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

Alas, for Lamech. Even now the cloud,
Late but hand-size, develops to a storm.
—Shrieks loud, and long break his abstraction up;
And Zerah, by his side who still had sate,
Unseen, in filial love observing him,
Starts to her feet—

‘O father, whence that wail?’

But then in rushed Zateel with weapon bare,
Blood-stained, and cried, . .

‘Here stand I, to defend
Thee, Lamech, now. Yonder, my work is done.’

‘What work, Zateel?’
‘O Zerah, may the God
Of Adam pardon what, this day, his children
Have shed of blood, upcrying from the ground.
—Far o'er the plains, the faithful Sons of God,
In presence of the Cherubim, were spread;
Offering the holy feast of Bread, and Wine,
For Harvest well accomplished; with the shout,
And song of praise, and supplicating prayers.
There were the tribes of Seth, of Enosh there;
The tribes of Cainan, and Mahalaleel;
Of Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah;
And thine, O Lamech: sons, and daughters both;
With their sons, and their daughters; in their tribes,

And in their generations, ordered right.
Midst all, upstood Methuselah; and blessed
The multitudes; and cried aloud to God;
And blessed the bread, and wine, and hallowed them:
Partaken soon of all with joy of heart.
When, hark, the yell of onset; and the men
Of Naid, and Enos; by Azaradel,
With numbers from the City of the Wild,
Enforced, and guided; skirt the peopled plain:
And, driving in the outer circle, make
Huge massacre of man, and woman; boy,
And girl; the aged, and the infant; slain,
Without remorse, or pity. What I could,
I did, with this good sword, to stay the slaughter;
While of the inner ranks as many as might
Fled, and sought refuge: some even in the Ark;
Before which stood Methuselah, as guard;
With Japhet, Shem, and Ham. Then I sped hither;
To thee, and Zerah.’

While he spake, Elihu
Appeared before them, saying;

‘O my father;
The youngest, and the sole-left of thy sons
Kneels for thy blessing. Bless me, O my father.’

While Lamech wondered, sad Zateel replied;
‘Art thou, Elihu, spared? Then, praise the Lord,
The Merciful. O Lamech, pardon me—
I sought to shield thy heart from a new blow,
That well might break it; now, thou knowest all.
The day was ordered so, the tribe of Lamech
Lay, as the last in time, the last in rank;
Where massacre began, nor paused an instant,
Till all were sacred to the wanton sword.’

‘Alone scaped I to tell,’ Elihu said:
‘Nor thus had scaped, but that the plague was stayed,
By miracle divine. Before the Ark,

Whither had fled the people, Japhet stood,
With Shem, and Ham, and old Methuselah.
—‘Approach not,’ cried the aged Patriarch;
‘For know, my Death produceth the outbreak
Of what ye dread; and only by my death
New victims ye may reach. Away, fond men—
Slay me, and from the heavens the Floods descend,
In sudden vengeance; and from earth shall rise;
Deep call to deep, and heaven to earth reply.’
—As smitten with conviction of these words,
The Cainites paused, in superstitious fear;
And saw increase in splendour, as in wrath,
The Cherubim; and glow, with fiercer fire,
The flashing Sword; whence darted terrour forth:
Terrour so terrible, the enemy
Fled as before the Angel of the Lord.
In heaps they fled, and of each other made
Havoc; as, in their fear together thronged,
Either by other's death his life preserved.’

While thus spake they; Lamech, in silence deep,
As it were death, and prostrate as in slumber,
Clasped Earth; seeking, perhaps, within her bosom
To sleep, as in a mother's would a child;
And answer none returned to sigh, or word,
Heedless of sympathy, and scorning comfort.
—Soon Japhet, Shem, and Ham came there to him;
And wept to see him weep not; wept aloud,
But vainly. Ne'ertheless, with him they stayed,
And sate about him seven days, and nights;
And oftentimes Methuselah repaired,
To help them in the labour of their love;
But, when they saw his grief was great, forbore
With words to wound him; and in silence watched.