Milton on Samson

051

Eyeless in Gaza, at the mill with slaves,
Himself in bonds under Philistian yoke.
Yet stay; let me not rashly call in doubt
Divine prediction…

… Then with what trivial weapon came to

hand,

The jaw of a dead ass, his sword of

bone,

A thousand foreskins fell, the flower of

Palestine,

In Ramath-lechi, famous to this day:

Then by main force pulled up, and on

his shoulders bore,

The gates of Azza, post and massy bar,

Up to the hill by Hebron, seat of giants

old—

No journey of a Sabbath-day, and

leaded so—

… She proving false, the next I took to

wife

(O that I never had! fond wish too late!)

Was in the vale of Sorec, Dálila,

That specious monster, my accomplished

snare.

… This uttered, straining all his nerves, he

bowed;

As with the force of winds and waters pent

When mountains tremble, those two massy

pillars

With horrible convulsion to and fro

He tugged, 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,

Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or

priests,

Their choice nobility and flower, not only

Of this, but each Philistian city round,

Met from all parts to solemnize this feast.

Samson, with these immixed, inevitably

Pulled down the same destruction on

himself;

The vulgar only scaped, who stood

without.

John Milton, Samson Agonistes