34
��" Why, then, revealed ? " I was assured by those 800
Who tempted me that nothing was designed Against thee but safe custody and hold. That made for me; I knew that liberty Would draw thee forth to perilous enter- prises,
While I at home sat full of cares and fears, Wailing thy absence in my widowed bed; Here I should still enjoy thee, day and
.night,
Mine and love's prisoner, not the Philis- tines',
Whole to myself, unhazarded abroad, Fearless at home of partners in my love. 810 These reasons in Love's law have passed
for good,
Though fond and reasonless to some per- haps; And love hath oft, well meaning, wrought
much woe,
Yet always pity or pardon hath obtained. Be not unlike all others, not austere As thou art strong, inflexible as steel. If thou in strength all mortals dost exceed, In uncompassiouate anger do not so.
Sams. How cunningly the Sorceress dis- plays
Her own transgressions, to upbraid me
mine ! 820
That malice, not repentance, brought thee
hither By this appears. I gave, thou say'st, the
example,
I led the way bitter reproach, but true ; I to myself was false -ere thou to me. Such pardon, therefore, as I give my folly Take to thy wicked deed; which when thou
seest
Impartial, self-severe, inexorable, Thou wilt renounce thy seeking, and much
rather
Confess it feigned. Weakness is thy ex- cuse,
And I believe it weakness to resist 830 Philistian gold. If weakness may excuse, What murtherer, what traitor, parricide, Incestuous, sacrilegious, but may plead
it? All wickedness is weakness; that plea,
therefore,
With God or Man will gain thee no remis- sion.
But love constrained thee ! Call it furious rage
��To satisfy thy lust. Love seeks to have
love; My love how could'st thou hope, who took'st
the way
To raise in me inexpiable hate, Knowing, as needs I must, by thee be- trayed ? 840 In vain thou striv'st to cover shame with
shame,
Or by evasions thy crime uncover'st more. Dal. Since thou determin'st weakness
for no plea In man or woman, though to thy own con-.
demning, Hear what assaults I had, what snares
besides, What sieges girt me round, ere I con-.
sented; Which might have awed the best-resolved
of men, The constantest, to have yielded without
blame.
It was not gold, as to my charge thou lay'st, That wrought with me. Thou know'st the Magistrates 850
And Princes of my country came in person, Solicited, commanded, threatened, urged, Adjured by all the bonds of civil duty And of religion pressed how just it was, How honourable, how glorious, to entrap A common enemy, who had destroyed Such numbers of our nation : and the Priest Was not behind, but ever at my ear, Preaching how meritorious with the gods It would be to ensnare an irreligious 860 Dishonourer of Dagon. What had I To oppose against such powerful argu- ments ?
Only my love of thee held long debate, And combated in silence all these reasons With hard contest. At length, that
grounded rnaxim,
So rife and celebrated in the mouths Of wisest men, that to the public good Private respects must yield, with grave
authority
Took full possession of me, and prevailed; Virtue, as I thought, truth, duty, so enjoin- ing. 870 Sams. I thought where all thy circling
wiles would end
In feigned religion, smooth hypocrisy ! But, had thy love, still odiously pretended, Been, as it ought, sincere, it would have taught thee
�� �
