[6-text p 258]
By verray force at a Gaȝan on a nyght
Maugere philistienys of that Citee
The ȝatis of the toun he hath vp plyȝt [folio 353a]
And on his bak I-karyede hem hath hee
Line 3240
Hye on an hil wheere as men myȝte hym se
O noble almyghty Sampson leue & deere
Haddist thow nat told to women thyn secre
In al this world ne hadde be thyn peere
Line 3244
This Sampson neythir Sythir drank ne wyn
Nor on his heed cam rasor non ne scheere
By precept of the massangeer deuyn /
For alle hise strenthis in hise heris weere
Line 3248
And fully twenty wyntyr ȝeer be ȝeere
He hadde of Israel the gouernaunce
But soone schal he wepe ful manye a teere
For women schal hym brynge to myschaunce
Line 3252
Vn-to his leman Dalida he tolde
That in hise heris al hise strenthe lay
And falsely to hise fomen sche hym solde
And slepynge vp in hire barm vp-on a day
Line 3256
Sche maade to clippe or schere his heer a-way
And made his fomen his craft espyen
And whan that they hym fond in this aray
They boundyn hym faste & puttyn out hise eyen
Line 3260
But er his heed / was clyppid or I-schaue
Theere was no bond [[nd,] / with whiche men [en, corrected]] mygh hym bynde
But now is he / in prisoun in a Caue
Wheere as they made / hym at the querne to grynde
Line 3264
O noble Sampson / strongeste of man kynde
O whilom Iuge / in glorye & in rychesse
Now mayst thow wepyn / with thynne eyen blynde
Sythe thow from wele / art fallyn in wrechedenesse
Line 3268
