Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

Due nourishment, not gluttonous delight,

Till many years over thy head return:

So may'st thou live, till like ripe fruit thou drop 535
Into thy mother's lap, or be with ease

Gather'd, not harshly pluck'd, for death mature:
This is old age; but then thou muft outlive

Thy youth, thy ftrength, thy beauty, which will change

To wither'd, weak, and gray; thy fenfes then

540

Obtufe, all tafte of pleasure must forgo,

To what thou haft; and for the air of youth,
Hopeful and chearful, in thy blood will reign
A melancholy damp of cold and dry

To weigh thy fpirits down, and last confume
The balm of life. To whom our ancestor.
Henceforth I fly not death, nor would prolong
Life much, bent rather how I may be quit
Fairest and eafieft of this cumbrous charge,
Which I must keep till my appointed day
Of rendring up, and patiently attend

My diffolution. Michaël reply'd.

Nor love thy life, nor hate; but what thou liv'st Live well, how long or fhort permit to Heaven: And now prepare thee for another fight.

545

550

555

He look'd, and faw a spacious plain, whereon Were tents of various hue; by some were herds Of cattel grazing; others, whence the found Of inftruments that made melodious chime Was heard, of harp and organ; and who mov'd 560 Their ftops and chords was feen; his volant touch Inftinct through all proportions low and high

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

565

Fled and purfu'd transverse the resonant fugue.
In other part ftood one who at the forge
Lab'ring, two maffy clods of ir'on and brafs
Had melted, (whether found where casual fire
Had wasted woods on mountain or in vale,
Down to the veins of earth, thence gliding hot
To fome cave's mouth, or whether wash'd by stream
From underground) the liquid ore he drain'd
Into fit molds prepar'd; from which he form'd
First his own tools; then, what might else be wrought
Fufil or grav'n in metal. After these,

But on the hither fide, a different fort

570

From the high neighb'ring hills, which was their seat,
Down to the plain defcended: by their guife

Just men they feem'd, and all their study bent
To worship God aright, and know his works
Not hid, nor those things last which might preferve
Freedom and peace to men: they on the plain 580
Long had not walk'd, when from the tents behold
A bevy of fair women, richly gay

In

gems and wanton drefs; to th' harp they fung Soft amorous ditties, and in dance came on: The men, though grave, ey'd them, and let their eyes Rove without rein, till in the amorous net Faft caught, they lik'd, and each his liking chose; And now of love they treat, till th' evening star, Love's harbinger, appear'd; then all in heat They light the nuptial torch, and bid invoke Hymen, then first to marriage rites invok'd: With feaft and mufic all the tents refound.

590

Such

Such happy interview and fair event

595

Of love and youth not loft, fongs, garlands, flowers,
And charming fymphonies, attach'd the heart
Of Adam foon inclin'd t'admit delight,
The bent of nature; which he thus exprefs'd.
True opener of mine eyes, prime Angel bleft,
Much better feems this vision, and more hope

Of peaceful days portends, than those two paft; 600
Those were of hate and death, or pain much worse,
Here nature feems fulfill'd in all her ends.

To whom thus Michael. Judge not what is best By pleasure, though to nature feeming meet, Created, as thou art, to nobler end

Holy and pure, conformity divine.

605

610

Those tents thou faw'ft so pleasant, were the tents
Of wickedness, wherein shall dwell his race
Who flew his brother; ftudious they appear
Of arts that polish life, inventors rare,
Unmindful of their Maker, though his Spirit
Taught them, but they his gifts acknowledg'd none.
Yet they a beauteous offspring fhall beget;

For that fair female troop thou faw'ft, that feem'd
Of Goddeffes, fo blithe, fo fmooth, so gay,

Yet empty of all good wherein confists
Woman's domeftic honor and chief praise;

Bred only and completed to the taste

Of luftful appetite, to fing, to dance,

615

To drefs, and troll the tongue, and roll the eye. 620 To these that fober race of men, whofe lives

Religious titled them the fons of God,

Shall

Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame
Ignobly, to the trains and to the fmiles
Of these fair atheifts, and now fwim in joy,
Erelong to fwim at large; and laugh, for which
The world erelong a world of tears must weep.
To whom thus Adam of short joy bereft.

O pity' and fhame, that they who to live well
Enter'd fo fair, fhould turn aside to tread
Paths indirect, or in the mid way faint!
But ftill I fee the tenor of Man's woe

625

630

Holds on the fame, from Woman to begin.

From Man's effeminate flackness it begins,

Said th' Angel, who should better hold his place 635 By wisdom and fuperior gifts receiv'd.

But now prepare thee for another scene.

He look'd, and faw wide territory spread Before him, towns, and rural works between, Cities of men with lofty gates and towers, Concourfe in armis, fierce faces threatning war, Giants of mighty bone, and bold emprife;

640

Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed,
Single or in array of battel rang'd

Both horfe and foot, nor idly must'ring stood;
One way a band felect from forage drives

645

A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine
From a fat meadow ground; or fleecy flock,
Ewes and their bleating lambs over the plain,
Their booty; scarce with life the fhepherds fly,
But call in aid, which makes a bloody fray;
With cruel torneament the fquadrons join;

650

Where

Where cattel paftur'd late, now scatter'd lies

With carcaffes and arms th' infanguin'd field

Deferted: Others to a city strong

655

Lay fiege, incamp'd; by battery, fcale, and mine,
Assaulting; others from the wall defend

With dart and javelin, stones and sulphurous fire;
On each hand flaughter and gigantic deeds.
In other part the scepter'd heralds call
To council in the city gates: anon

Grey-headed men and grave, with warriors mix'd,
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 feiz'd with violent hands,

660

665

Had not a cloud defcending fnatch'd him thence 670 Unseen amid the throng: fo violence

Proceeded, and oppreffion, and fword-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,

675

Death's minifters, not men, who thus deal death

Inhumanly to men, and multiply

Ten thousand fold the fin of him who flew

His brother: for of whom fuch maffacre

Make they but of their brethren, men of men?

680

But who was that just man, whom had not Heaven

Rescued, had in his righteousness been loft?

Το

« VorigeDoorgaan »