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 vessel of huge bulk;
Meafur'd by cubit, length and breadth and
730 Smear'd round with pitch; and in the fide a
Contriv'd; and of provisions laid in large,
For man and beaft: when lo, o wonder
Of every beaft, and bird, and infect small
Came levens, and pairs, and enter'd in,
Their order: laft the fire, and his three fons With their four wives, and God made faft the
Meanwhile the fouthwind rofe, and with black
Wide-hov'ring, all the clouds together drove From under Heav'n; the hills to their
Vapor, and exhalation dufk and moist,
Sent up amain: and now the thicken'd sky Like a dark ceiling ftood; down rufh'd the
Impetuous and continu'd till the earth
was seen : the floating vessel fwum
Uplifted; an fecure with beaked prow
Rode tilting o'er the waves: all dwellings elfe
Flood overwhelm'd, and them with all their
Deep under water roll'd: fea cover'd sea;
Sea without fhore!, and in their palaces,
Where luxury late reign'd,
And ftabled: of mankind, fo numerous late,
All left, in one fmall bottom swum imbark'd.
How didft thou grive then, Adam, to behold
The end of all thy offspring, end fo fad, 755
Depopulation! Thee another flood,
Of tears and forrow a flood thee also drown'd,
And funk thee as thy fons; till gently rear'd
By th' Angel, on thy feet thou ftood'ft at laft,
Tho' comfortless; as when a father mourns 760 ́
His children, all in view deftroy'd at once:
And scarce to th' Angel utter'dst thus thy plaint.
O vifions ill forefeen! Better had I
Liv'd ignorant of future, fo had born
My part of evil only, each day's lot
Enough to bear: thofe now, that were difpens'd
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.
Henceforth, to be foretold, what shall befal
Him or his children: evil he may be sure:
Which neither his foreknowing can prevent;
And he the future evil shall no less
In apprehenfion than in substance feel;
Grievous to bear! But that care now is past,
Man is not whom to warn: those few escap'd
Famin and anguifh will at laft confume.
Wand'ring that watry defert. I had hope,
When violence was ceas'd, and war on
780 All would have then gone well, peace would have crown'd
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 war to waste.
How comes it thus? Unfold, celeftial gui-
And whether here the race of man will end.
To whom thus Michael. Thofe, whom laft
thou faw'ft
In triumph and luxurious wealth, are they
First seen in acts of prowels eminent
And great exploits; but of true virtue
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
Surfeit, and luft; till wantonnefs and pride 795
Raife out of friendship hoftile deeds in peace.
The conquer'd alfo, and enflav'd by war,
Shall with their freedom left all virtue lofe
And fear of God; from whom their piety
feign'd
In fharp conteft of battel found no aid
Against invaders: therefore cool'd in zeal,
Thenceforth fhall practife how to live fecure,
Worldly or diffolute, on what their Lords
Shall leave them to enjoy: for th' earth fhall
More than enough, that temperance may be
So all fhall turn degenerate, all deprav'd;
Justice and temperance, truth and faith forgot!
One man except, the only fon of light
In a dark age, against example good,
Against allurement, cuftom, and a world 810
Offended, fearless of reproach and scorn,
Or violence; he of their wicked ways
Shall them admonish; and before them fet
The paths of righteoufsnefs, how much mo-
re safe,
And full of peace, denouncing wrath to
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 wandrous ark, as thou beheldft,
To fave himself and household,
A world devote to univerfal wrack.
No fooner he with them of man and beaft
Select for life fhall in the ark be lodg'd,
And fhelter'd round, but all the cataracts
Of Heav'n fet open on the earth fhall pour 825
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 fhall this
mount
Of Paradife, by might of waves be mov'd 830 Out of his place, push'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 and island salt and bare,
The haunt of Seals, and Orcs, and Sea-mews
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 saw the ark hull on the
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