Teftatus, vitia infequitur vitafque pudendas.
Cœtibus ille frequens variis, epulifque triumphifque,
Adfuit; indecores juffit defuefcere mores,
Atque odiffe nefas; miferifque inftare tremendas
Admonuit, cæco claufis ceu carcere, pœnas.
Nequicquam-quare indignans, nec tendere contra
Ampliùs aggreffus, procul hinc tentoria movit.
Deinde ruens montis proceras vertice pinos,
Navigium ingenti molitur mole, figuram
Defignans cubiti ad normam, quàm longa, profunda,
Lataque; tum pice perfudit; latere oftia fixit
In medio; & cumulis congefta cibaria largis,
Omne genus, hominis pecorumque extruxit in ufus.
Cum fubitò è pecudum fæclis, (mirabile vifu !)
Ex variis aviumque infectorumque minorum
Agminibus, numero fepteni adiere, paresque,
Ritè facram ingreffi, proprio quifque ordine, navem:
Tum demùm & ternâ Senior cum prole, secutâ
Triumphs or feftivals: and to them preach'd
Converfion and repentance, as to fouls
In prifon, under judgments imminent:
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 veffel of huge bulk;
Meafur'd by cubit, length, and breadth,and height;
Smear'd round with pitch; and in the fide a door
Contriv'd; and of provifions laid in large,
For man and beaft: when lo, a wonder strange!
Of every beaft, and bird, and infect small
Came fevens, and pairs, and enter'd in, as taught
Their order: laft the Sire and his three fons,
With their four wives: and God made faft the door.
Conjuge quemque fuâ: portas Deus obice firmat.
Confurgit notus intereà, atque horrentibus alis
Hinc atque hinc latè incumbens, unà undique nubes
Denfat agens cœlo varias: dant nubibus ingens
Subfidium aerii montes, glomerante coactas
Agmine nigrantes nebulas, fluidofque vapores.
Tum piceâ involvi caligine trifte lacunar
Cœlorum; ruere indomito properantiùs imbres
Impete, dum penitus tellus jam immersa lateret.
Inter aquas equitat Navis, prorâque triumphans
Roftratâ, fluctus premit indignata tumentes.
Diluvium immani delêrat tecta ruinâ
Cætera, cum gazis fimul omnibus obruta: pontus
Ufque adeò ponto incubuit, fine littore pontus.
Quà nuper vario fluxere palatia luxu,
Monftra marina ibi jam stabulant, catulofque biformes
Progenerant; hominumque ex tot modò millibus, omne
Quod fupereft, capiunt spatia unius arcta carinæ.
Mean while the fouth-wind rofe, and, with black
wings
Wide-hovering, all the clouds together drove
From under heav'n; the hills to their supply
Vapor and exhalation dufk, and moist,
Sent up amain: and now the thicken'd sky
Like a dark cieling food: down rush'd the rain
Impetuous; and continu'd, 'till the earth
No more was feen: the floating veffel (wum
Up-lifted; and fecure with beaked prow
Rode tilting o'er the waves: all dwellings elfe
Flood overwhelm'd, and them with all their pomp
Deep under water roll'd; fea cover'd fea;
Sea without fhoar! and in their palaces
Where luxury late reign'd, fea monsters whelp'd,
And ftabled: of mankind, so numerous late,
Quis tibi tunc, Adame, dolor, genus omne tuenti
Everfum, & miferè vaftatas undique terras!
Attonito tibi tunc fluctus fremuere fub alto
Pectore, curarumque haud mitior obruit æftus:
At te tollere humo Ductor dignatus, amicis
Solari auxiliis quærens, folatia fiqua
Acciperes. Qualis Genitor, qui fortè domûs spem,
Ipfius ante oculos, ictu confpexerit uno
Abreptos natofque fimul carofque nepotes.
Deinde ita vix ægro rumpebas pectore questus:
Hæc utinam haud prævifa! utinam caligo futuri
Pectus adhuc
premeret. Sic me, mihi debita fato,
Vexârat pars fola mali; quod & ufque recurrit
Heu nimium! redeunte die. Nunc incubat uni
Congeftum, feris quodcunque nepotibus olim
Volventis paritura ævi longinqua vetustas ;
Præcipitesque ruunt alieno tempore luctus.
At nemo hinc avidis, fibi quæ ventura fuisve,
All left in one fmall bottom fwum im-bark'd.
How didft thou grieve then, Adam! to behold
The end of all thy off-fpring, end fo fad,
Depopulation! Thee another flood,
Of tears and forrow a flood, thee alfo drown'd;
And funk thee as thy fons: 'till gently rear'd
By th' Angel, on thy feet thou ftood'st at last,
Tho' comfortless: as when a father mourns
His children, all in view destroy'd at once:
And scarce to th' Angel utter'dft thus thy plaint:
O vifions ill foreseen! Better had I
Liv'd ignorant of future! fo had born
My part of evil only, each day's lot
Enough to bear: those now, that were dispens'd
The burden of many ages, on me light
At once, by my fore-knowledge; gaining birth
Abortive to torment me e'er their being,
With thought that they muft be. Let no man feek
K k
Exploret ftudiis; mala nam ventura neceffe eft :
Nec poterit prævifa evadere; nec minùs ipfa
Torquebunt, quàm fi exacto jam tempore adeffent.
Ifta abiit fed cura: hominum mihi voce monendum
Quem tandem inveniam? raros, fupereffe ruinæ
Queîs licitum, abfumet rabies famis afpra dolorque,
Undarum miferanda inter deferta vagantes.
Sperâram, fimul horrifoni violentia ferri
Bellorumque furor requieverat, omnia lætè
Terrarum ceffura plagis; pacifque beatæ
Otia, perpetuæque habituros dona fenectæ
Mortales: fed enim veri mens vana fefellit.
Pax nocet ipfa; luemque effundens undique, diras
Exæquat belli clades. Quo talia pacto
Eveniunt, Dux, ede mihi, cœleftis; & iftic
An ruat omne hominum genus, & ftirps occidat omnis?
Dux contra: quos jam gazis refonifque triumphis
Henceforth to be foretold, what shall befall
Him or his children: evil he may be fure:
Which neither his fore-knowing can prevent;
And he the future evil fhall no lefs
In apprehenfion, than in fubftance feel;
Grievous to bear! But that care now is past;
Man is not whom to warn: those few escap'd,
Famin and anguish will at last confume,
Wand'ring that wat❜ry desert, I had hope,
When violence was ceas'd, and war on earth,
All would have then gone well; peace would
With length of happy days the race of man.
But I was far deceiv'd! for now I fee
Peace to corrupt no lefs, than war to waffe,
How comes it thus? Unfold, cœleftial guide!
And whether here the race of man will end.
To whom thus Michael: Those whom laft thou
faw'ft
In triumph, and luxurious wealth, are they
Lætantes mirare, infigni laude videbas
Bellorum haud pridem tumidos, animifque fuperbos
Fortibus: at veræ deerant virtutis honores.
Hi devaftatis, cum cæde & fanguine, latè
Gentibus, illuftres titulos ac nomina famâ
Sortiti egregia, exuviifque ingentibus aucti,
Turpia mutato labentur in otia curfu,
Defidiam, & plumas, mollesque libidinis artes;
Hinc dominata impune fuperbia ducet ab ipfis
Prælia amicitiis, & pacis fœdera rumpet.
Quinetiam bello domiti, & juga tristia passi,
Exuerint mores cum libertate, Deique
Solennes cultus; pietas quem flectere mendax
Nefciit, ut duro tegeret certamine pugnæ,
Prædantif-ve minas rabiemque averteret hoftis.
Tum verò, & fpecie pofitâ pietatis & umbrâ,
Effreni affuefcent luxu variifque natare
Deliciis, faturo dederint quas corde tyranni.
First seen in acts of prowess eminent,
And great exploits; but of true virtue void :
Who having fpil'd much blood, and done much
wafte,
Subduing nations; and atchiev'd thereby
Fame in the world, high titles, and rich prey,
Shall change their courfe to pleasure, ease, and
floth,
Surfeit and luft; 'till wantonnefs and pride,
Raife out of friendship hoftile deeds in peace.
The conquer'd alfo, and inflav'd by war,
Shall with their freedom loft, all virtue lofe,
And fear of God; from whom their piety feign'd,
In fharp conteft of battle found no aid
Against invaders: therefore cool'd in zeal,
Thence-forth fhall practise how to live fecure,
Worldly or diffolute; on what their lords
Shall leave them to enjoy: for the earth shall bear
Kk 2
|