A most excellent and famous Ditty of Sampson Judge of Israel, how hee wedded
Philistines Daughter, who at length forsooke him: also how hee slew a Lyon, and propoun-
ded a Riddle, and after how hee was falsely betrayed by Dalila, and of his death.
To the tune of the Spanish pavin.
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WHen Sampson was a tall yong man
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His power and strength increased than
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And in the host and Tribe of Dan,
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the Lord did blesse him still.
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It chanced so upon a day,
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As he was walking on his way,
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He saw a Maiden fresh and gay
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in Timnah.
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With whom he fell so sore in love,
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That he his fancy could not move:His Parents therefore he did prove,
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and craved their good wills.
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I have found out a wife quoth he,
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I pray you Father give her me,
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Though she a strangers daughter be,
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I passe not.
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Then did bespeake his Parents deere,
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Have we not many Maydens here,
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Of Countrey, and acquaintance neere,
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for thee to love and like:O no, (quoth Sampson presently)
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Not one so pleasant in mine eye,
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Whom I could find so faithfully
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to fancy.
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At length they granted their consent:
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And so with Sampson foorth they went,
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To see the Mayd was their intent.
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which was so faire and bright:But as they were a going there,
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A Lyon put them in great feare,
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Whom Sompson presently did teare,
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in peeces.
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When they were come unto the place,
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They were agreed in the case:The wedding day appoynted was:
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and when the time was come.
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As Sampson went for beauties fees,
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The Lyons carkasse there he sees,
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Wherein a sort of honny bees
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had swarmed.
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Then closely Sampson went his way,
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And not a word thereof did say,
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Untill the merry feasting day,
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unto the Company.
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A Riddle I will shew, quoth he,
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The meaning if you tell to me
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Within seaven dayes, I will give yee
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great riches.
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But if the meaning you doe misse,
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And cannot shew me what it is,
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Then shall you give to me (I wisse)
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so much as I have said.
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Put foorth the Riddle (then quoth they)
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And wee will tell it by our day,
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Or we will lose (as thou dost say)
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the wager.
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Then make (quoth hee) the totall summer
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Out of the eater meate did come,
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And from the strong did sweetnesse runne,
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declare it if you can.
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And when they heard the Riddle told,
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Their hearts within them waxed cold:For none of them could then unfold
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the meaning.
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Then unto Sampsons wife went they
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And theatned her with delay,
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If she would not the the thing bewray,
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to burne her Fathers house.
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Then Sampsons wife with griefe and woe
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Desired him the same to show:And when she knew she straight did goe
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to tell them.
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Then were they all full glad of this,
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To tell the thing they did not misse,
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What stronger beast then Lyon is?
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What sweeter meate then honny:
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The[n] Sampson answered them full round:If my Hayfar had not ploughed the ground,
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So easily you had not found
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my Riddle.
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Then Sampson did his losses pay,
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And to his father went his way,
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But wisht with them he there did stay,
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his wife forsooke him quite,
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And tooke another to her Love,
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Which Sampsons anger much did move,
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To plague them therefore he did prove
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his cunning.
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A subtill sight he then had found,
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To burne their corne upon the ground,
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Their Vineyards he destroyed round
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which made them fret and fume.
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But when they knew that Sampson he
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Had done them all this injury,
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Because his wife did him deny,
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they killed her.
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And afterward they had decreed,
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To murther Sampson for that deed,
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Three thousand men they sent with speede
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to bring him bound to them:But he did breake his cords apace,
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And with the Jaw-bone of an Asse,
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A thousand men ere he did passe,
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he killed.
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When all his foes were laid in dust,
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Then Sampson was ful sore athirst,
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In God therefore was all his trust,
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to helpe his fainting heart:For liquor thereabout was none:The Lord therefore from the Jaw-bone,
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Did make fresh water spring alone.
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to helpe him.
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Then Sampson had a joyfull spright;
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And in a Citty lay that nigh,
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Whereas his foes with deadly spight;
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did seeke his life to spill:But he at midnight then awakes,
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And tearing downe the Citty gates
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With him away the same he takes,
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most stoutly.
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Then on Dalila faire and bright,
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Did Sampson set his whole delight,
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Whom he did love both day and night,
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which wrought his overthrow:
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For she with sweete words did intreat,
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That for her sake he would repeat,
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Wherein his strength, that was so great,
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consisted.
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At length unto his utter fall,
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And through her suite, which was not smal
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He did not let to shew her all,
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the secrets of his heart:
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If that my hayre be cut, (quoth he)
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Which now so faire and long you see,
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Likes other men then shall I be,
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in weekenesse.
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Then through deceit which was so deepe,
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She lulled Sampson fast asleepe,
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A man shee cald which she did keepe,
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to cut off all his hayre.
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Then did she call his hatefull foes,
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Ere Sampson from her lap arose,
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Who could not then withstand their blowes
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for weakenesse.
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To binde him fast they did devise,
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Then did they put out both his eyes,
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In prison woefully he lyes,
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and there he grinds the Mill.
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But God remembred all his paine,
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And did restore his strenth againe,
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Although that bound he did remaine,
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in prison.
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The Philistines now were glad of this,
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For joy they made a feast (I wisse)And all their Princes did not misse
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to come unto the same:And being merry bent that day,
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For Sampson they did send stratghtway,
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That they might laugh to see him play,
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among them.
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Then to house was Sampson led
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And when he had their fancies fed,
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He pluckt the house upon their head,
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and downe they tumbled all:So that with griefe and deadly paine,
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Three thousand persons there was slaine,
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Thus Sampson then with all his traine,
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was brained.
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