The Judgement of the Flood :: :: University of Virginia Library

Thus Noah. But loud clamour rose, and scorn,
And laughter, and opprobrium, and the cries
Of insolent rejection; tumult soon,
And strife, and bloodshed. Veiled within a cloud,
God rescued from the outrageous multitude
His Prophet; and rage died, its victim gone.
—Died with the Rephaim, those giant twins,
Who sometime smote, by Adam's sepulchre,
Noah while preaching . . whereof hath been told.
And now, again, the demon Brethren sought
To smite him as he spake: but either deemed

315

It honour to strike first; and, for the fame,
One with the other strove, until escaped
Their victim.—Then, upon his Brother each
His anger turned; wrath deadly—murtherous—
Wrestling in contest, gladiatorial strife:
Emulous of victory, seeking it as balm
To disappointment; neither wishing yet
To live thereafter, fired by frenzy so,
As if such loss bore no surviving, or,
After such gain, life worthless were, and stale.
High skill they shewed in combat; to assault
Or to defend, both equal; both unmatched
By any else; right artists in their kind,
Of all acknowledged, theme of saw, and song.
Long time, was either by the other held
At bay: their weapons clashed, but to protect,
And not to wound; until at length—at length—
Dagger of each was close at heart of each,
Mutually crossed; then, each in other's face
Looked, and laughed loud—and, as they laughed, they plunged
The poniards in; laughed, as they plunged them in—
And, laughing, drew them out; and, as they fell
Backward, laughed dying: laughing, so they died
In ecstasy, both victors, both death-crowned.
—Thus died the Born of Spirit, and of Flesh;
Apostate Spirit; (not apostate, guilt
Had then been none;) and thus on earth were they
Demons as giants, evil energies
In strength incarnate; errours masculine
Enshrined in clouds, yet not of Glory named,
But Hades—dark, oppressive, and corrupt,
Louring o'er earth, in battailous array,
Contending, bursting, falling but to bruise.

Thus died they, and more terrible the laugh,
That, from the hell-mouth of their gushing heart,

316

In that death-transport brake, than were the fiends
To mock a mourner from some cave's deep rift—
Soft-hearted mourner for a doomèd world,
With exultation of the coming wreck;
Greedy of ruin, angels of mischance:
More terrible, and more oracular.