Poem 11

He looked, and saw the face of things quite changed; The brazen throat of war had ceased to roar; All now was turned 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 preached 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, Smeared 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 entered 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 thickened sky Like a dark ceiling stood: down rushed the rain 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 overwhelmed, and them with all their pomp Deep under water rolled; sea covered sea, Sea without shore: and in their palaces, Where luxury late reigned, sea-monsters whelped And stabled: of mankind, so numerous late, All left in one small bottom swum embarked. 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 drowned, And sunk thee as thy sons; till, gently reared By the Angel, on thy feet thou stood’st at last, Though comfortless, as when a father mourns His children, all in view destroyed at once; And scarce to the Angel utter’dst thus thy plaint: