Namque finu plus terra fatis generabit; ut inde
Spectetur, fi fas poffint fervare modumque.
Ergo omnes in prava ruent audentiùs, omnes
Degeneres; fidei obliti, jurisque, modique;
Dum tandem fefe, rerum in caligine tantâ,
Filius extulerit lucis, qui folus iniquis
Moribus, illecebrifque obnitier ufque nefandis
Aufit, & irato impavidum fe opponere mundo.
Major et opprobriis pariter rabieque, feveris
Facta palàm inceffet dictis; deinde æquus honesti
Monftrabit callem, quà fe via certior, almâ
Pace nitens, via læta, aperit; pœnasque monebit
Cordibus indomitis, meritumque inftare furorem.
Irrisus populo redit. At pietatis amantem
Omnipotens, unum in terris, læto ore tuetur.
Hinc, mandante Deo, molem mirabilis arcæ,
(Vidisti) ingentem ftatuet, quà feque fuofque
Incolumes foveat Pater, eripiatque tremendo
More than enough, that temperance may be try'd:
So all fhall turn degen'rate, all deprav'd;
Juftice 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
Offended: fearlefs of reproach, and fcorn,
Or violence, he of their wicked ways
Shall them admonish; and before them fet
The paths of righteoufnefs, how much more fafe,
And full of peace; denouncing wrath to come
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 wondrous ark, as thou beheldst,
To fave himself and houfhold from amidst
Rerum è naufragio, & mundi impendente ruinâ.
Aft ubi jam Senior navem, & conscenderit unà
Lecta hominum ac pecudum manus, & quæcunque animantum
Gens vitâ fruitura fuperftite, claufa benignis
Tutiùs hofpitiis; fimul ætheris undique vasti
Pandentur cataractæ, effufifque imbribus atris,
Nocte dieque, ruent terras: ruptifque profundi
Fontibus, in dorfum oceanus fublime tumescet
Spumeus, aeriofque invadet vortice montes.
Ipfe fuâ mons hic Paradifi è fede feretur
Undarum vi divulfus, fluviique furore
Cornigeri, volventis opes & amœna vireta
Et nemorum decus omne, ufque alti in gurgitis ora:
Rurfus ibi infixis radicibus infula fiet
Immanis, fale fœta, horrens, ingloria fedes
Phocarum, orcarumque, & clangentum fulicarum.
His fefe Omnipotens fanctos teftatur honores
Haud ulli impreffiffe loco, ni cafta hominum gens
A world devote to univerfal wreck.
No fooner he, with them of man and beast,
Select for life, fhall in the ark be lodg'd,
And shelter'd round; but all the cataracts
Of heav'n fet open, on the earth shall pour
Rain day and night; all fountains of the deep
Broke up, shall heave the ocean to ufurp
Beyond all bounds; 'till inundation rise
Above the higheft hills. Then shall this mount
Of paradife, by might of waves, be mov'd
Out of his place, push'd by the horned flood;
With all his verdure spoil'd, and trees a-drift
Down the great river to the opening gulf,
And there take root; an island salt, and bare,
The haunt of feals and orcs, and fea-mews' clang;
To teach thee that God attributes to place
No fanctity, if none be thither brought
By men who there frequent, or therein dwell.
Moribus ornârit, quascunque habitaverit, oras.
Quin age, nunc oculis hauri, quæ deinde fequuntur.
Extulit ille oculos; navemque in gurgite vidit
Jam decrefcenti: toto undique nubila cœlo
Fugiffent, boreâ rigido fpii inte repulfa;
Qui rugis cava diluvii contraxerat ora,
Marcentis veluti fenio. Cum fæva quiêrant
Flamina, jamque lacu placido ftetit æquor: aquai
Colluftrat latè fpeculum fol lumine claro
Acre tuens, largofque trahit de fluctibus hauftus.
At fefe fenfim fubfidens unda retraxit
Molliùs, in gremium lento pede lapfa Profundi,
Siftentis rivos, fimul oftia clauferat æther.
Arca nec ulteriùs fluitat; jam fixa videri,
Culmine ceu montis. Montana cacumina tandem,
Haud fecus ac fcopuli, apparent: clamore fonoro
Inde ruentem æftum cedentia ad æquora torquent
Torrentes longè rapidi. Tum miffa carinâ
And now, what further fhall enfue, behold.
He look'd, and faw the ark hull on the flood,
Which now abated: for the clouds were fled,
Driv'n by a keen north-wind, that blowing dry,
Wrinkled the face of deluge, as decay'd;
And the clear fun on his wide wat'ry glafs
Gaz'd hot, and of the fresh wave largely drew,
As after thirst; which made their flowing shrink
From ftanding lake, to tripping ebb; that stole
With foft foot tow'rds the deep; who now had ftop'd
His fluices, as the heav'n his windows fhut.
The ark no more now floats, but feems on ground,
Faft on the top of fome high mountain fix'd.
And now the tops of hills, as rocks, appear:
With clamor thence the rapid currents drive,
Tow'rds the retreating fea, their furious tide.
Evolat extemplò cornix; quam deinde fecuta
Nuntia certa magis vacuum per inane columba,
Jam femel atque iterum, viridis fi fortè cacumen
Arboris exploret, terramve, ubi fiftere detur.
Ut redit illa iterum, frondem felicis olivæ
Ore refert, lætæ jucunda infignia pacis.
Arida jam prodit tellus: venerandus ab arcâ
Defcendit Senior, latè comitum ordine denfo
Stipante. Ut verò palmasque & lumina tendit
Grata pius cœlo, fupra caput æthere nubem
Rorantem expandi, mediâque in nube tuetur
Formofi triplices arcûs fplendere colores,
Teftatos pacem reducem, & nova fœdera cœli.
Pectora continuò, dejectus nuper, Adamus
Exultat; lætisque ita gaudia vocibus effert :
O, rerum qui cæca aperis, venturaque longè
Das luftrare oculis, Interpres maxime cœli!
Hæc mihi fufficiunt animos nova Vifa recentes ;
Forthwith from out the ark a raven flies,
And after him, the furer meffenger,
A dove, fent forth once and again, to spy
Green tree or ground, whereon his foot may light:
The second time returning, in his bill
An olive-leaf he brings, pacific fign!
Anon dry ground appears, and from his ark
The antient fire defcends with all his train:
Then with uplifted hands, and eyes devout,
Grateful to heav'n, over his head beholds
A dewy cloud, and in the cloud a bow
Confpicuous, with three lifted colors gay,
Betok'ning peace from God, and covenant new:
Whereat the heart of Adam, erst so sad,
Greatly rejoic'd; and thus his joy broke forth:
O thou, who future things canft represent
As prefent, heav'nly inftructor! I revive
At this laft fight; affur'd that man shall live,
Quæ fpondent victurum hominem, atque animantia paffim
Cætera, manfurumque extrema in fæcula femen.
Ergo licèt raptum infandis cum gentibus orbem
Conspexiffe piget; lætor magis, effe repertum
Tam fanctâ pietate Virum, rigidæque tenacem
Juftitiæ; quo patre novas deducere gentes
Annuit Omnipotens, odiorum oblitus & iræ.
At quid clara velint pictas diffufa per auras
Lumina, pacati ceu frons radiata Tonantis?
An limbo rutilante finus intexta coercent
Roriferæ nubis; ne rupta iterum obruat undis
Attonitas terras?—Superûm cui talia Princeps:
Haud erras, Adame: ultrò Deus exuit iras
Mansuescens; quem prava hominum modò sæcla creâffe
Poenituit; doluitque, ut cœli ex arce videret
Omnia terrarum latè loca fœta rapinis,
Degenerâffe omnes, fua crimina quemque fecutos :
His tamen expulfis, unum pietatis amantem
With all the creatures, and their feed preferve.
Far lefs I now lament for one whole world
Of wicked fons deftroy'd, than I rejoice
For one man found fo perfect, and so just,
That God vouchfafes to raise another world
From him, and all his anger to forget.
But fay, what mean those color'd streaks in heav'n,
Diftended, as the brow of God appeas'd?
Or, ferve they, as a flow'ry verge, to bind
The fluid fkirts of that fame wat'ry cloud,
Left it again diffolve, and fhow'r the earth?
To whom th'Arch-angel: Dext'rously thou aim'ft:
So willingly doth God remit his ire,
Tho' late repenting him of man deprav'd;
Griev'd at his heart, when looking down he faw
The whole earth fill'd with violence; and all flesh
Corrupting each their way: yet those remov'd,
Such grace fhall one just man find in his fight,
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