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¶ The maryage of Samsom. He hylleth a Lyon. He propoundeth a ryddle. ••e hylleth. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••en. His wyfe forsaketh hym, and taketh another.
SAmson went downe to Thamnath, and [unspec A] saw a woman in Thānath of the dough∣ters of the Philistines, and he came by, and
tolde his father, and his mother, and sayde: I haue sene a woman in Thamnath of the doughters of the Philistines. And now gyue her me to wyfe. Then his father and mother sayde vnto hym, * 1.1 Is there neuer a woman amonge the doughters of thy brethren, and amonge all my people, but that thou must go, & take a wyfe of the vncircumcised Phi∣listines? And Samson sayd vnto his father: gyue me this womā, for she pleaseth me wel. But his Father and mother wyst not that it was the Lordes doynge, and that he sought an occasyon agaynste the Philistines, for at that tyme the Philistines reygned ouer Is∣raell. Then went Samson, and his father, & [unspec B] his mother downe to Thamnath, and came to the vineyeardes of Thamnath: And be∣holde, a yonge ❀ (vvod) Lyon roored vpon hym. And the spiryte of the lorde came vpon hym. And he tare hym, as he wolde haue rent a kyd, and yet had nothynge in his hande, neyther tolde his father and mother what he had done. And he went downe, and talked with the woman▪ whiche semed well fauou∣red in the syght of Samson. And with∣in a shorte space after, as he went thyther agayne to take her to wyfe, he turned out of the waye, to se the carkas of the Lyon. And beholde, there was a swarme of bees, & hony in the carkas of the Lyon. And he toke of the honye in his handes, and went eatynge, and came to his father & mother, and gaue them also. And they dyd eat. But he tolde not them that he had taken the honye out of the car∣kas of the Lyon.
And so his father came vnto the woman, [unspec C] and Samson made there a feast, for so vsed the yonge men to do. And ❀ when they ❀ (the cy••esens of that place) sawe hym, they brought xxx. companions to be with hym. And Sam∣son sayde vnto them: I wyll now put forth a ryddle vnto you, and yf ye can declare it me within seuen dayes of the feast, and fynde it oute, I wyll gyue you thirtye shertes, and xxx. chaung of garmentes: But and yf ye can not declare it me, then shall ye gyue me thyr∣tye shertes & thyrtye chaunge of garmentes. And they answered him: put forth the ryddle, that we may heare it. And he said vnto them: Out of the eater came meate, and out of the stronge came swetnesse. And they coulde not in thre dayes expounde the ryddle. And when the seuenth daye was come, they sayde vnto Samsons wyfe: flater thyne husband ❀ (and persvvade hym) that he maye declare vs the ryddle, lest we burne the & thy fathers house with fyre▪ Haue ye called vs hyther, to make vs beggers? And Samsons wyfe wepte be∣fore hym, ❀ (complayned) and sayde: Surely thou hatest me & louest me not: for thou hast put forth a ryddle vnto the Chyldren of my folke, and hast not tolde it me. And he sayde vnto her: Beholde, I haue not tolde it my fa¦ther, and my mother, and shall I tell it the?
And Samsons wyfe wepte before hym seuen dayes, whyle the feaste lasted. And the seuenth daye he tolde her, bycause she laye so sore vpon hym. And she tolde it the chyldren of her folke. And the men of the ritye sayde vnto hym the seuenth daye, before the sonne went downe. What is swetter then honye, & what is stronger then a Lyon? Then sayd he vnto them: Yf ye had not ☞ plowed with my calfe, ye had not founde out my ryddle. And he went downe to Askalon, and slewe thyrtye men of them, and spoyled them, and gaue chaunge of garmentes vnto them whiche ex∣pounded the ryddle. And he was wrothe, and went vp to his fathers house. But Sāsons wyfe was gyuen to one of his companyons, that he had taken vnto hym.
Deut. vii. a