The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (131 page)

704

      

And utter odious truth: that God would come

705

      

To judge them with His Saints. Him the Most High,

706

      

Rapt
⁶¹¹⁶
in a balmy
⁶¹¹⁷
cloud with wingèd steeds

707

      

Did, as thou saw’st, receive
⁶¹¹⁸
to walk with God,

708

      

High in salvation
⁶¹¹⁹
and the climes of bliss,

709

      

Exempt from death. To show thee what reward

710

      

Awaits the good, the rest what punishment,

711

      

Which now direct thine eyes and soon behold.”

712

      

   
He looked, and saw the face of things quite changed.

713

      

The brazen throat of war had ceased to roar,

714

      

All now was turned to jollity and game,

715

      

To luxury and riot, feast and dance,

716

      

Marrying or prostituting, as befel,
⁶¹²⁰

717

      

Rape or adultery, where passing
⁶¹²¹
fair

718

      

Allured them, thence from cups to civil broils.
⁶¹²²

719

      

At length a reverend sire
⁶¹²³
among them came,

720

      

And of their doings great dislike declared,

721

      

And testified against their ways. He oft

722

      

Frequented their assemblies, whereso
⁶¹²⁴
met,

723

      

Triumphs or festivals, and to them preached

724

      

Conversion and repentance, as to souls

725

      

In prison, under judgments imminent.

726

      

But all in vain. Which when he saw, he ceased

727

      

Contending,
⁶¹²⁵
and removed his tents far off.

728

      

Then from the mountain hewing timber tall,

729

      

Began to build a vessel of huge bulk,

730

      

Measured by cubit, length, and breadth, and height,

731

      

Smeared round with pitch, and in the side a door

732

      

Contrived, and of provisions laid in large
⁶¹²⁶

733

      

For man and beast, when lo, a wonder strange!

734

      

Of every beast, and bird, and insect small,

735

      

Came sevens, and pairs, and entered in as
⁶¹²⁷
taught

736

      

Their order. Last the sire and his three sons,

737

      

With their four wives. And God made fast the door.

738

      

Meanwhile the south-wind rose, and with black wings

739

      

Wide-hovering all the clouds together drove

740

      

From under Heav’n. The hills, to their
⁶¹²⁸
supply,

741

      

Vapor and exhalation, dusk and moist,

742

      

Sent up amain,
⁶¹²⁹
and now the thickened sky

743

      

Like a dark ceiling stood, down rushed the rain

744

      

Impetuous,
⁶¹³⁰
and continued till the earth

745

      

No more was seen. The floating vessel swum

746

      

Uplifted, and secure with beakèd prow

747

      

Rode tilting o’er the waves. All dwellings else

748

      

Flood overwhelmed, and them with all their pomp

749

      

Deep under water rolled. Sea covered sea,

750

      

Sea without shore, and in their palaces,

751

      

Where luxury late reigned, sea-monsters whelped
⁶¹³¹

752

      

And stabled.
⁶¹³²
Of mankind, so numerous late,
⁶¹³³

753

      

All left, in one small bottom
⁶¹³⁴
swum embarked.

754

      

How didst thou grieve then, Adam, to behold

755

      

The end of all thy offspring, end so sad,

756

      

Depopulation? Thee another flood,

757

      

Of tears and sorrow a flood, thee also drowned,

758

      

And sunk thee as thy sons, till gently reared

759

      

By th’ Angel, on thy feet thou stood’st at last,

760

      

Though comfortless, as when a father mourns

761

      

His children, all in view destroyed at once,

762

      

And scarce
⁶¹³⁵
to th’ Angel utter’dst thus thy plaint:

763

      

   
“O visions ill foreseen! Better had I

764

      

Lived ignorant of future, so had borne

765

      

My part of evil only, each day’s lot

766

      

Enough to bear. Those now, that were dispensed
⁶¹³⁶

767

      

The burden of many ages, on me light
⁶¹³⁷

768

      

At once, by my foreknowledge gaining birth

769

      

Abortive, to torment me ere their being,

770

      

With thought that they must be. Let no man seek

771

      

Henceforth to be foretold what shall befall

772

      

Him or his children—evil, he may be sure,

773

      

Which neither his foreknowing can prevent,

774

      

And he the future evil shall no less

775

      

In apprehension than in substance feel,

776

      

Grievous to bear. But that care now is past:

777

      

Man is not whom to warn.
⁶¹³⁸
Those few escaped

778

      

Famine and anguish will at last consume,
⁶¹³⁹

779

      

Wand’ring that wat’ry desert. I had hope,

780

      

When violence was ceased, and war on earth,

781

      

All would have then gone well, peace would have crowned

782

      

With length of happy days the race of man.

783

      

But I was far deceived, for now I see

784

      

Peace to corrupt no less than war to waste.

785

      

How comes it thus? Unfold, celestial guide,

786

      

And whether here the race of man will end.”

787

      

To whom thus Michael:

“Those, whom last thou saw’st

788

      

In triumph and luxurious wealth, are they

789

      

First seen in acts of prowess eminent

790

      

And great exploits, but of true virtue void,

791

      

Who having spilled much blood, and done much waste,

792

      

Subduing nations, and achieved thereby

793

      

Fame in the world, high titles, and rich prey,
⁶¹⁴⁰

794

      

Shall change their course to pleasure, ease, and sloth,

795

      

Surfeit,
⁶¹⁴¹
and lust, till wantonness
⁶¹⁴²
and pride