, sneers at their God as
impotent and craven, lifts up the horn of Dagon, who, he says, shall
pursue Jehovah as a falcon pursues a dove. The speech fills Samson with
a divine anger, which bursts forth in a canticle of prayer and
prophecy. There is a flash as of swords in the scintillant scale
passages which rush upward from the eager, angry, pushing figure which
mutters and rages among the instruments. The Israelites catch fire from
Samson's ecstatic ardor and echo the words in which he summons them to
break their chains. Abimelech rushes forward to kill Samson, but the
hero wrenches the sword from the Philistine's hand and strikes him
dead. The satrap's soldiers would come to his aid, but are held in fear
by the hero, who is now armed. The Israelites rush off to make war on
their oppressors. The High Priest comes down from the temple of Dagon
and pauses where the body of Abimelech lies. Two Philistines tell of
the fear which had paralyzed them when Samson showed his might. The
High Priest rebukes them roundly for their cowardice, but has scarcely
uttered his denunciation before a Messenger enters to tell him that
Samson and his Israelitish soldiers have overrun and ravaged the
country. Curses and vows of vengeance against Israel, her hero, and her
God from the mouth of Dagon's servant. One of his imprecations is
destined to be fulfilled:--

Maudit soit le sein de la femme
Qui lui donna le jour!
Qu'enfin une compagne infame
Trahisse son amour!

Revolutions run a rapid course in operatic Palestine. The insurrection
is but begun with the slaying of Abimelech, yet as the Philistines,
bearing away his body, leave the scene, it is only to make room for the
Israelites, chanting of their victory. We expect a sonorous hymn of
triumph, but the people of God have been chastened and awed by their
quick deliverance, and their paean is in the solemn tone of temple
psalmody, the first striking bit of local color which the composer has
introduced into his score--a reticence on his part of which it may be
said that it is all the more remarkable from the fact that local color
is here completely justified:--

[figure: a musical score excerpt, sung to the words "Praise, ye
Jehovah! Tell all the wondrous story! Psalms of praise loudly swell!]

"Hymne de joie, hymne de deliverance
Montez vers l'Eternel!"

It is a fine piece of dramatic characterization; which is followed by
one whose serene beauty i