Fairest and easiest, of this cumbrous charge;
Which I must keep till my appointed day Of rendering up, and patiently attend My dissolution. Michael replied:
Nor love thy life, nor hate; but what thou livest Live well; how long or short permit to Heaven: And now prepare thee for another sight.
He look'd, and saw a spacious plain, whereon Were tents of various hue; by some, were herds Of cattle grazing; others, whence the sound Of instruments, that made melodious chime, Was heard, of harp and organ; and who moved Their stops and chords was seen; his volant touch Instinct through all proportions, low and high, Fled and pursued transverse the resonant fugue. In other part stood one who, at the forge Labouring, two massy clods of iron and brass Had melted, (whether found where casual fire Had wasted woods on mountain or in vale, Down to the veins of earth, thence gliding hot
To some cave's mouth, or whether wash'd by stream
From under ground), the liquid ore he drain'd
Into fit moulds prepared; from which he form'd
First his own tools: then, what might else be wrought Fusil or graven in metal. After these,
But on the hither side, a different sort
From the high neighbouring hills, which was their seat, 575 Down to the plain descended; by their guise
Just men they seem'd, and all their study bent To worship God aright, and know his works
Not hid; nor those things last, which might preserve Freedom and peace to men: they on the plain
Long had not walk'd, when from the tents, behold! A bevy of fair women, richly gay
In gems and wanton dress; to the harp they sung Soft amorous ditties, and in dance came on.
The men, though grave, eyed them, and let their eyes Rove without rein; till, in the amorous net Fast caught, they liked: and each his liking chose. And now of love they treat, till the evening star, Love's harbinger, appear'd; then, all in heat, They light the nuptial torch, and bid invoke Hymen, then first to marriage rites invoked: With feast and music all the tents resound. Such happy interview, and fair event
550. Which I must keep. Job xiv. 14. 557. See Gen. iv. 20, 21, and 22. 563. A fugue is, in music, the correspondency of parts, answering one another in the same notes, either above or below; therefore exactly and graphically styled resonant, as sounding the same notes over again.-HUME.
573. After these; as being the descendants of the younger brother, but on the hither side, Cain having been banished into a more distant country: a different sort, the posterity of Seth wholly differ ent from that of Cain, having their ha bitation in the mountains near Pars dise.
Of love and youth not lost, songs, garlands, flowers, And charming symphonies, attach'd the heart Of Adam, soon inclined to admit delight, The bent of nature; which he thus express'd: True opener of mine eyes, prime angel blest; Much better seems this vision, and more hope Of peaceful days portends, than those two past: Those were of hate and death, or pain much worse; Here nature seems fulfill'd in all her ends.
To whom thus Michael: Judge not what is best By pleasure, though to nature seeming meet; Created as thou art, to nobler end Holy and pure, conformity divine.
Those tents thou saw'st so pleasant, were the tents Of wickedness, wherein shall dwell his race Who slew his brother; studious they appear Of arts that polish life, inventors rare; Unmindful of their Maker, though his Spirit Taught them; but they his gifts acknowledged none. Yet they a beauteous offspring shall beget;
For that fair female troop thou saw'st, that seem'd
Of goddesses, so blithe, so smooth, so gay, Yet empty of all good, wherein consists
Woman's domestic honour and chief praise;
Bred only and completed to the taste
Of lustful appetence, to sing, to dance,
To dress, and troll the tongue, and roll the eye;—
To these that sober race of men, whose lives
Religious titled them the sons of God,
Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame, Ignobly, to the trains and to the smiles Of these fair atheists; and now swim in joy, Ere long to swim at large; and laugh, for which The world ere long a world of tears must weep. To whom thus Adam, of short joy bereft: O pity and shame, that they, who to live well Enter'd so fair, should turn aside to tread Paths indirect, or in the midway faint! But still I see the tenour of man's woe
Holds on the same, from woman to begin.
From man's effeminate slackness it begins,
Said the angel, who should better hold his place By wisdom, and superiour gifts received. But now prepare thee for another scene.
He look'd, and saw wide territory spread
Before him, towns, and rural works between; Cities of men with lofty gates and towers, Concourse in arms, fierce faces threatening war, Giants of mighty bone and bold emprise;
Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed, Single or in array of battle ranged
Both horse and foot, nor idly mustering stood:
One way a band select from forage drives A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine, From a fat meadow-ground; or fleecy flock, Ewes and their bleating lambs over the plain, Their booty; scarce with life the shepherds fly, But call in aid, which makes a bloody fray: With cruel tournament the squadrons join; Where cattle pastured late, now scatter'd lies With carcases and arms the ensanguined field, Deserted: others to a city strong
Lay siege, encamp'd; by battery, scale, and mine, Assaulting: others from the wall defend
With dart and javelin, stones, and sulphurous fire; On each hand slaughter, and gigantic deeds. In other part the sceptred heralds call
To council, in the city-gates; anon
Gray-headed men and grave, with warriours mix'd, Assemble, and harangues are heard, but soon In factious opposition; till at last
Of middle age one rising, eminent
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, 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: O, what are these, 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 Make they, but of their brethren; men of men?
But who was that just man, whom had not Heaven Rescued, had in his righteousness been lost?
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 685 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 Nations, and bring home spoils with infinite Man-slaughter, shall be held the highest pitch Of human glory, and for glory done
665. Of middle age. Enoch is said to | 694. For glory done of triumph: That be of middle age, as he was, when trans-is, shall be held the highest pitch of lated, 365 years old,-a middle age then. | triumph for that glory done, (meaning,
Of triumph, to be styled great conquerours, 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 beheldst The only righteous in a world perverse,
And therefore hated, therefore so beset
With foes, for daring single to be just,
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 show thee what reward Awaits 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,
To luxury and riot, feast and dance;
Marrying or prostituting, as befell, Rape or adultery, where passing fair
Allured them; thence from cups to civil broils. At length a reverend 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;
Measured by cubit, length, and breadth, and highth;
Smear'd round with pitch; and in the side a door 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 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 Wide-hovering, 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
those glorious deeds done,) to be styled, Ac.-711. Which, governed by behold.
719. Reverend sire, Noah.
724. To souls in prison. 1 Pet. iii. 19, 20.
Impetuous; and continued, till the earth
No more was seen: the floating vessel swum Uplifted, and secure with beaked prow 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 the 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 the 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
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 befall
Him or his children; evil he may be sure, 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, Wandering that watery desert: I had hope, When violence was ceased, and war on earth,
All would have then gone well; peace would have crown'd 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.
To whom thus Michael: Those, whom last thou saw'st
In triumph and luxurious wealth, are they
First seen in acts of prowess eminent
And great exploits, but of true virtue void;
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
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