And funk thee as thy fons; till gently rear'd By th' angel, on thy feet throu ftood'ft at laft, Though 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 vifions ill-foreseen! better had I Liv'd ignorant of future, fo had borne My part of evil only, each day's lot
Enough to bear; thofe now, that were difpens'd The burthen 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 seek Henceforth to be foretold what fhall befall
Him or his children; evil he may be sure,
Which neither his foreknowing can prevent, And he the future evil fhall no less
In apprehenfion than in fubftance feel,
Grievous to bear: but that care now is past, Man is not whom to warn those few escap'd Famine and anguifh will at laft confume, 'Wand'ring that wat'ry 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: [crown'd But I was far deceiv'd; for now I fee
Peace to corrupt no lefs than war to wafte. How comes it thus? unfold, celestial guide,
And whether here the race of man will end.
To whom thus Michael. Those whom last thou faw'st
In triumph and luxurious wealth, are they
First seen in acts of prowefs eminent,
And great exploits; but of true virtue void:
Who having spilt much blood, and done much waste Subduing nations, and achiev'd thereby
Fame in the world, high titles, and rich prey,
Shall change their course to pleasure, ease, and sloth, Surfeit, and luft, till wantonnefs and pride Raife out of friendship hoftile deeds in peace. The conquer'd also, and inflav'd by war, Shall, with their freedom lost, all virtue lofe, And fear of God, from whom their piety feign'd In fharp contest of battle found no aid Against invaders; therefore cool'd in zeal, Thenceforth fhall practise how to live fecure, Worldly or diffolute, on what their lords
Shall leave them to enjoy; for the earth shall bear More than enough, that temp'rance may be try'd: So all shall turn degenerate, all deprav'd;
Juftice and temp'rance, truth and faith forgot: One man except, the only Son of Light In a dark age, against example good, Against allurement, cuftom, and a world Offended; fearless of reproach and fcorn, Or viclence, he of their wicked ways
Shall them admonish, and before them fet
The paths of righteoufnefs, how much more fafe, 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 household from amidst A world devote to universal wrack.
No fooner he, with them of man and beaft Select for life, fhall in the ark be lodge'd, And fhelter'd round, but all the cataracts Of heaven fet open on the earth shall pour Rain day and night; all fountains of the deep Broke up, fhall heave the ocean to ufurp
Beyond all bounds, till innundation rife Above the highest hills: then shall this mount Of Paradise 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 falt and bare, The haunt of feals, and orcs, and fea-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, 840 Which now abated: for the clouds were filed, Driv'n by a keen north-wind, that blowing dry Wrinkled the face of deluge, as decay'd;
And the clear fun on his wide watry glass Gaze'd hot, and of the fresh wave largely drew, 845 As after thirit, which made their flowing shrink. From standing lake to tripping ebb, that stole
With foft foot tow'ards the deep, who now had stopt His fluices, as the heavens his windows fhut. The ark no more now floats, but feems on ground, 850 Faft on the top of fome high mountain fix'd. And now the tops of hills as rocks appear; With clamour thence the rapid currents drive Tow'ards the retreating fea their furious tide. 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; The fecond time returning, in his bill. An olive-leaf he brings, pacific fign: Anon dry ground appears, and from his ark The ancient fire defcends with all his train;
Then with uplifted hands, and eyes devout, Grateful to Heaven, over his head beholds A dewy cloud, and in the cloud a bow
Confpicuous, with three lifted colours gay, Betok'ning peace from God, and cov'nant new. Whereat the heart of Adam erst fo fad
Greatly rejoice'd, and thus his joy broke forth. O thou who future things canft represent As prefent, heavenly inftructor, I revive At this laft fight, affur'd that man fhall live With all the creatures, and their feed preserve. Far lefs I now lament for one whole world Of wicked fons destroy'd, than I rejoice For one man found fo perfect and so juít, That God vouchfafes to raise another world From him, and all his anger to forget.
But fay, what mean those colour'd streaks in heaven, Diftended as the brow of God appeas'd;
Or ferve they as a flowery verge to bind
The fluid fkirts of that fame watry cloud,
Left it again diffolve, and fhower the earth?
To whom th' archangel. Dextrously thou aim'st;
So willingly doth God remit his ire,
Though late repenting him of man deprav'd, Griev'd at his heart, when looking down he faw The whole earth fill'd with violence, and all flesh Corrupting each their way; yet those remov❜d, Such grace fhall one just man find in his fight, That he relents, not to blot out mankind, And makes a covenant never to destroy The earth again by flood, nor let the fea Surpafs his bounds, nor rain to drown the world, With man therein or beast; but when he brings 895 Over the earth a cloud, will therein set
His triple-colour'd bow, whereon to look,
And call to mind his covenant: day and night, Seed-time and harvest, heat and hoary frost,
Shall hold their courfe, till fire purge all things new, Both heaven and earth, wherein the juft fhall dwell,
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