of God as compared with the
nothingness of Dagon.

The third act opens with a dialogue in which Harapha brings the message
to Samson that he must repair to the feast of Dagon to delight the
Philistines with some of his feats of strength. Upon Samson's refusal,
Harapha sings the threatening aria, "Presuming Slave!" The Israelites
invoke the protection of God in the spirited chorus, "With Thunder
armed," closing with a prayer which changes to wild and supplicating
entreaty. Samson at last yields in a tender, pathetic aria ("Thus when
the Sun"), which seems to anticipate his fate. In a song of solemn
parting ("The Holy One of Israel be thy Guide"), accompanied by the
chorus ("To Fame immortal go"), his friends bid him farewell. The
festivities begin, and in an exultant chorus ("Great Dagon has subdued
our Foe") the Philistines are heard exulting over Samson's discomfiture.
Micah and Manoah, hearing the sounds, are filled with anxiety, and the
latter expresses his solicitude in the tender aria, "How willing my
paternal Love." But the scene suddenly changes. In a short, crashing
presto the coming destruction is anticipated. The trembling Israelites
express their alarm in the chorus, "Hear us, our God," and appeal to
Heaven for protection. A Messenger rushes upon the scene and announces
that Samson is dead and has involved the destruction of his enemies in
the general calamity. Micah gives expression to his grief in the touching
aria, "Ye Sons of Israel, now lament," followed by the Israelites in a
sorrowful wail, "Weep, Israel, weep." A funeral march, in the major key,
intervenes, full of tender expression of sorrow,--for which, after the
first two representations Handel substituted the Dead March from "Saul;"
and both marches are now printed in the scores for general use. As at
first written, the oratorio closed with the effective chorus and solo,
"Bring the Laurels;" but, as has been already said, a year afterwards
Handel made a different ending. Manoah calls upon the people to cease
their lamentation, and the funeral pageant is followed by the magnificent
trumpet aria, "Let the bright Seraphim,"--a song worthy only of the
greatest artists, both with voice and instrument,--and the equally
magnificent chorus, "Let their celestial Concerts," which closes the
great oratorio with triumphant exultation.

[4] "John Beard, a quondam chorister of the Chapel Royal, under Bernard
Gates, and afterwards the greatest English tenor