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

Eastward of Eden, lies the Land of Naid;
Where Cain of old the City of Enos built.
Patriarch of Enos, now, was Tubalcain;
Of each expert Artificer in brass,
And iron, whence of keener edge were wrought
Weapons of war, and implements of toil,
Instructor; royal then, and since divine.
And of his state partook his Sister fair,
Naämah, vain, whence told, in after time,
Of Vulcan and of Venus fables lewd:
Zillah their mother, one of Lamech's wives;
—The other Adah, who bare Jubal, sire
Of such as dwelt in tents, and cattle owned,
And Jubal, sire of those who handled harp,
And organ;—Lamech of the line of Cain,
Son of Methusael; who was the son
Of Mehujaël; son of Irad; son
Of Enos, he whose name the City bore.
For when his brother's blood had cried to heaven,
Cain's gracious Judge to him a token gave—
For why should murther murther propagate,
Private, or social? Vengeance is the Lord's;
He will repay. Then, on a swift wild steed,
The first equestrian, Cain with fear escaped
From human tents, and Abel's injured race;
His mother's anguish, and his father's wrath;
And reigned in Naid, sole tyrant, till his death,
Within the capitol that he had built,
And named of his son, Enos; . . who, anon,

Over a race of strong, and mighty men,
Succeeded to his rule. Rooted in earth,
Their labour rigid grew, as grows the oak,
And spread its boughs abroad; . . beneath whose shade
Erelong they dwelt, inventive of new arts,
Laborious arts, though giving grace to life,
And to false woman's beauty treble power
Of fascination, like the subtle snake's;
That charmed the sons of God to union strange.
—Whence men of strength, and science; joining thus
The force of contemplation, with the might
Of quick observance, and experiment:
Empiricism, though gross, yet powerful
Nature to sway, society to form;
But evil in the end, and ruinous,
If true religion guide not, and o'errule.