Vapour, and exhalation dusk and moist,
Sent up amain. And now the thicken'd sky Like a dark ceiling stood; down rush'd 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 overwhelm'd, and them with all their pomp Deep under water roll'd; sea cover'd sea, Sea without shore; and in their palaces, Where luxury late reign'd, sea-monsters whelp'd And stabled; of mankind, so numerous late, All left, in one small bottom swum imbark'd. 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 drown'd, And sunk thee as thy sons; till, gently rear'd By the angel, on thy feet thou stood'st at last, Though comfortless; as when a father mourns His children, all in view destroy'd at once; And scarce to the angel uttered'st thus thy plaint: 6 O visions ill foreseen! better had I Lived ignorant of future! so had borne My part of evil only, each day's lot Enough to bear; those now, that were dispensed The burden of many ages, on me light
At once, by my foreknowledge gaining birth Abortive, to torment me ere their being, With thought that they must be. Let no man seek Henceforth to be foretold, what shall befall Him or his children; evil he may be sure, Which neither his foreknowing can prevent; And he the future evil shall no less
In apprehension than in substance feel, Grievous to bear: but that care now is past, Man is not whom to warn those few escaped Famine and anguish will at last consume, Wandering that watry desert: I had hope,
When violence was ceased, and war on earth,
All would have then gone well; peace would have
With length of happy days the race of man; But I was far deceived; for now I see
Peace to corrupt no less than war to waste. How comes it thus? unfold, celestial guide, And whether here the race of man will end.' To whom thus Michael: Those, whom last thou
In triumph and luxurious wealth, are they First seen in acts of prowess eminent
And great exploits, but of true virtue void; Who, having spilt much blood and done much waste Subduing nations, and achieved thereby
Fame in the world, high titles, and rich prey, Shall change their course to pleasure, ease, and sloth, Surfeit, and lust; till wantonness and pride Raise out of friendship hostile deeds in peace. The conquer'd also, and enslaved by war, Shall, with their freedom lost, all virtue lose And fear of God; from whom their piety feign'd In sharp contést of battle found no aid Against invaders; therefore, cool'd in zeal, Thenceforth shall practise how to live secure, Worldly or dissolute, on what their lords
Shall leave them to enjoy; for the earth shall bear More than enough, that temperance may be tried: So all shall turn degenerate, all depraved; Justice and temperance, truth and faith, forgot; One man except, the only son of light In a dark age, against example good, Against allurement, custom, and a world Offended: fearless of reproach and scorn, Or violence, he of their wicked ways Shall them admonish; and before them set The paths of righteousness, how much more safe And full of peace; denouncing wrath to come On their impenitence; and shall return
Of them derided, but of God observed
The one just man alive; by his command Shall build a wondrous ark, as thou beheld'st, To save himself, and household, from amidst A world devote to universal wrack.
No sooner he, with them of man and beast Select for life, shall in the ark be lodged, And shelter'd round; but all the cataracts Of heaven set open on the earth shall pour Rain, day and night; all fountains of the deep, Broke up, shall heave the ocean to usurp Beyond all bounds; till inundation rise Above the highest hills: then shall this mount Of Paradise by might of waves be moved Out of his place, push'd by the horned flood, With all his verdure spoil'd, and trees adrift, Down the great river to the opening gulf, And there take root an island salt and bare, The haunt of seals, and ores, and sea-mews' clang: To teach thee that God áttributes to place No sanctity, if none be thither brought By men who there frequent, or therein dwell. And now what further shall ensue, behold.'
He look'd, and saw the ark hull on the flood, Which now abated: for the clouds were fled, Driven by a keen north-wind, that, blowing dry, Wrinkled the face of deluge, as decay'd; And the clear sun on his wide watry glass Gazed hot, and of the fresh wave largely drew, As after thirst; which made their flowing shrink From standing lake to tripping ebb, that stole With soft foot towards the deep; who now had stopt His sluices, as the heaven his windows shut. The ark no more now floats, but seems on ground, Fast on the top of some high mountain fix'd. And now the tops of hills, as rocks, appear; With clamour thence the rapid currents drive, Towards the retreating sea, their furious tide. Forthwith from out the ark a raven flies, And after him, the surer messenger, A dove sent 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 sign:
Anon dry ground appears, and from his ark The ancient sire descends, with all his train: Then with uplifted hands, and eyes devout, Grateful to Heaven, over his head beholds A dewy cloud, and in the cloud a bow Conspicuous with three listed colours gay, Betokening peace from God, and covenant new. Whereat the heart of Adam, erst so sad, Greatly rejoiced; and thus his joy broke forth: O thou, who future things canst represent As present, heavenly instructor! I revive At this last sight; assured that man shall live, With all the creatures, and their seed preserve. Far less I now lament for one whole world Of wicked sons destroy'd, than I rejoice For one man found so perfect, and so just, That God vouchsafes to raise another world From him, and all his anger to forget.
But say, what mean those colour'd streaks in heaven Distended, as the brow of God appeased? Or serve they, as a flowery verge, to bind The fluid skirts of that same watry cloud, Lest it again dissolve, and shower the earth?'
To whom the archangel: 'Dextrously thou aim'st; So willingly doth God remit his ire,
Though late repenting him of man depraved; Grieved at his heart, when looking down he saw The whole earth fill'd with violence, and all flesh Corrupting each their way; yet, those removed, Such grace shall one just man find in his sight, That he relents, not to blot out mankind; And makes a covenant, never to destroy The earth again by flood; nor let the sea Surpass his bounds; nor rain to drown the world, With man therein or beast; but when he brings Over the earth a cloud, will therein set
His triple-colour'd bow, whereon to look, And call to mind his covenant: day and night, Seed-time and harvest, heat and hoary frost,
Shall hold their course; till fire purge all things
Both heaven and earth, wherein the just shall dwell.'
« IndietroContinua » |