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The World's Greatest Books [Volumes 1-15, 17-20]

Электронная книга - «The World's Greatest Books [Volumes 1-15, 17-20]». Краткое содержание книги:

Антология содержит:
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 01 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 02 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 03 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 04 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 05 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 06 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 07 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 08 — Fiction от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 09 — Lives and Letters от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 10 — Lives and Letters от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 11 — Ancient and Mediæval History от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 12 — Modern History от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 13 — Religion and Philosophy от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 14 — Philosophy and Economics от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 15 — Science от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 17 — Poetry and Drama от Неизвестный
The world's greatest books от Mee, Arthur, 1875-1943, joint editor & Hammerton, John Alexander, Sir, 1871-1949, joint editor & McClure, S. S. (Samuel Sidney), 1857-1949, joint editor
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 19 — Travel and Adventure от Неизвестный
The World's Greatest Books — Volume 20 — Miscellaneous Literature and Index от Неизвестный
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Nothing dishonourable, impure, unworthy

Our God, our Law, my nation, or myself.

Chorus: Go, and the Holy One

Of Israel be thy guide.

Manoa: Peace with you, brethren! My inducement hither

Was not at present here to find my son.

By order of the lords new parted hence

To come and play before them at their feast.

I heard all as I came; I had no will,

Lest I should see him forced to things unseemly.

But that which moved my coming now was chiefly

To give ye part with me what hope I have

With good success to work his liberty.

Chorus: That hope would much rejoice us to partake

With thee.

Manoa: What noise or shout was that? It tore the sky.

Chorus: Doubtless the people shouting to behold

Their once great dread, captive and blind before them,

Or at some proof of strength, before them shown.

Manoa: His ransom, if my whole inheritance

May compass it, shall willingly be paid

And numbered down. Much rather I shall choose

To live the poorest in my tribe, than richest,

And he in that calamitous prison left.

No, I am fixed not to part hence without him.

For his redemption all my patrimony,

If need be, I am ready to forego

And quit. Not wanting him, I shall want nothing.

It shall be my delight to tend his eyes,

And view him sitting in his house, ennobled

With all those high exploits by him achieved.

Chorus: Thy hopes are not ill founded, nor seem vain,

Of his delivery.

Manoa: I know your friendly minds, and—O what noise!

Mercy of Heaven! What hideous noise was that

Horribly loud, unlike the former shout.

Chorus: Noise call you it, or universal groan,

As if the whole inhabitation perished?

Blood, death, and deathful deeds, are in that noise,

Ruin, destruction at the utmost point.

Manoa: Of ruin indeed methought I heard the noise.

Oh! it continues; the have slain my son.

Chorus: Thy son is rather slaying them; that outcry

From slaughter of one foe could not ascend.

Manoa: Some dismal accident it needs must be.

What shall we do—stay here, or run and see?

Chorus: Best keep together here, lest, running thither,

We unawares run into danger's mouth.

This evil on the Philistines is fallen:

From whom could else a general cry be heard?

Manoa: A little stay will bring some notice hither.

Chorus: I see one hither speeding—

An Hebrew, as I guess, and of our tribe.

Messenger: O, whither shall I run, or which way fly?

The sight of this so horrid spectacle,

Which erst my eyes beheld, and yet behold?

Manoa: The accident was loud, and here before thee

With rueful cry; yet what it was we know not.

Tell us the sum, the circumstance defer.

Messenger: Gaza yet stands; but all her sons are fallen,

All in a moment overwhelmed and fallen.

Manoa: Sad! but thou know'st to Israelites not saddest

The desolation of a hostile city.

Messenger: Feed on that first; there may in grief be surfeit.

Manoa: Relate by whom.

Messenger: By Samson.

Manoa: That still lessens

The sorrow and converts it nigh to joy.

Messenger: Ah! Manoa, I refrain too suddenly

To utter what will come at last too soon,

Lest evil tidings, with too rude eruption

Hitting thy aged ear, should pierce too deep.

Manoa: Suspense in news is torture; speak them out.

Messenger: Then take the worst in brief—Samson is dead.

Manoa: The worst indeed! O, all my hope's defeated

To free him hence! but Death, who sets all free,

Hath paid his ransom now and full discharge.

How died he?—death to life is crown or shame.

All by him fell, thou say'st; by whom fell he?

What glorious hand gave Samson his death's wound?

Messenger: Unwounded of his enemies he fell.

Manoa: Wearied with slaughter, then, or how? Explain.

Messenger: By his own hands.

Manoa: Self-violence! What cause

Brought him so soon at variance with himself

Among his foes?

Messenger: Inevitable cause—

At once both to destroy and be destroyed.

The edifice, where all were met to see him,

Upon their heads and on his own he pulled.

The building was a spacious theatre,

Half round on two main pillars vaulted high,

With seats where all the lords, and each degree

Of sort, might sit in order to behold.

Immediately

Was Samson as a public servant brought,

In their state livery clad.

At sight of him the people with a shout

Rifted the air, clamoring their god with praise,

Who had made their dreadful enemy their thrall.

He patient, but undaunted, where they led him,

Came to the place; and what was set before him,

Which without help of eye might be assayed,

To heave, pull, draw, or break, he still performed

All with incredible, stupendous force,

None daring to appear antagonist

At length, for intermission sake, they led him

Between the pillars; he his guide requested,

As over-tired, to let him lean awhile

With both his arms on those two massy pillars,

That to the arched roof gave main support.

He unsuspicious led him; which when Samson

Felt in his arms, with head awhile inclined,

And eyes fast fixed, he stood, as one who prayed,

Or some great matter in his mind revolved.

At last, with head erect, thus cried aloud,

"Hitherto, lords, what your commands imposed

I have performed, as reason was, obeying,

Not without wonder or delight beheld;

Now, of my own accord, such other trial

I mean to show you of my strength yet greater

As with amaze shall strike all who behold."

This uttered, straightening all his nerves, he bowed.

As with the force of winds and waters pent

When mountains tremble, those two massy pillars

With horrible convulsions 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 solemnise this feast.

Samson, with these immixed, inevitably

Pulled down the same destruction on himself;

The vulgar only scaped, who stood without.

Manoa: Samson hath quit himself

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