The Historie of Samson: Section 4

Manoah desires to know the fashion
And breeding of his promis'd sonne;
To whom the Angel makes relation
Of all things needfull to be done.

WIth that the Danite rose; and being guided
By his perplexed wife, they, both divided
Their heedlesse paces, ill they had attain'd
The field, the of God remain'd:
And, drawing eerer to hs presence, stai'd
His weary steps, and, with obeysance, said:
Art thou the blessed lips oretold
Those joyfull ? Shall my tongue be bold,
Without the breach of manners to request
This boone, Art tho that Prophet, that possest
This barren woman, with a hope, that She
Shall beare a Sonne? He answer'd, I am He:
Said Manoah, then; Let not a word of thine
Be lost; let them continue to divine
Our future happinesse: let them be crown'd
With truth; and thou with honour, to be found
A holy Prophet: Let performance blesse
And speed thy speeches with a faire successe:
But tell me, Sir; when this great worke is done,
And time shall bring to light this promis'd Sonne,
What sacred Ceremonies shall we use?
What Rites? What way of bleeding shall we chuse
T' observe? What holy course of life shall be
Be trained in? What shall his Office be?
Whereat th' attentive Angel did divide
The portall of his lips, and thus replide.
The Child, that from thy fruitfull loynes shall come
Shall be a holy Nazarite, from the wombe;
Take heed; that wombe, that shall inclose this Childe,
In no case be polluted or defilde
With Law-forbidden meates: Let her forbeare
To taste those things that are forbidden there.
The bunch-back Camell shall be no repast
For her; Her palate shall forbeare to taste
The burrow haunting Cony, and decline
The swiftfoote-Hare, and mire-delighting Swine;
The griping, Goshauke; and the towring Eagle;
The party-coloured Pye must not inveigle
Her lips to move; the brood-devouring Kite;
The croaking Raven; th' Owle that hates the light;
The steele-digesting Bird; the laste Snaile;
The Cuckow, ever telling of one tale;
The fish-consuming Osprey, and the Want,
That undermines; the greedy Cormorant;
Th' indulgent Pellican; the predictious Crow;
The chattring Storke, and ravenous Vulter too;
The thorn-backt Hedgehogge, and the prating lay;
The Lapwing, flying still the other way;
The lofty-flying Falkon, and the Mouse,
That findes no pleasure in a poore mans house;
The suck-egge Weasell, and the winding Swallow,
From these she shall abstaine,, and not unhallow
Her op'ned lips with their polluted flesh;
Strong drinke she must forbeare, and to refresh
Her lingring palate, with lu-breeding Wine;
The Grape, or what proceedeth from the Vine,
She must not taste, for feare she be defilde,
And so pollute her wombe-enclosed Childe:
When time shall make her mother of a Sonne,
Beware, no keen-edg'd Raisor come upon
His bllowed Crowne: the haire upon his head
Must not be cut: His bountious lockes must spred
On his broad shoulders: From his first drawne breath
The Childe shall be a Nazarite, to his death.