Samson and Delilah; Or Dagon Stoops To Sabaoth

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Samson and Delilah; Or Dagon Stoops To Sabaoth

Samson and Delilah; Or Dagon Stoops To Sabaoth:

A Biblio-Romantic Tragedy, In The Five Acts, With A Prelude.

ACT V. SAMSON'S Revenge and SABAOTH'S Triumph. FINAL TABLEAU: The Fall of DAGON'S Temple

The STAGE DIRECTIONS.

COSTUMES.

ANGEL—Auburn traveling garb, underneath a white garment, reaching down to the knees for transformation. First, with turban; after transformation without head-dress. Long waving locks. In the commencement with a staff—at the transformation with a palm branch in the hand.

PLIAS—Crown. Pancer. Gold embroidered purple cloak, with wide folds, held together at the neck by some golden emblem of sovereignty.

BOLON—Sea-green, long Priest’s robe, gold embroidered, ornamented with silver and golden figures of fishes and sea monsters. Over the head down to the shoulders hangs a white toga, over which is set a kind of crown, representing a shark’s jaw, resembling that of Dagon.

SAMSON.——A lion’s skin thrown over the shoulder; underneath, a short, light-blue, silver embroidered garb. Turban. Wig with seven long locks. Curled beard. Short side-weapon. From Fourth Act, prison robe, fleshings.

Manoah.—Turban. Dark and long garment, with side pieces falling down. Bearing a staff.

DELILAH.—Rose robe, with dark-green Tunic. Long, gold-embroidered veil, flowing in two parts down her shoulders, the hair extending under the head ornament and charmingly slided behind the ears.

NAMILAH.—White robe with gold-embroidered Tunic. A long veil turned sideways. Light flower wreath in the curled hair. From the Fourth Act, dark boy's dress, the hair bound up with a blue ribbon.

ABIGAIL—White turban lowered deep on the face. Long dark garment.

SHEPHERDS—Long black cloaks, with black capes.

MESSENGERS AND CHORUS OF WARRIORS.—Helmets and shields.

CHORUS OF PRIESTS.—Oriental robes, perspicuous and brilliant, all with togas and fish figures—wearing fleshings and sandals.

CHORUS OF PHILISTINE WOMEN.—Long garments of brilliant colors, with turban and veil.

SCENERY.

PRELUDE.—Foot of a mountain, with a perspicuous rock on the stage, Palm trees and chaotic vegetation.

FIRST ACT.—The Court before Dagon's Temple.

SECOND ACT.—First and Third Scenes, the Orientally adorned Saloon. Second Scene, the Scenery of the First Act.

THIRD ACT.—First Scene, Scenery of the First Act. Second Scene, Garden decorated with Oriental richness and splendor. On the right in foreground a widely opened myrtle veranda. Third Scene, Gorgeous sleeping apartment in an Oriental style. An ottoman and an escutcheon at the right side. Fourth Scene, Hall for private worship of the Idolaters. Dagon's statue stands in the background; before him stands a small altar.

FOURTH ACT.—Dark walled prison—a heavy block with chains at the side.

FIFTH ACT.—First Scene, the Court before the Dagon's Temple. Second Scene, The open Dagon's Temple. Dagon stands—the fire glowing in the back ground. It is a figure with a misshaped face of a man—long chin, beard and large cross-eyes. On the head, like a crown, he wears an opened shark's jaw—the fins instead of the hands, which look as if stretched forth. Steps are leading to the Idol. On the right side and the left side of the steps stand the pillars, the parts of which are slightly fastened—connected by the cornices with the door pillars. The whole area must be so arranged that it easily falls. The back wall is double and it falls down at the destruction of the Temple, then representing the ruins of the tottered edifice.

SAMSON AND DELILAH.

PRELUDE.

THE ANNUNCIATION.

[Judges XIII. 1-23. Josephus, Antiq. of the Jews, Book V., Chap, VIII.]

Scene The First

[Previous to the rise of the curtain sacred music, between which are heard the bells of flocks grazing in the background. The scene represents a mountainous landscape, a group of rocks extending to the center of the stage. An ANGEL is discovered in the background advances, and sings:]

THE ANGEL: Sacred hymns I'll chant to THEE,

Thine eternal love and power Mighty worlds reveal to me,

Nor does less this violet flower.

[Kneeling.]

List, oh, list unto my word, Holy, holy, holy Lord!

[Rises, and advances still more to the front of the stage.]

Before the highest throne, where bands of angels

Pay homage and partake of sacred blessings,

There reigns forever in glory unexpressed

A vernal season of unrelenting peace.

But, bountiful Creator, Oh, accept,

No less from hence, my Hail! My Hallelujah!

For, THOU hast also formed this fragrant globe,

Capable of peace and happiness and glory;

Before the highest throne, where bands of angels

That it appears to me most wonderful,

A photogeny, on clay, of my bright home.

Delightful must it be, this life below,

Where thou, Sun, thou footstool of thy Maker,

Break'st forth from thy auroral gates diminished,

This landscape bathing with thy golden gleams,

While thousandfold thy radiant brilliancy

Is mirrored in each drop of morning dew.

It must be beautiful, this world of mortals.

Our human equals, who compare with us

In all, except their garments, grave-destined.

And felt I not embarrassed and constrained

To wear this body, as the decoration

For messengers of Heaven, dispatched to man,

I would not care, were I allowed to dwell

Forever with the children of hope and love.

But hark! I hear them slowly now approach.

For sake of their domestic peace descended,

I must repeatedly proclaim to them

That message, which comprises all their wishes.

Though I, to whom the future is revealed,

I spend a tear of my immortal nature

For him whose coming I shall prophesy,

His high commission Heaven hath thus ordained:

"To live a life of errors, passions, trials,

And die a death heroically sublime,

That he proclaim: Triumph for Sabaoth!"

[Enter MANOAH and ABIGAIL.]

ABIGAIL: There stands the holy man; and now I hope

That thou wilt silence for all future days

Thy foolish jealousy. Whilst a girl.

Always was I called a lotus bloom.

For living blameless, pure, and virtuous,

As it behooveth all true Israel's daughters.

Now, nearly old, reproachless and unblemished,

I will not bear it, that thou dar'st to doubt

My constancy, the pledge of youthful love.

MANOAH: If aught I wronged thee, pardon it, Abigail.

But how may I believe those things so strange,

"Which thou relatest ? Yet art thou fair, wife!

And beauty kindleth fear and—

ABIGAIL: Peace! For lo,

The holy man, who came to me, ere this

Waiteth smilingly: he would be spoken to.

MANOAH: Art thou the stranger, who within these days

Hath spoken to this woman, and of things

Which shall hereafter come to pass ?

ANGEL: I am.

ABIGAIL: 'Tis he.

MANOAH: Pray let me also hear thy words.

Which heretofore thou hast proclaimed to her,

That I may learn the mission of that son.

ANGEL: Be't even thus.—As I advised the woman

So will it be fulfilled; but let her beware,

That she do not partake of unclean things.

Nor let her taste of wine nor drink that's strong.

For lo, the child shall be a Nazarite!

No razor e'er must come upon his head.

And he it is who shall begin delivering

The Israelites from the Philistine hands,

Into whose servitude they are consigned

Long since, for their committing godless deeds.

MANOAH: Let me beseech thee, be detained, and grant

That I prepare refreshments for my guest.

ANGEL: Though ye detain me, I accept of naught.

But will ye bring it as a sacrifice

Before the Lord, prepare a holocaust.

MANOAH: Abigail, go; and cause that yonder shepherds

Forthwith prepare an offering.

[Exit ABIGAIL.]

O thou, proclaiming things miraculous,

For which fulfillment oft I have besought

Most fervently my God, so that my name

May not be blotted out in Israel,

Permit that I may ask of thee a boon.

Tell me thy name, that I may duly praise thee,

Whence come to pass those promised joyful tidings.

ANGEL: All praise to Him alone who sends me hither.

[Re-enter ABIGAIL, with the two shepherds, who bring the covered sacrifice, and place it on the rock.]

ABIGAIL: As thou desirdest,

I've done; yon rock may serve

As an altar, where our gift is sacrificed.

Thou, stranger, surely art a priest, for asking

Of us to sacrifice; come, then, and do

According to our law—for all is ready—

While we kneel down devoutly here and pray.

[MANOAH, ABIGAIL, and the shepherds kneel; (the white fire;) the ANGEL throws off his disguise, blesses them, and ascends the rock; he touches the sacrifice with a palm-branch that he holds in his hands; the flames (the red fire) break forth and illumine the tableau, during which the curtain falls.]

Act First

A BETROTHAL. JUDGES XIV. 1—14.

Scene The First

[MANOAH and ABIGAIL pensive before the pillars of DAGON'S Temple. Enter SAMSON, with some antique urn.]

SAMSON: Shalam Alichum, venerable parents!

ABIGAIL: Alichum Shalam, dear son!

MANOAH: O, Lord,

Thy peace be granted to our erring child!

SAMSON: Behold what I obtained by Heaven's grace,

Since we parted where yon roads divide.

Fatigued and famished from a weary voyage.

You vowed religiously not to partake

Of aught which Israel's law forbids. On honey

May you be refreshed. By chance I found it

Within a lion's decomposed remains.

A hive of bees choose strangely there to settle,

Against that insect's natural inclination.

ABIGAIL: Thanks, son, for thy affection dutiful.

Which sweet, honey-like, refreshed my heart;

Yet, had'st thou fought and conquered first the lion—

SAMSON: [Aside.] Exactly as it happened lately, though

The deed I owned not, that I vainly boast

Before my tribe, but held my peace discreet.

ABIGAIL: If thou hadst risked thy life to win the prize,

It could ne'er compare with the sacrifice

Which we shall bring to gratify thy wishes.

MANOAH: Thus far parental fondness leads astray,

That we stand now before the Gentiles' temple,

And are about demanding of a heathen

A wife for our only beloved son.

SAMSON: I pray ye, silence! By divine impulsion,

I feel thus prompted to select my wife.

MANOAH: My son, my child! Our God hath chosen thee

To save and to redeem our fettered nation.

SAMSON: Yet I believe, and do confess, it is

Not brutal force for which the Lord our God

Ordained this noble calling unto me.

May I not peaceably unite two nations

Who previously have shed their blood in streams?

May I not raise the banner of our faith

Upon this land of blind idolaters?

God's cause is peace! I'll teach that to the world,

With all the inspiration of my heart.

I thus have argued, when you sent me hither

To find occasion to infest our foes;

And while their lines I sought for first attack,

I conquered. Chance—if such a thing as chance

Exists—nay, Providence divine, I trust,

Brought me in contact with the heathen priest;

And then, with o'erpowering arguments,

Supported by the eloquence that's given

Involuntarily by good cause, I have

Inspired with such esteem and admiration

The Dagon's high priest, that I surely hope

My mission's end will be attained in peace,

By the conversion of a Gentile nation.

To gain this victory I have selected

Love for my counsel and interpreter.

No longer therefore interfere; I pray

To have Namilah for my legal spouse.

MANOAH: Though hard it be disturbing these sweet dreams,

To which a noble, youthful heart inspires,

Ah, Samson! Couldst thou but see with fathers' eyes,

Hadst thou experienced all the luring vileness,

All baseness, of their false and selfish hearts,

The lack of conscience and of holy truth

Of the uncircumcised thou seekst befriending.—

Thou wouldst now disdain thy ungodly choice.

Ne'er will that mutual discord harmonize,

Which always has constrained us from this nation.

On whose account the Lord through Moses bade us,

"Not covenant with them, nor show them mercy;

Thy daughters give thou not unto their sons,

Nor shalt thou take unto thy sons their daughters;

For they will turn thy seed away from God!"

ABIGAIL: Our tribe regards thy father as a sage,

An upright, pious man; he means it well.

O, listen, son! I urge thee with my tears;

Return e'en yet, ere thou repent too late.

SAMSON: I'll render to Heaven and to my race

All service I am able to perform,

But I will not for this destroy my peace.

These hands shall never, never be in bondage;

They shape, united with this head and heart,

My life's own course, my home, my happiness;

Nor will I these resign e'en for your story.

That I, a Nazarite, be not deprived

Of these my seven locks.

ABIGAIL: Pray, senseless man, how oft shall I relate

That I was childless, like a barren tree?

I tilled the field as respite from my grief;

The soil drank many times my bitter tears;

For it appeared to me a dream so dear,

To be embraced by one beloved child!

Thus toiling pensively, behold,

To me appeared the Angel of the Lord,

Who unto me revealed this promise bright:

"Thou shalt be the mother of a Nazarite!"

SAMSON: Spare thy words! Against God's decree 'tis struggling;

For I shall reconcile these hostile nations.

But should I fail, then lends this coalition

To me, a deadly weapon for all future.

MANOAH: Since that most solemn moment of our life,

Thy mother deemed herself as graced by Heaven;

As if she were the holy tabernacle.

Wherein the high priest had retired to sleep.

And after thou hadst entered life, my son,

She suffered as no other mother doth,

In fear, anxiety, and trembling hope.

Constant on guard in day-time were our cares;

By night, disturbed from rest, we watched thy sleep.

And when I sometimes rightly disapproved

Such fond excess of her maternal love—

ABIGAIL: Then did I lift thee in my arms, and cried,

Lo, the deliverer of our shackled people!

SAMSON: Take this my sword, and thrust it through my breasts;

More agonies, ah, death cannot contain,

Than those remonstrances against my love!

MANOAH: Is there within the bounds of Israel

No maiden worthy of thyself and us?

Among the dark-eyed daughters of our race,

Couldst none select to wed, and be content?

Ay, must thou to these Gentiles go, to take

Thy wife—a daughter of their idol's priest?

SAMSON: Will prudence—reason—argue well with love?

Doth morning dew, before its falling, ask

If it shall hang on briars' dusty thorns,

Or silvery pearl upon the buds of roses?

Doth prematurely calculate the sun,

If his first rays in spring shall hold embraced

The icicles of gorgeous mountain crags,

Or kiss the dew from off some white May flower?

Again—a fountain bursts the breast of rock:

Is it not equal to the murmuring brook.

If watering here industrious peasant fields,

Or there is blessing the acres of rich misers,

And then pursues through God's or Dagon's temple

Its winded course towards the roaring ocean?

These things, heartless and dumb and deaf, obey

God's everlasting natural commands.

How can a man beforehand be enabled

To figure up adjusting arguments,

When all at once his most vehement feeling,

His noblest passion—love—breaks forth to light

Like morning dew, or vernal sun or fountain?

Can you expect an answer to nice questions,

When in the mind all thoughts are wild and whirling,

And every drop of blood is burning fever?

No! Love—true love—is ne'er constrained by creeds,

Nor doth it calculate with prudent sense;

Its laws a loving heart but comprehends.

MANOAH: Let us with him no longer remonstrate:

His heart is overwhelmed, so that his words

Are blazing sentiments, too passionate,

Too lofty for a common understanding.

[He knocks at the Temple door.]

[Enter the High Priest, BOLON.]

BOLON: Blessed be ye all in Dagon's holy name!

Ye strangers are received by him with grace.

Our heartfelt gratitude accept. Yet, Bolon,

As strangers, pray, upon us look no longer.

For these here are my dear beloved parents.

Who came, according to your national customs,

To ask of thee, of the Philistines all.

Thy daughter, promised to me long ere this.

BOLON: The rites of our new covenant of peace

We previously must then exchange, my son.

Those will secure our future satisfaction.

I, friendly, therefore, shall embrace thee, father

Of this much-coveted, heroic son.

MANOAH: [Aside to Samson.] Inform the Gentile, son, that I abhor

To speak to him whose very breath I shun.

[BOLON embraces him. MANOAH, though not resisting, shows by action his abhorence.]

BOLON: And prostrating myself, I kiss thy feet,

O, blessed mother of our mighty Samson.

ABIGAIL: [Aside to Samson.] I'd rather have my soles upon his neck,

Than grant his unclean lips to touch my sandals.

[BOLON, prostrate, and kisses her feet.]

MANOAH: [Aside to Abigail.] How shall I find the strength to ask of him

That he receive our Samson for his own?

ABIGAIL: The lips of man must find it oft convenient

To smile at times when the heart revolts and grieves.

BOLON: Hark ye! in long procession now approacheth—Namilah followed by her troop of playmates.

[Music. Enter the procession in this order. The Warriors with banners. PLIAS under a throne-palanquin. Attendants. NAMILAH and DELILAH. Attendants of the women.]

PLIAS: Hail, all hail to Dagon!

CHORUS: Hail, all hail!

BOLON: To him all glory forever!

CHORUS: Hail, all hail!

To him who ruleth all life within the waters,

We yearly bring a holy sacrifice;

He yearly asks of us a human being—

A little boy burnt in his altar flames.

On whose expiring life he looks with grace.

Should we dispense with this, he wields the storm—

Lets loose the hurricane from his throne of shells,

And, foamingly, calamities he thundereth

Upon the sons of clay.

PLIAS: [Aside.] Dagon, I pray Send on these strangers all thy raging wrath.

DELILAH: [Aside.] Send on them thy simoon's scorching breath.

BOLON: Proceed, originators of our hero,

According to our usage, you must claim

Namilah as a legal spouse for Samson,

Adopting her thereby as your own daughter,

While I accept him for my flesh and blood.

MANOAH: Ay, Samson, take thy father's place and speak.

BOLON: It must not be ! 'tis 'gainst our laws.

MANOAH: I am compelled then—O, it breaks my heart!

SAMSON: Namilah, come! Console my rev'rend parents,

Persuade and reconcile them, to our love.

Thy rosy lips will surely have more force

To make them understand our happiness.

NAMILAH: No! Never will I, dare I, think of parting

With him by his own dear parents' hands—

No! Venerable father, mother, no!

Ye will not take from me that precious place

In both of your beloved hearts. No, no!

Do grant that I may be your child or slave.

When oft by the moon's silver rays, my Samson

Related his ancestors' deeds and life.

Unknown emotions, new to me till then,

Awak'ned their unshaken faith in God.

He spoke of Abraham, your prototype.

Who built the altar on the mountain's top,

For sacrificing, piously to God,

His only son, the long devoutly prayed for,

Of Isaac—quietly submitting, suffering

His life to bleed away upon the stone.

Already lifts his eyes the son to Heaven—

Already flashed the knife ui the father's grasp.

In that most solemn moment of their trial

The angel of the Lord bids Abr'am stop.

And shouts, "I know now that thou fears't the Lord,

For thou hast not withheld thy only one

From me. Thou, therefore, shalt a blessing be

To all the nations of the universe."

Yes! When then Samson, with sonorous voice,

With joyful hope, repeated Abr'am's answer—

That solemn answer: Here am I, my Lord,

Like lightning in a night of storm, it seemed

Man's godly destiny revealed to me

In deeds of such devoted piety.

But hear the angel's voice again: Your son

And I, we are prepar'd, if you refuse.

Come, Samson, I embrace their knees; let them

(If I cannot persuade,) now bind our hands

To be their sacrifice. But God, from Heaven,

Bids ye, as once to Abra'ham, stop!

ABIGAIL: Manoah, see, my eyes with tears are filled;

Thy heart, too, her appeals must needs have touched.

[Embraces NAMILAH.]

Rise, for I wish myself no better daughter.

MANOAH: Maiden! Thou hast conquer'd not alone the son.

But also more mature affection won.

[Embraces NAMILAH, then advances to BOLON.]

Here take my hand, according to your customs;

I will make friendship, covenant of peace,

With ye, foes of my land and Sabaoth.

This maiden be my son's beloved wife,

Thou wilt hereafter own him as thy son.

BOLON: According: to our country's custom, then,

I make with ye a covenant of peace.

Here take my hand, foe of my God and country.

My daughter shall henceforth your child be called,

She is confirmed by me as Samson's wife.

For seven days, the nuptial ceremonies

We'll celebrate. Ye all I bid my guests.

PLIAS: Yet hear; before thou bless this pair, and part,

Samson, thou must, according to our usage.

Give to your guests a chance to win of thee

A bridegroom's prize—some valuable present.

SAMSON: I will—let me propose to you a riddle—

PLIAS: [Aside.] Perdition on him! He escapes the snare

Which I had laid for him, did he choose a fight

Or game with weapons, as I did expect

Of one that boasts to be so brave and strong!

SAMSON: And if you can succeed in solving this

Within the week, I promise forfeiture

Of thirty festive shirts and thirty garments.

But if you fail, then you must pay to me

The same amount.

PLIAS: 'T is fair; we all agree.

SAMSON: Then, listen:—"The devourer gave nourishment,

And sweets came from the strong."

PLIAS: Is that the whole?

SAMSON: It is! Though simple in its frame—beware

That the expense pay not your failing wits.

PLIAS: I hurl the snare back to its origin,

For Isr'el serves yet to Philistia.

SAMSON: By Heaven's disposition t'was decreed.

We otherwise were not subdued by cowards.

BOLON: Keep counsel, noblemen; cause not a breach

Of peace, whose covenant we just have made.

Ere we begin the solemn festival,

Our children, come, be blessed for evermore!

MUSIC AND CHORUS: Hail, hail, hail!

When mankind frail,

Unite in peace and love,

Then smile the gods down from above,

Their choicest blessings without fail;

We therefore shout, "hail, hail, hail!"

[Tableau:—SAMSON and NAMILAH (bowing.) MANOAH, ABIGAIL, and BOLON, blessing them with their outstretched hands. DELILAH. Semicircle of the attendants. PLIAS. (DELILAH and PLIAS aside gesticulate their anger and disgust.)]

[The curtain slowly falls.]