SAMSON AGONISTESi 371 All wickednefs is weaknefs : that plea therefoie With God or Man will gain thee no remiffion. 83 But love conftrain'd thee; call it furious rage To fatisfy thy lull ; love leeks to' have love My love how couldfl thou hope, who tooleft the way To raife in me inexpiable hate; Knowing,' as needs I mutt, by thee betray'd? 84.° In vain thou ftriv'ft to cover flume with fhame, Or by evafions thy crime uncover'ft more. Dal. Since thou determin'il weaknefs for no plea In man or woman, though to thy own condemning., Hear what affaults I had, what fnares betides, 84.j What lieges girt me round, ere I contented Which might have aw'd the bell refolv'd of men, The conflanteft, to' have yielded without blame. It was not gold, as to my charge thou layit, That wrought with me : thou know'fl the magiftrate6 And princes of my country came in perfon, 8.5t Solicited, commanded, threaten'd, urg'd, Adjur'd by all the bonds of civil duty, And of religion prefs'd how juft it was Flow honourable, how glorious to entrap 855 A common enemy, who had deftroy'd Such numbers of our nation : and the prieft Was not behind, but ever at my ear, Preaching how meritorious with the Gods It would be to enfnare an irreligious 86o. Difhonourer of Dagon : what had I T' oppnfe againft Inch pow'rful arguments ? Only my love of thee held long debate, And combated in filence all thele reafons With hard conteft : at length that grounded maxim, So rife and celebrated in the mouths 866 Of wifeft men, That to the public good Private refpals mull yield, with grave authority Rrrr Took
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