His Brother for of whom fuch maffacre
Make they but of their Brethren, Men of Men? 680 But who was that Juft Man, whom had not Heav'n Rescu'd, had in his Righteousness been loft ?
To whom thus Michael. These are the product
Of thofe ill-mated marriages thou saw'st:
Where good with bad were match'd, who of themselves
Abhorto join: and by imprudence mix'd,
Produce prodigious Births of Body or Mind.
Such were these Giants, men of high renown;
For in those days Might only shall be admir'd,
And Valour and Heroic Virtue call'd;
To overcome in Battel, and fubdue
Nations, and bring home spoils with infinite
Man-flaughter, shall be held the highest pitch
Of human Glory, and for Glory done
Of triumph, to be ftyl❜d great Conquerors,
Patrons of Mankind, Gods, and Sons of Gods,
Destroyers rightlier call'd and Plagues of men.
Thus Fame fhall be atchiev'd, renown on Earth,
And what moft merits fame in filence hid.
But he the Seventh from thee, whom thou beheldst
The only righteous in a World perverse,
And therefore hated, therefore so befet
With Foes for daring single to be just,
And utter odious Truth, that God would come
To judge them with his Saints: Him the most High
Rapt in a balmy Cloud with winged Steeds
Did, as thou fawft, receive, to walk with God
High in falvation and the Climes of bliss,
Exempt from Death; to fhew thee what reward
Awaits the good, the rest what punishment;
Which now direct thine eyes and foon behold.
He look'd and faw the face of things quite chang'd,
The brazen throat of War had ceas'd to roar,
All now was turn'd to jollity and game.
To luxury and riot, feaft and dance,
Marrying or proftituting, as befel
Rape or adultery, where paffing fair
Allur'd them; thence from Cups to civil Broils.
At length a Reverend Sire among them came,
And of their doings great disl ke declar'd,
And teftify'd against their ways; he oft
Frequented their Affemblies, wherefo met,
Triumphs or Festivals, and to them preach'd
Converfion and Repentance, as to Souls
In Prison under Judgments imminent :
But all in vain which when he faw, he ceas'd
Contending, and remov'd his tents far off;
Then from the Mountain hewing Timber tall,
Began to build a veffel of huge bulk,
Measur'd by Cubit, length, and breadth, and heigth,
Smear'd round with Pitch, and in the fide a Door
Contriv'd, and of Provifions laid in large
For Man and Beaft: when lo a wonder strange!
Of every Beaft, and Bird, and Infect small
Came Sevens, and Pairs, and enter'din, as taught
Their Order: laft the Sire, and his three Sons
With their four Wives: and God made faft the door.
Mean while the Southwind rofe, and with black wings
Wide-hovering, all the Clouds together drove
From under Heav'n; the Hills to their Supply
Vapour and Exhalation dusk and moist,
Sent up amain; and now the thicken'd Sky
Like a dark Ceiling ftood; down rush'd the Rain
Impetuous, and continu'd till the Earth
No more was feen; the floating Veffel fwum
Uplifted, and fecure with beaked prow
Rode tilting o'er the waves, all dwellings else
Flood overwhelm'd, and them with all their pomp
Deep under water roll'd; Sea cover'd Sea;
Sea without Shore; and in their Palaces
Where luxury late reign'd, Sea-monsters whelp'd
And ftabl'd; of Mankind, fo numerous late,
All left, in one fmall bottom fwum imbark'd.
How didft thou grieve then, Adam, to behold
The End of all thy Off-fpring, End fo fad,
Depopulation! thee another Flood,
Oftears and forrow a Flood thee alfo drown'd,
And funk thee as thy Sons; till gently rear'd
By th' Angel, on thy feet thou stoodst at last,
Tho' comfortless, as when a Father mourns
His Children, all in view destroy'd at once;
And scarce to th' Angel utter'dft thus thy plaint.
O Visions ill forefeen! better had I Liv'd ignorant of future, fo had borne My part of evil only, each day's lot
Enough to bear; these now, that were dispenst
The burden of Many Ages, on me light
At once by my foreknowledge gaining Birth
Abortive, to torment me ere their being,
With thought that they must be. Let no man feek
Henceforth to be foretold what shall befal
Him or his Children, Evil he may be fure,
Which neither his foreknowing can prevent,
And he the future evil fhall no lefs
In apprehenfion than in fubftance feel
Grievous to bear: but that care now is paft,
Man is not whom to warn: thofe few efcap'd
Famin and anguish will at laft confume
Wandring that watry Defert: I had hope
When Violence was ceas'd, and War on Earth,
All would have then gone well, peace would have
with length of happy days the race of man;
But I was far deceiv'd; for now I fee
Peace to corrupt no less than Warto wafte.
How comes it thus? unfould, Celestial Guide,
And whether here the Race of Man will end.
To whom thus Michael. Thofe whom last thou fawft In Triumph and luxurious wealth, are they First feen in acts of prowess eminent
And great exploits, but of true virtue void;
Who having fpilt much blood, and done much wafte
Subduing Nations, and atchiey'd thereby
Fame in the World, high titles, and rich prey,
Shall change their courfe to pleasure, eafe, and floth,
Surfeit, and luft, till wantonnefs and pride
Raife out of friendship hoftile deeds in Peace.
The Conquer'd alfo, and enflav'd by war
Shall with their Freedom loft all virtue lofe
And fear of God, from whom their piety feign'd
In sharp contest of Battel found no aid
Against invaders; therefore cool'd in zeal
Thenceforth fhall practise how to live secure,
Worldly or diffolute, on what their Lords
Shall leave them to enjoy; for th' Earth fhall bear
More than enough, that temperance may be try'd :
So all fhall turn degenerate, all depray'd.
Juftice and Temperance, Truth and Faith forgot;
One Man except, the only Son of light
In a dark Age, against example good,
Against allurement, custom, and a World
Offended; fearless of reproach and scorn,
Or violence, he of their wicked ways
Shall them admonish, and before them fet
The paths of righteousness, how much more safe,
And full of peace, denouncing wrath to come
On their impenitence; and fhall return
Of them derided, but of God obferv'd
The one juft Man alive; by his command
Shall build a wondrous Ark, as thou beheldft,
To fave himself and houshold from amidst
A World devote to univerfal wrack.
No fooner he with them of Man and Beaft
Select for life shall in the Ark be lodg'd,
And shelter'd round, but all the Cataracts
Of Heav'n fet open on the Earth fhall pour
Rain day and night, all fountains of the Deep
Broke up, shall heave the Ocean to ufurp
Beyond all bounds, till inundation rife
Above the highest Hills: then shall this Mount
Of Paradife by might of Waves be mov'd
Out of his place, pufh'd by the horned flood,
With all his verdure spoil'd, and Trees adrift
Down the great River to the opening Gulf,
And there take root an Island salt and bare,
The haunt of Seales and Orcs, and Sea-mews clang,
To teach thee that God attributes to place
No fanctity, if none be thither brought
By Men who there frequent, or therein dwell.
And now what further fhall enfue, behold.
He look'd, and faw the Ark-hull on the flood,
Which now abated, for the Clouds were fled,
Driv'n by a keen North-wind, that blowing dry
Wrinkl'd the face of Deluge, as decay'd;
And the clear Sun on his wide watry Glass
Gaz'd hot, and of the fresh Wave largely drew,
As after thirst, which made their flowing shrink
From standing lake to tripping ebb, that stole
With foft foot towards the deep, who now had topt
His Sluces, as the Heav'n his windows fhut.
The Ark no more now flotes, but seems on ground
Faft on the top of some high mountain fixt.
And now the tops of Hills as Rocks appear;
With clamour thence the rapid Currents drive
Towards the retreating Sea their furious tyde.
Forthwith from out the Ark a Raven flies,
And after him the furer meffenger,
A Dove fent forth once and again to spy
Green Tree or ground whereon his foot may light:
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