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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 uttered'st thus thy plaint:

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 foreknowing 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 passed; Man is not whom to warn; those few escaped, Famine and anguish will at last consume, Wandering that watery desert. I had hope, When violence was ceased, and war on earth, All would have then gone well; peace would have crowned, 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 sawest 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 prev. 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 conquered, also, and enslaved by war, Shall, with their freedom lost, all virtue lose, And fear of God, from whom their piety feigned, In sharp contest of battle, found no aid Against invaders; therefore, cooled in zeal, Thenceforth shall practice 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 or 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 Should build a wondrous ark, as thou beheld'st, To save himself and household from amidst A world devote to universal wrack.