

What shall we do; stay here, or run and see?

We unawares run into danger's mouth.
This evil on the Philistines is fallen;

From whom could else a general cry be heard?

The sufferers then will scarce molest us here;

From other hands we need not much to fear.
What if, his eye-sight (for to Israel's God
Nothing is hard) by miracle restored,

He now be dealing dole among his foes,

And over heaps of slaughter'd walk his way?

Man. That were a joy presumptuous to be thought.
Cho. Yet God hath wrought things as incredible

For his people of old; what hinders now?

o And-O, what noise! &c.

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It must be very pleasing to the reader to observe with what art and judgment Milton prepares him for the relation of the catastrophe of this tragedy. This abrupt start of Manoah upon hearing the hideous noise, and the description of it by the Chorus in their answer, in terms so full of dread and terror, naturally fill the mind with a presaging horror proper for the occasion: this is still kept up by their suspense and reasoning about it, and at last raised to a proper pitch by the frightened and distracted manner of the messenger's coming in, and his hesitation and backwardness in telling what had happened. What gives it the greater strength and beauty, is the sudden transition from that soothing and flattering prospect, with which Manoah was entertaining his thoughts, to a scene so totally opposite.-THYER.

Nothing can be more impressive, more calculated to excite pity, than the revolution of Samson's fate, which is now developed for, as a learned writer observes, "while everything appears tending to his release, a horrible crash announces his destruction." See Harris's "Philolog. Inq." part ii. p. 209.-TODD.

Οἰκουμένη.—RICHARDSON.

P Inhabitation.

a Best keep together here, lest, &c.

In this passage, as is constantly the practice of Sophocles and Euripides, a reason is assigned for the Chorus continuing on the stage. There should always be a reason for the exit and entrance of every person in the drama.-Jos. WARTON.

What if, his eye-sight, &c.

The Chorus here entertains the same pleasing hope of Samson's eye-sight being by miracle restored, which he had before tacitly reproved in Manoah; and Manoah, who had before encouraged the same hope in himself, now desponds, and reckons it presumptuous in another. Such changes of our thoughts are natural and common, especially in any change of our situation and circumstances. Fear and hope usually succeed each other, like ague and fever: and it was not a slight observation of mankind that could have enabled Milton to have understood and described the human passions so exactly.-NEWTON.

Man. He can, I know, but doubt to think he will;
Yet hope would fain subscribe, and tempts belief.
A little stay will bring some notice hither.

Cho. Of good or bad so great, of bad the sooner;
For evil news rides post, while good news baits:
And to our wish I see one hither speeding;
An Hebrew, as I guess, and of our tribe.

Enter Messenger.

Mes. O, whither shall I run, or which way fly
The sight of this so horrid spectacle,

Which erst my eyes beheld, and yet behold?
For dire imagination still pursues me.

But providence or instinct of nature seems,

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Or reason, though disturb'd, and scarce consulted,

To have guided me aright, I know not how,
To thee first, reverend Manoah, and to these
My countrymen, whom here I knew remaining,
As at some distance from the place of horrour,
So in the sad event too much concerned.

Man. 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.

Mes. It would burst forth, but I recover breath
And sense distract, to know well what I utter.
Man. Tell us the sum, the circumstance defer.
Mes. Gaza yet stands, but all her sons are fallen,
All in a moment overwhelm'd and fallen.

Man. Sad, but thou know'st to Israelites not saddest
The desolation of a hostile city.

Mes. Feed on that first: there may in grief be surfeit.
Man. Relate by whom.

Mes.

Man.

By Samson.

That still lessens

The sorrow, and converts it nigh to joy.

Mes. Ah! Manoah, I refraint 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.

Man. Suspense in news is torture; speak them out.
Mes. Take then the worst in brief: Samson is dead.
Man. 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.

So, in Statius:

s For evil news rides post.

Spargitur in turmas solito pernicior index,
Cum lugenda refert.-ToDD.

t I refrain, &c.

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The reader cannot fail to observe and to feel the art of the poet in very gradually unfolding the catastrophe.-Jos. WARTON.

What windy joy this day had I conceived
Hopeful of his delivery, which now proves
Abortive as the first-born bloom of spring,"
Nipp'd with the lagging rear of winter's frost!
Yet ere I give the reins to grief, say first,
How died he; death to life is crown or shame.
All by him fell, thou say'st; by whom fell he?
What glorious hand gave Samson his death's wound?
Mes. Unwounded of his enemies he fell.

Man. Wearied with slaughter then, or how? explain.
Mes. By his own hands.

Man.

Self-violence? what cause
Brought him so soon at variance with himself
Among his foes?

Mes.

Inevitable cause,

At once both to destroy, and be destroy'd.
The edifice where all were met to see him,
Upon their heads and on his own he pull'd.

Man. O, lastly over-strong against thyself!

A dreadful way thou took'st to thy revenge.
More than enough we know; but while things yet
Are in confusion, give us, if thou canst,
Eye-witness of what first or last was done,

Relation more particular and distinct.

Mes. Occasions drew me early to this city;▾

Abortive as the first-born bloom of spring.

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As Mr. Thyer says, this similitude is to be admired for its remarkable justness and propriety: one cannot possibly imagine a more exact and perfect image of the dawning hope, which Manoah had conceived from the favourable answer he had met with from some of the Philistian lords, and of its being so suddenly extinguished by this return of ill fortune, than that of the early bloom, which the warmth of a few fine days frequently pushes forward in the spring, and then it is cut off by an unexpected return of winterly weather. As Mr. Warburton observes, this beautiful passage seems to be taken from Shakspeare," Henry VIII." a. iii. s. 2 :—

This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth
The tender leaves of hope; to-morrow blossoms,
And bears his blushing honours thick upon him:
The third day, comes a frost, a killing frost;
And, when he thinks, good easy man, full surely
His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root;
And then he falls, as I do.

Upon which Mr. Warburton remarks, that as spring-frosts are not injurious to the roots of fruit-trees, he should imagine the poet wrote "shoot;" that is, the tender shoot on which are the young leaves and blossoms. The comparison, as well as expression of "nips," is juster too in this reading. Shakspeare has the same thought in "Love's Labour's Lost:"—

Byron is like an envious sneaping frost,

That bites the first-born infants of the spring.-NEWTON.

See also "Titus Andronicus," a. iv. s. 4:-

These tidings nip me, and I hang the head,

As flowers with frost, or grass beat down with storms.-TODD.

I think this comparison, though poetical in itself, is out of place, as coming from Manoah in his state of distraction.

▾ Occasions draw me early to this city.

As I observed before, that Milton had, with great art, excited the reader's attention to this grand event, so here he is no less careful to gratify it by the relation. It is circumstantial, as the importance of it required; but not so as to be tedious, or too long

games:

And as the gates I enter'd with sunrise,
The morning trumpets festival proclaim'd
Through each high street: little I had despatch'd,
When all abroad was rumour'd that this day
Samson should be brought forth to show the people
Proof of his mighty strength in feats and
I sorrow'd at his captive state, but minded
Not to be absent at that spectacle.
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, might sit in order to behold;

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I among these aloof obscurely stood.

The other side was open, where the throng

On banks and scaffolds under sky might stand;

The feast and noon grew high, and sacrifice

When to their sports they turn'd. Immediately

In their state livery clad; before him pipes

Had fill'd their hearts with mirth, high cheer, and wine,

Was Samson as a publick servant brought,

And timbrels, on each side went armed guards,
Both horse and foot, before him and behind,
Archers and slingers, cataphracts and spears.

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to delay our expectation. It would be found difficult, I believe, to retrench one article without making it defective, or to add one which should not appear redundant. The picture of Samson in particular, "with head inclined and eyes fixed," as if he was addressing himself to that God who had given him such a measure of strength, and was summing up all his force and resolution, has a very fine effect upon the imagination. Milton is no less happy in the sublimity of his description of this grand exploit, than judicious in the choice of the circumstances preceding it. The poetry rises as the subject becomes more interesting; and one may without rant or extravagance say, that the poet seems to exert no less force of genius in describing, than Samson does strength of body in executing.-THYER.

w The building was a spacious theatre

Half-round, on two main pillars vaulted high, &c.

Milton has finely accounted for this dreadful catastrophe, and has with great judgment obviated the common objection. It is commonly asked, how so great a building, containing so many thousands of people, could rest upon two pillars placed so near together; and to this it is answered, that instances are not wanting of far more large and capacious buildings than this, that have been supported only by one pillar. Particularly, Pliny, in the fifteenth chapter of the thirty-sixth book of his "Natural History," mentions two theatres built by one C. Curio, who lived in Julius Cæsar's time; cach of which was supported only by one pillar, or pin, or hinge, though very many thousands of people did sit in it together. See Poole's "Annotations." Mr. Thyer farther adds, that Dr. Shaw, in his "Travels," observing upon the eastern method of building, says, that the place where they exhibit their diversions at this day is an advanced cloister, made in the fashion of a large penthouse, supported only by one or two contiguous pillars in the front, or else at the centre; and that, upon a supposition therefore, that, in the house of Dagon, there was a cloistered structure of this kind, the pulling down the front or centre pillars only which supported it would be attended with the like catastrophe that happened to the Philistines. See Shaw's "Travels,” p. 283.NEWTON.

x Cataphracts.

That is, men and horses in armour. "Cataphracti equites dicuntur, qui et ipsi ferro muniti sunt, et equos similiter munitos habent." Servius in Virg. Æn. xi. 770. Tho word had been before employed in English poetry. See Lisle's "Faire Ethiopian," 4to. 1631, p. 150:

The archers follow nimble, and arm'd light:
And after them came other bowes and slings, &c.

At sight of him, the people with a shout
Rifted the air, clamouring their god with praise,
Who had made their dreadful enemy their thrall.
He, patient, but undaunted, where they led him,
Came to the place; and what was set before him,
Which without help of eye might be assay'd,
To heave, pull, draw, or break, he still perform'd
All with incredible, stupendous force;
None daring to appear antagonist.

At length for intermission sake they led him
Between the pillars; he his guide requested
(For so from such as nearer stood we heard)
As over-tired to let him lean awhile

With both his arms on those two massy pillars,
That to the arched roof gave main support.
He, unsuspicious, led him; which when Samson
Felt in his arms, with head awhile inclined,
And eyes fast fix'd he stood, as one who pray'd,
Or some great matter in his mind revolved:
At last with head erect thus cried aloud :-
Hitherto, lords, what your commands imposed
I have perform'd, as reason was, obeying,
Not without wonder or delight beheld :
Now of my own accord such other trial

I mean to show you of my strength, yet greater,

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As with amaze shall strike all who behold.a

This utter'd, straining all his nerves he bow'd:

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As with the force of winds and waters pent,
When mountains tremble, those two massy pillars
With horrible convulsion to and fro

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 sat beneath,

His strong phalanges march on either side;
And troopes of cataphracts before him ride.-TODD.

y That to the arched roof gave main support.

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Milton, we see, retains, in his last production, his early attachment to this kind of ancient architecture. Thus, in his "Öde Nativ." st. xix. "Runs through the arched roof," &c.: again in "Il Pens." v. 157, "And love the high embowed roof:" see also "Par. Lost," b. i. 726, "From the arch'd roof," &c. I must observe, however, that Quarles, in his poetical "Hist. of Sampson," relates the same circumstance of the building in which Samson displayed his strength, and fell, edit. 1632, p. 378:

her arched roofe was all

Builded with massie stone.-TODD.

2 And eyes fast fix'd he stood.

Samson having had his eyes put out, this only means to describe his attitude, by his countenance being fixed on the ground, as it must be when "his head was inclined." "Eyes fast fix'd" is a classical phrase.-DUNSTER.

a As with amaze shall strike all who behold.

I am not without a painful suspicion, that there is an intended pun in the word "strike." It too much resembles the language of the evil angels, in the sixth book of "Paradise Lost," on producing their artillery, and witnessing the successful effect of it.-DUNSTER.