Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-22
from the Baltimore Americana


OR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMfL
OF DAGON.
Dagon is set ON high to-day, the temple vale
Treinble with music and the peoples shouts;
Philiista's lords grow merry at the feast
Thei. hearts are melting with the heat OF winsi
The laugh OF women ard the dancer 3 teet
Have drowsed their ecc!s in pleasure, and they call
For Samson, Israels captive Judge, to rouse
hsir hearts 10 motion with bis fsats OF strength.
The prison gates by open a; the call
Aud Samson comes-led by n iitue cnio'
What mockery was th;s'
Or was It mockery or was it fear
A child were harmless in this strong mans reach,
rs infant innocence could fear ho hurt.
But who, of all Phillista's braVest men,
Had dared to take the giant by the hand
Blind tho he was, and lead him forth
To INSULT None-for as be stood
Within the entrance Of the Temple Gate
They trembled though they Knocked.
The lightnings Of his eyes were gone,
But in his limbs the thunder still remained,
The muscles played like waves along his arms
And massive thighs, and ss he moved.
Each step was echoed in the peoples hearts.
The centre of the Hall is reached; be stops-
An awful presence in that heather crowd,
A Nszarte of God-the living God
Jeered at by worshippers o! brass and wood
lilo. Samson, rouse thse, ran OF strenRtn,
"Where be thy Foxes nov aud arebraudsl
The gates of GAIA lie upon toe Hills
"And the grass covers them.
'.Ho! Samson, tits Della calls thee;
''What not word7 Traitor!
1899 what q pair of rosy srus she has
Twas them that bound thee Samson.
"Whs.. not even glance Alb! he's blind
Blind" ard they laughed.
Blind but the stron2 man smiled,
His hand had wandered mid his glowing LOCKS
And they were Tonga prayer had gone,
Silent. but mighty, from his heart that hour,
Up to the throne OF God whose own he was
Blind oh, God of Isreal,' he cried;
Al. thI do
"Mipe eyesight lost; give back the mighty s;.epg'h
That once was niue, aud let me rear
10; all these Temple stones a funeral Eyre
'Of Vengeance. on my foes.
IL ssk not TO be epared would not live, ,
Let me be burisd with the tauntDg crowd.
He lifted up his head. for ,hro' big veins
Hs fel; the rushing OF the Ged sent tide.
"Cni!d," he cried, "guide thou my hand against
"Ths centre pillars that uphold the roof;
al would lean on them for awhile, and rest
The child obeyed and Samson stood
Leaning his form against stately shat.
Twas but an instant, and he grasped
With right hand anu with len
The pillars twain and bowed bis head.
shock like thunder rocked the walls around;
The festal throng rushed staggering TO their feet,
Their pale lips wide apart and staring eyes;
Cups fell from hands, unoerved with wine and iaar'
And he, the ruler Of the feast, stood up
Upon the crimson cover Of the dais,
Struck into rigid silence by the shock,
aul pOluliHk, VIII ul6 cpIo Nui'o hpkSAfs
Tns swayiDg pillars and the mighty man.
Whers BIZ the Knockers now the mouths that jeerf
What, not word ali they're dumb.
Dumb bat no one laughed.
An hour ago they shouted when they saw
That mighty strength expended for their sport
Bat now, when pnionsd to vss,er deed
Liaked to the justice Of the living God
no voice gave back applause.
Agais the strong man bowed,
His feet took hold upon the shaking earth
Like driven bolts, his broad back bent,
And ehapeless, from the muscles strain,
His arms encircug each, lofty shaft,
L!ks twiring boa's round tho forest oaks.
A silence followed, like the hush Of storms
Then, with craah-
That startled Israel, wondering, from their tenta-
The pile came down.
Trees, leagues away, swayed TO and fro
And shook their leaves as If a tempest stirred;
Clouds high in air, lifted aud bsled out
Like sails In gusty winds;
And from the ruins rose thick, black dust,
That slowly dragged lie massive folds away
Across the western hls.
January 81, 1858.