FullReads

Man: I know your friendly minds and — O what noise!
Mercy of Heav’n what hideous noise was that!
Horribly loud unlike the former shout. 1510

Chor: 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,
Oh it continues, they have slain my Son.

Chor: Thy Son is rather slaying them, that outcry
From slaughter of one foe could not ascend.

Man: Some dismal accident it needs must be;
What shall we do, stay here or run and see? 1520

Chor: Best keep together here, lest running thither
We unawares run into dangers mouth.
This evil on the Philistines is fall’n
>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 Israels God
Nothing is hard) by miracle restor’d,
He now be dealing dole among his foes,
And over heaps of slaughter’d walk his way? 1530

Man: That were a joy presumptuous to be thought.

Chor: Yet God hath wrought things as incredible
For his people of old; what hinders now?

Man: He can I know, but doubt to think be will;
Yet Hope would fain subscribe, and tempts Belief.
A little stay will bring some notice hither.

Chor: 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 Ebrew, as I guess, and of our Tribe. 1540

Mess: O whither shall I run, or which way flie
The sight of this so horrid spectacle
Which earst my eyes beheld and yet behold;
For dire imagination still persues me.
But providence or instinct of nature seems,
Or reason though disturb’d, and scarse consulted
To have guided me aright, I know not how,
To thee first reverend Manoa, and to these
My Countreymen, whom here I knew remaining,
As at some distance from the place of horrour, 1550
So in the sad event too much concern’d.

Man: The accident was loud, & here before thee
With rueful cry, yet what it was we hear not,
No Preface needs, thou seest we long to know.

Mess: 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.

Mess: Gaza yet stands, but all her Sons are fall’n,
All in a moment overwhelm’d and fall’n.

Man: Sad, but thou knowst to Israelites not saddest 1560
The desolation of a Hostile City.

Mess: Feed on that first, there may in grief be surfet.

Man: Relate by whom.
Mess: By Samson.

Man: That still lessens
The sorrow, and converts it nigh to joy.

Mess: Ah Manoa I refrain, 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.