Thy love-my father's-all the life, and all The things which sprung up with me, like the stars, Soft lights which were not mine? Aholibamah! I abhor death, because that thou must die. Aho. What! hath this dreamer, with his father's ark, Rather than thus-But the enthusiast dreams Japh. He, whose one word produced them. Japh. The Universe, which leap'd To life before it. Ab! smil'st thou still in scorn? They are none. Sam. Aholibamah, own thy God! Aho. I have ever hailed Our Maker, Samiasa, Noah. Enter NOAH and SHEM. Japhet! What Dost thou here with these children of the wicked? Japh. Father, it cannot be a sin to seek Noah. These are they then, Who leave the throne of God, to take them wives From out the race of Cain; the sons of Heaven, Who seek Earth's daughters for their beauty? Aza. Thou hast said it. Noah. Patriarch! Wo, wo, wo to such communion! Has not God made a barrier between earth And heaven, and limited each, kind to kind? Sam. Was not man made in high Jehovah's image? Did God not love what he had made? And what Do we but imitate and emulate His love unto created love? Noah. I am But man, and was not made to judge mankind, Even on the very eve of perishing, world, Aza. What! though it were to save? And beautiful they are, but not the less Condemn'd. Japh. Oh father! say it not. Son! son! If that thou would'st avoid their doom, forget That they exist; they soon shall cease to be, While thou shalt be the sire of a new world, And better. Japh. Let me die with this, and them! Noah. Thou should'st for such a thought, but shalt Who can, redeems thee. Sam. [not; he And why him and thee, More than what he, thy son, prefers to both? Noah. Ask him who made thee greater than myself And mine, but not less subject to his own Almightiness. And lo! his mildest and Raph. Enter RAPHAEL the Archangel. Whose seat is near the throne, What do ye bere? Is thus a seraph's duty to be shown Now that the hour is near When earth must be alone? Return! Adore and burn In glorious homage with the elected "seven." The first and fairest of the sons of God, How long hath this been law, That earth by angels must be left untrod? Jehovah's footsteps not disdain her sod! And wherefore speak'st thou of destruction near? In their true place, with the angelic choir, They would have seen Jehovah's late decree, And not inquired their Maker's breath of me: And even the spirit's knowledge shall grow less For blindness is the first-born of Excess. When all good angels left the world, ye staid, Stung with strange passions, and debased By mortal feelings for a mortal maid; But ye are pardon'd thus far, and replaced With your pure equals: Hence! away! away! Or stay, And lose eternity by that delay! Aza. And Thou! if earth be thus forbidden To us until this moment hidden, Dost thou not err as we In being here? Raph. I came to call ye back to your fit sphere, In the great name and at the word of God! Dear, dearest in themselves, and scarce less dear That which I came to do: till now we trod Together the eternal space, together Let us still walk the stars. True, earth must die! Seraphs! less mighty than that mightiest one, And think if tempting man can compensate Long have I warred, Long must I war With him who deem'd it hard To be created, and to acknowledge him Made him as suns to a dependent star, I loved him-beautiful he was: oh heaven! Save his who made, what beauty and what power Was ever like to Satan's! Would the hour In which he fell could ever be forgiven! The wish is impious: but oh ye! Yet undestroyed, be warned! Eternity With him, or with his God, is in your choice: He hath not tempted you, he cannot tempt And ye to woman's-beautiful she i, |