Justice 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 fafe, And full of peace, denouncing wrath to come 215 On their impenitence; and shall 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 amidft A World devote to univerfal rack. No fooner he with them of Man and Beaft Select for life fhall in the Ark be lodg'd, And shelter'd round, but all the Cataracts Of Heav'n fet open on the Earth shall pour Rain day and night, all fountains of the Deep Broke up, thall 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, push'd by the horned flood, With all his verdure fpoil'd, and Trees adrift Down the great River to the op'ning Gulf, And there take root an Island salt and bare,
The haunt of Scales 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 shall enfue, behold.
He look'd, and faw the Ark hull on the flood, 843 Which now abated, for the Clouds were filed, 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 Glafs Gaz'd hot, and of the fresh Wave largely drew, 845 As after thirst, which made their flowing shrink From ftanding lake to tripping ebb, that fole With soft foot towards the deep, who now had stopt His Sluces, as the Heav'n his windows fhut. The Ark no more now flotes, but feems 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 fpy Green Tree or ground whereon his foot may light; The second time returning, in his Bill An Olive leaf he brings, pacific fign: Anon dry ground appears, and from his Ark The ancient Sire defcends with all his Train; Then with uplifted hands, and eyes devout Grateful to Heav'n, 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 erft fo fad Greatly rejoyc'd, and thus his joy broke forth. O thou who future things canft reprefent As prefent, Heav'nly inftructor, I revive At this laft fight, affur'd that Man shall live With all the Creatures, and their feed preferve. Far lefs I now lament for one whole World Of wicked Sons deftroy'd, than I rejoyce For one Man found so perfect and so just, That God vouchfafes to raise another World From him, and all his anger to forget.
But fay, what mean thofe colour'd fireaks in Heav'n, Diftended as the Brow of God appeas'd,
Or ferve they as a flowry verge to bind The fluid skirts of that fame watry Cloud, Left it again diffolve and how'r the Earth?. To whom th' Archangel. Dextrously thou aim'ft; 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 thofe remov'd, Such grace fhall one juft Man find in his fight, 890 That he relents, not to blot out mankind, And makes a Covenant never to destroy The Earth again by food, nor let the Sea.
Surpass his bounds, nor Rain to drown the World With Man therein or Beaft; but when he brings 895 Over the Earth a Cloud, will therein fet His triple-colour'd Bow, whereon to look And call to mind his Cov'nant: Day and Night, Seed time and Harvest, Heat and hoary Frost Shall hold their courfe, till fire purge all things new, Both Heav'n and Earth, wherein the juft fhall dwell.
The End of the Eleventh Book.
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The ARGUMENT.
The Angel Michael continues from the Flood to relate what shall fucceed; then, in the mention of Abraham, comes by degrees to explain, who that Seed of the Woman ball be, which was promised Adam and Eve in the Fall; his Incarnation, Death, Refurrection, and Afcen tion; the ftate of the Church till his fe cond Coming. Adam greatly fatisfied and recomforted by thefe Relations and Promifes defcends the Hill with Michael; wakens Eve, who all this while bad flept, but with gentle dreams compos'd to quietness of mind and fubmiffion. Michael in either hand leads them out of Paradife, the fiery Sword waving behind them, and the Cherubim taking their Station to guard the Place.
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