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In wise deport, spake much of right and wrong,
Of justice, of religion, truth, and peace,

And judgment from above. Him old and young
Exploded, and had seized with violent hands,
Had not a cloud descending snatch'd him thence, 670
Unseen amid the throng: so violence

Proceeded, and oppression, and sword-law

Through all the plain; and refuge none was found Adam was all in tears, and to his Guide

Lamenting, turn'd full sad: 0 what are these? 675 Death's ministers, not men, who thus deal death Inhumanly to men, and multiply

Ten thousand fold the sin of him who slew

His brother! for of whom such massacre

680

Make they but of their brethren, men of men!
But who was that just man, whom had not Heav'n
Rescued, had in his righteousness been lost?

681

To whom thus Michael: These are the product
Of those ill-mated marriages thou saw'st;
Where good with bad were match'd,who of themselves
Abhor to 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 admired,
And valour and heroic virtue call'd,

To overcome in battle and subdue

000

695

Nations, and bring home spoils with infinite
Man-slaughter, shall be held the highest pitch
Of human glory, and for glory done
Of triumph, to be styled great conquerors,
Patrons of mankind, Gods, and sons of Gods:
Destroyers rightlier call'd, and plagues of men.
Thus fame shall be achieved, renown on earth,
And what most merits fame in silence hid.
But he the seventh from thee, whom thou beheld'st
The only righteous in a world perverse,
And therefore hated, therefore so beset
With foes for daring single to be just,

701

668. Gen. vi. 4. It is supposed by some interpreters that the giants were so called from their tyranny and power rather thar their extraordinary bulk. The common idea, however, seems the more correct, as it is supported by an immense mass of tradi tionary evidence.

700. Jude 14.

705

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 saw'st, receive to walk with God,
High in salvation and the climes of bliss,
Exempt from death; to shew thee what reward
A vaits the good, the rest what punishment:
Which now direct thine eyes, and soon behold.
He look'd and saw the face of things quite changed.
The brazen throat of war had ceased to roar:
All now was turn'd to jollity and game,

710

To luxury and riot, feast and dance,

Marrying or prostituting, as befel,

Rape or adultery, where passing fair

715

Allured them; thence from cups to civil broils.
At length a rev'rend sire among them came,
And of their doings great dislike declared,
And testified against their ways. He oft
Frequented their assemblies, whereso met,
Triumphs or festivals, and to them preach'd
Conversion and repentance, as to souls

In prison under judgments imminent:

But all in vain: which when he saw, he ceased
Contending, and removed his tents far off.

Then from the mountain, hewing timber tall,
Began to build a vessel of huge bulk,

720

725

Measured by cubit, length, and breadth, and highth,
Smear'd round with pitch, and in the side a door 731
Contrived; and of provisions laid in large

For man and beast; when lo, a wonder strange!
Of every beast, and bird, and insect small,
Came sevens and pairs, and enter'd in as taught 735
Their order. Last, the sire and his three sons
With their four wives; and God made fast the door.
Meanwhile the south wind rose, and with black
wings

723. 2 Pet. ii. 5. Josephus is Milton's authority for what is said respecting Noah's conduct when he found his preaching vain; or it might be taken, possibly, from our Saviour's directions to the disciples to flee from the cities which refused to hear them.

735. Gen. vii. 2, &c.

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738. Ovid, Met. i. The comparison which has been instituted between the descriptions which the two poets have given of the deluge is highly interesting, and the classical reader will sufficient pleasure in making it for himself to reward the little labour it requires.

Wide hov'ring, all the clouds together drove
From under Heaven; the hills to their supply
Vapour, and exhalation dusk and moist,
Sent up amain. And now the thicken'd sky
Like a dark ceiling stood; down rush'd the rain
Impetuous, and continued till the earth

740

No more was seen. The floating vessel swum 745
Uplifted, and secure with beaked prow,

750

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 stabled. Of mankind, so numerous late,
All left, in one small bottom swum imbark'd.
How didst thou grieve then, Adam, to behold
The end of all thy offspring, end so sad,
Depopulation! Thee another flood,

Of tears and sorrow' a flood, thee also drown'd,
And sunk thee as thy sons; till gently rear'd
By th' Angel, on thy feet thou stood'st at last,
Though comfortless, as when a father mourns
His children, all in view destroy'd at once:
And scarce to th' Angel utter'dst thus thy plaint:
O visions ill foreseen! Better had I

Lived ignorant of future, so had borne
My part of evil only, each day's lot

755

760

765

Enough to bear! those now, that were dispensed
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 seek

Henceforth to be foretold what shall befal

771

Him or his children: evil he may be sure,

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Which neither his foreknowing can prevent,
And he the future evil shall no less
In apprehension than in substance feel
Grievous to bear. But that care now is past,
Man is not whom to warn: those few escaped,
Famine and anguish will at last consume,
Wand'ring that watery desert. I had hope
When violence was ceased, and

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775

war on earth, 780

All would have then gone well peace would have

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With length of happy days the race of man;
But I was far deceived: for now I see
Peace to corrupt no less than war to waste.
How comes it thus? Unfold, celestial guide;
And whether here the race of man will end?

785

T whom thus Michael: Those whom last thou In triumph and luxurious wealth, are they [saw'st First seen in acts of prowess eminent And great exploits, but of true virtue void;

790

Who, having spilt much blood, and done much waste, Subduing nations, and achieved thereby

Fame in the world, high titles, and rich prey,

Shall change their course to pleasure, ease, and sloth,
Surfeit. and lust, till wantonness and pride
Raise out of friendship hostile deeds in peace.

795

The conquer'd also, and enslaved by war,
Shall, with their freedom lost, all virtue lose
And fear of God, from whom their piety feign'd
In sharp contést of battle, found no aid
Against invaders; therefore cool'd in zeal,
Thenceforth shall practise how to live secure,
Worldly or dissolute, on what their lords

800

Shall leave them to enjoy for th' earth shall bear

More than enough, that temperance may be try'd: So all shall turn degenerate, all depraved,

806

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 set

810

The paths of righteousness, how much more safe,

And full of peace, denouncing wrath to come

815

On their impenitence; and shall return
Of them derided, but of God observed
The one just man alive. By his command
Shall build a wondrous ark, as thou beheld'st
To save himself and household from amidst
A world devote to universal wrack.
No sooner he with them of man and beast
Select for life shall in the ark be lodged,
821. Denote, for denoted.

820

825

830

And shelter'd round, but all the cataracts
Of Heav'n, set open on the earth, shall pour
Rain day and night; all fountains of the deep
Broke up, shall heave the ocean, to usurp
Beyond all bounds, till inundation rise
Above the highest hills: then shall this mount
Of Paradise, by might of waves, be moved
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 an island salt and bare,
The haunt of seals, and orcs, and sea-mews clang,
To teach thee that God attributes to place
No sanctity, if none be thither brought

By men who there frequent, or therein dwell.
And now what further shall ensue, behold.

836

He look'd, and saw the ark hull on the flood, 840 Which now abated; for the clouds were fled, Driven by a keen north-wind, that blowing dry, Wrinkled the face of deluge, as decay'd; And the clear sun on his wide watery glass Gazed hot, and of the fresh wave largely drew, 845 As after thirst; which made their flowing shrink From standing lake to tripping ebb, that stole With soft foot towards the Deep, who now had stopt His sluices, as the Heav'n his windows shut. 849 The ark no more now floats, but seems on ground, Fast on the top of some high mountain fix'd. And now the tops of hills as rocks appear : With clamour thence the rapid currents drive Towards the retreating sea their furious tide. Forth with from out the ark a raven flies, And after him, the surer messenger, A dove, sent forth once and again to spy Green tree or ground whereon his foot may light. The sound time returning, in his bill

824. Gen. vii. 11.

855

829. Paradise, it is supposed, was destroyed by the deluge. 831. Horned, that is, curved as rivers sometimes are when opposed in their current.-Euphrates, which flowed through Eden, is called in Scripture the great river; it emptied itself into the Persian Gulf. 835. Orcs, a kind of sea monster.

80. Hull, floating like a hulk, without sails or rudder. 842. North-wind, the Scripture does not mention any particular 948. Gen. viii. 2, &c.

wind.

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