826
Rain, day and night. All fountains of the deep,
827
Broke up, shall heave the ocean to usurp
828
Beyond all bounds, till inundation rise
829
Above the highest hills. Then shall this mount
830
Of Paradise by might of waves be moved
831
Out of his place, pushed by the hornèd6159 flood,
832
With all his verdure spoiled,6160 and trees adrift,
833
Down the great river 6161 to the op’ning gulf,6162
834
And there take root an island salt and bare,
835
The haunt of seals, and orcs,6163 and sea-mew’s6164 clang,6165
836
To teach thee that God attributes 6166 to place
837
No sanctity, if none6167 be thither brought
838
By men who there frequent, or therein dwell.
839
And now, what further shall ensue, behold.”
840
He looked, and saw the ark hull 6168 on the flood,
841
Which now abated, for the clouds were fled,
842
Driven by a keen north-wind that, blowing dry,
843
Wrinkled the face of deluge, as6169 decayed,6170
844
And the clear sun on his wide wat’ry glass
845
Gazed hot, and of 6171 the fresh wave largely6172 drew,
846
As after thirst, which made their flowing shrink
847
From standing lake to tripping6173 ebb, that stole
848
With soft foot towards the deep, who now had stopped6174
849
His sluices,6175 as the Heav’n his windows shut.
850
The ark no more now floats, but seems on ground,
851
Fast on the top of some high mountain fixed.
852
And now the tops of hills as rocks appear.
853
With clamor6176 thence the rapid currents drive
854
Towards the retreating sea their furious 6177 tide.6178
855
Forthwith6179 from out the ark a raven flies,
856
And after him the surer 6180 messenger,
857
A dove sent forth once and again6181 to spy
858
Green tree or ground, whereon his foot may light.6182
859
The second time returning, in his bill
860
An olive leaf he brings, pacific6183 sign.
861
Anon6184 dry ground appears, and from his ark
862
The ancient sire descends, with all his train,
863
Then with uplifted hands and eyes devout,
864
Grateful to Heav’n, over his head beholds
865
A dewy cloud, and in the cloud a bow6185
866
Conspicuous6186 with three lifted 6187 colors gay,
867
Betok’ning6188 peace from God, and cov’nant new.
868
Whereat the heart of Adam, erst 6189 so sad,
869
Greatly rejoiced, and thus his joy broke forth:
870
“O thou, who future things canst represent
871
As present, Heav’nly instructor, I revive
872
At this last sight, assured that man shall live,
873
With all the creatures and their seed preserve.6190
874
Far less I now lament for one whole world
875
Of wicked sons destroyed, than I rejoice
876
For one man found so perfect, and so just,
877
That God vouchsafes to raise another world
878
From him, and all His anger to forget.
879
But say, what mean those colored streaks in Heav’n
880
Distended,6191 as6192 the brow of God appeased?
881
Or serve they, as a flow’ry verge,6193 to bind
882
The fluid skirts of that same wat’ry cloud,
883
Lest it again dissolve and show’r the earth?”
884
To whom the Arch-Angel:
“Dextrously6194 thou aim’st.
885
So willingly doth God remit6195 His ire,
886
Though late6196 repenting6197 Him of man6198 depraved,6199
887
Grieved at His heart, when looking down He saw
888
The whole earth filled with violence, and all flesh
889
Corrupting each their way. Yet, those removed,
890
Such grace shall one just man find in His sight,
891
That He relents,6200 not to blot 6201 out mankind,
892
And makes a covenant never to destroy
893
The earth again by flood, nor let the sea
894
Surpass his bounds, nor rain to drown the world,
895
With man therein or beast. But when He brings
896
Over the earth a cloud, will therein set
897
His triple-colored bow, whereon to look,
898
And call to mind His cov’nant. Day and night,
899
Seed-time and harvest, heat and hoary6202 frost,
900
Shall hold their course, till fire purge all things new,
901
Both Heav’n and earth, wherein the just shall dwell.”
The End of the Eleventh Book
BOOK XII
THE ARGUMENT
The Angel Michael continues from the Flood, to relate what shall succeed; then, in the mention of Abraham, comes by degrees to explain who that seed of the woman shall be, which was promised Adam and Eve in the Fall; his Incarnation, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension; the state of the Church till his Second Coming.
Adam, greatly satisfied and recomforted by these relations and promises, descends the hill with Michael; wakens Eve, who all this while had slept, but with gentle dreams composed to quietness of mind and submission. Michael in either hand leads them out of Paradise, the fiery sword waving behind them, and the Cherubim taking their stations to guard the place.
1
As one who in his journey bates6203 at noon,
2
Though bent6204 on speed, so here the Arch-Angel paused
3
Betwixt the world destroyed and world restored,
4
If Adam aught perhaps might interpose.6205
5
Then with transition sweet,6206 new speech resumes:
6
“Thus thou hast seen one world begin, and end,
7
And man, as from a second stock, proceed.
8
Much thou hast yet to see, but I perceive
9
Thy mortal sight to fail; objects divine
10
Must needs impair6207 and weary human sense.
11
Henceforth what is to come I will relate.
12
Thou therefore give due audience, and attend.
13
“This second source6208 of men, while yet but few,
14
And while the dread of judgment past remains
15
Fresh in their minds, fearing the Deity,
16
With some6209 regard
to what is just and right
17
Shall lead their lives, and multiply apace,6210
18
Laboring the soil, and reaping plenteous crop,
19
Corn, wine, and oil, and from the herd or flock
20
Oft sacrificing bullock,6211 lamb, or kid,
21
With large wine-offerings poured, and sacred feast,
22
Shall spend their days in joy unblamed,6212 and dwell
23
Long time in peace, by families and tribes,
24
Under paternal rule. Till one6213 shall rise
25
Of proud ambitious heart, who not content
26
With fair equality, fraternal state,
27
Will arrogate dominion undeserved
28
Over his brethren, and quite dispossess6214
29
Concord6215 and law of nature from the earth,
30
Hunting (and men not beasts shall be his game)
31
With war, and hostile snare, such as refuse
32
Subjection to his empire tyrannous.
33
A mighty hunter thence he shall be styled
34
Before the Lord, as in despite6216 of Heav’n,
35
Or from Heav’n claiming second sov’reignty,
36
And from rebellion shall derive his name,
37
Though of rebellion others he accuse.
38
“He with a crew, whom like ambition joins
39
With him or under him to tyrannize,
40
Marching from Eden towards the west, shall find
41
The plain,6217 wherein a black bituminous6218 gurge6219
42
Boils out from under ground, the mouth of Hell.
43
Of brick, and of that stuff, they cast 6220 to build
44
A city and tow’r,6221 whose top may reach to Heav’n,
45
And get themselves a name, lest far dispersed
46
In foreign lands, their memory be lost,
47
Regardless whether good or evil fame.
48
But God, who oft descends to visit men
49
Unseen, and through their habitations walks
50
To mark their doings, them beholding soon,
51
Comes down to see their city, ere the tower
52
Obstruct Heav’n-tow’rs, and in derision sets
53
Upon their tongues a various6222 spirit, to raze6223
54
Quite out their native language and, instead,
55
To sow6224 a jangling6225 noise of words unknown.
56
Forthwith a hideous gabble rises loud
57
Among the builders; each to other calls
58
Not understood; till hoarse, and all in rage,
59
As mocked they storm.6226 Great laughter was in Heav’n
60
And looking down, to see the hubbub strange
61
And hear the din. Thus was the building6227 left
62
Ridiculous, and the work Confusion6228 named.”
63
Whereto thus Adam, fatherly displeased:
64
“O execrable son! so to aspire
65
Above his brethren, to himself assuming
66
Authority usurped, from God not giv’n.
67
He gave us only over beast, fish, fowl,
68
Dominion absolute; that right we hold
69
By His donation.6229 But man over men
70
He made not lord, such title to Himself
71
Reserving, human left from human free.
72
But this usurper his encroachment6230 proud
73
Stays6231 not on man! To God his tower intends
74
Siege6232 and defiance. Wretched man! What food
75
Will he convey up thither, to sustain
76
Himself and his rash army, where thin air
77
Above the clouds will pine6233 his entrails gross,
78
And famish6234 him of breath, if not of bread?”
79
To whom thus Michael:
“Justly thou abhorr’st
80
That son, who on the quiet state of men
81
Such trouble brought, affecting 6235 to subdue
82
Rational liberty. Yet know withal,6236
83
Since thy original lapse true liberty
84
Is lost, which always with right reason dwells
85
Twinned, and from her hath no dividual being.
86
Reason in man obscured, or not obeyed,
87
Immediately inordinate desires,
88
And upstart passions, catch6237 the government6238
89
From reason, and to servitude reduce
90
Man, till then free. Therefore, since he permits
91
Within himself unworthy powers to reign
92
Over free reason, God, in judgment just,
93
Subjects him from without to violent lords,
94
Who oft as undeservedly enthrall 6239
95
His outward freedom. Tyranny must be—
96
Though to the tyrant thereby no excuse.
97
Yet sometimes nations will decline so low
98
From virtue, which is reason, that no wrong,
99
But justice, and some fatal curse annexed,
100
Deprives them of their outward liberty,
101
Their inward lost. Witness th’ irreverent son6240
102
Of him who built the ark, who for the shame
103
Done to his father,6241 heard this heavy curse,
104
‘Servant of servants,’ on his vicious6242 race.
105
Thus will this latter, as the former world,
106
Still tend from bad to worse, till God at last,
107
Wearied with their iniquities, withdraw
108
His presence from among them, and avert
109
His holy eyes, resolving from thenceforth
110
To leave them to their own polluted ways,
111
And one peculiar6243 nation6244 to select
112
From all the rest, of whom to be invoked,
113
A nation from one faithful man6245 to spring,
114
Him on this side Euphrates yet residing,
115
Bred up in idol-worship. O that men
116
(Canst thou believe?) should be so stupid grown,
117
While yet the patriarch lived who ’scaped the Flood,
118
As to forsake the living God, and fall
119
To worship their own work in wood and stone
120
For gods! Yet him God the Most High vouchsafes6246
121
To call by vision from his father’s house,
>
122
His kindred and false gods, into a land
123
Which He will show him, and from him will raise
124
A mighty nation, and upon him show’r
125
His benediction so that in his seed
The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Page 60
