Of goddeffes, fo blithe, so smooth, so gay,
Yet empty of all good wherein confists
Woman's domeftic honour and chief praise;
Bred only and completed to the taste

Of luftful appetence, to fing, to dance,

To dress, and troule the tongue and rowle the eye
To these that sober race of men, whofe lives
Religious titled them the fons of God,
Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame
Ignobly, to the traines 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.muft weep.
To whom thus Adam of short joy bereft.
O pitie and shame, that they who to live well
Enter'd fo faire, should turn afide to tread
Paths indirect, or in the midway faint !
But ftill I fee the tenor of man's woe
Holds on the fame, from woman to begin.

From man's effeminate flackness it begins,
Said th'angel, who should better hold his place
By wisdom, and fuperior gifts receav'd,
But now prepare thee for another scene.

He look'd and saw wide territories fpred
Before him, towns, and rural works between,
Cities of men with lofty gates and towrs,
Concourse in arms, fierce faces threatning war,
Giants of mightie bone, and bould emprise;
Part wield their arms, part courb the foaming steed,
Single or in array of battle rang'd

Both horse and foot, nor idly mustring stood;

- inne way a band select from forage drives
herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine
om a fat meddow ground; or fleecy flock,
wes and their bleating lambs over the plain,
heir bootie; scarce with life the shepherds flye,
ut call in aid, which makes a bloody fray;
With cruel tournament the squadrons join ;
Vhere cattel paftur'd late, now scatter'd lies
With carcaffes and arms th'enfanguin'd field
Deferted: others to a city ftrong

ay fiege, encampt; by batterie, fcale, and mine, Affaulting; others from the wall defend

With dart and jav'lin, stones and fulfurous fire;
On each hand slaughter and gigantic deeds.
In other parts the scepter'd heralds call
To council in the citie gates: anon
Grey-headed men and grave, with warriours mixt,
Affemble, and harangues are heard, but foon
In factious oppofition, till at last

Of middle age one rifing, eminent

In wife deport, fpake much of right and wrong,
Of justice, of religion, truth and peace,

And judgment from above: him old and young
Exploded, and had seiz'd with violent hands,
Had not a cloud descending snatch'd him thence,
Unseen amid the throng: fo violence
Proceeded, and oppreffion, 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 fad; O what are thefe,
Death's minifters, not men, who thus deal death

Inhumanly to men, and multiply

Ten thousand fould the fin of him who flew
His brother; for of whom fuch massacre

Make they but of their brethren, men of men ?
But who was that just man, whom had not heav'n
Refcu'd, had in his righteousness been loft?

To whom thus Michael; these are the product
Of thofe ill-mated marriages thou sawft:

Where good with bad were matcht, who of themselves
Abhor to join; and by imprudence mixt,
Produce prodigious births of bodie or mind.
Such were these giants, men of high renown;
For in those days might only shall be admir'd,
And valour and heroic vertue call'd;

To overcome in battle, and fubdue
Nations, and bring home spoils with infinite
Man-flaughter, shall be held the highest pitch
Of human glorie, and for glorie done

Of triumph, to be ftyl'd great conquerours,
Patrons of mankind, gods, and fons of gods,
Destroyers.rightlier call'd and plagues of men.
Thus fame fhall be atchiev'd, renown on earth,
And what moft merits fame in filence hid
But he the feventh from thee, whom thou beheldst
The only righteous in a world perverse,

And therefore hated, therefore fo beset
With foes for daring single to be just,

And utter odious truth, that God would come
To judge them with his faints: him the most High
Rapt in a balmie cloud with winged steeds
Did, as thou fawft, receave, to walk with God

وا

igh in falvation and the climes of blifs,
xempt from death; to fhew thee what reward
waits the good, the reft what punishment;
Which now direct thine eyes and foon behold.

He look'd, and faw the face of things quite chang'd,
The brazen throat of war had ceas'd to roar,
And all was turn'd to jollitie and game,
To luxurie and riot, feast and dance,
Marrying or prostituting as befell,
Rape or adulterie, where paffing faire
Allur'd them; thence from cups to civil broiles.
At length a reverend fire among them came,
And of their doings great diflike declar'd,
And teftifi'd against their wayes; he oft
Frequented their assemblies, whereso met,
Triumphs or festivals, and to them preach'd
Converfion and repentance, as to fouls
In prison 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 highth,
Smear'd round with pitch, and in the fide a dore
Contriv'd, and of provisions laid in large

For man and beaft: when lo a wonder strange!
Of every beast, and bird, and infect small

Came feavens, and pairs, and enter'd in as taught
Their order: laft the fire, and his three fons

With their four wives; and God made faft the dore.
Mean while the fouth wind rofe, and with black wings

Wide hov'ring, all the clouds together drove
From under heav'n; the hills to their supply
Vapour, and exhalation dusk and moist,
Sent up amain; and now the thick'nd skie
Like a dark ceeling ftood; down rush'd the rain.
Impetuous, and continu'd till the earth

No more was feen; the floating veffel fwum
Uplifted; and fecure with beaked prow
Rode tilting o're the waves, all dwellings elfe
Flood overwhelm'd, and them with all their pomp
Deep under water roul'd; sea cover'd sea,
Sea without shoar; and in their palaces

Where luxurie late reign'd, fea-monsters whelp'd
And ftabl'd; of mankind, fo numerous late,
All left, in one small bottom fwum imbark't.
How didft thou grieve then, Adam, to behold
The end of all thy offspring, end fo fad,
Depopulation; thee another floud,

Of tears and forrow a floud thee also drown'd,
And funk thee as thy fons; till gently rear'd
By th'angel, on thy feet thou ftoodst at last,
Though comfortless, as when a father mourns
His children, all in view destroy'd at once;
And scarce to th'angel utterdft thus thy plaint.
O vifions ill forefeen! better had I
Liv'd ignorant of future, fo had borne
My part of evil only, each day's lot

Anough to bear; thofe now, that were difpenc't
The burd'n of many ages, on me light

At once, by my foreknowledge gaining birth
Abortive, to torment me ere their being,