ANTEDILUVIAN. CANTO F IR S T . T HE ﬁat of W isdom, creation’s last day Brought forth in...

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THE ANTEDILUVIAN.

CANTO F IR S T .

T HE fiat of W i sd om,creation ’s last day

Brought forth i n perfect ion our “ temple of clay,When with breath from the Master

,soul

,Spi ri t

and mind,

! oung Adam stood thinking,the first of mank ind !

Anon,a deep slumber h is sen ses enfolds

,

Awaking from which Vi rgi n Eve he beholds.

A pin ionl ess angel,no feathers or down

,

Or mantle,or garb

,save the smile she puts on

,

As she stands i n the rays of the new ri sen sun,

Surveying the scene,to i t s beaut ies al i ve .

Climax of perfect ion ! “! ueen bee

” of our h ive !

When thi s mother of mortal s in Eden fi rst stood,

4 THE A N T E DILUVIA N .

Creation was fin ished,and al l remained good ,

’Til l a demon of rank, with lu ciferou s crest,D i scovered the twai n as he peered through the m ist,Sen t by hi s emi nence the chief old boy ”

To overturn our apple cart of sublunary joy,Taught in al l chi canery by th is great potentate,No dilemma had a horn he couldn’ t demonstrate !Ski llful in the courts below

,and chri stened there

“ Old Scratch,

”

Nowhere (except i n Congress) has he ever found

hi s match .

The garden thus d iscovered,with a twinkle in his eye

,

He hurled himself to earth,like_a meteor from the

W’here on the verge of Eden,he demoral ized

snake,

W hich approached the rib of Adam and thus to

he spake

T H E ANTEDILUVIAN.

I saw thee through the morn ing sheen ,And came to g i eetEden’s fai r queen

,

Whose early orisons are pai d

To H im,who w i sely allthings made .

Who fash ion ed these majesti c trees,

Made lovely flowers to scen t the breeze,

And joyful bi rds. the flowers among,That freight the very ai r wi th song.

How blest with Adam here to stay

And while the balmy hours away

Oh yes,”says Eve

,

“ all these del ight,

But Adam had a dream last n ight !He thougl‘ta seraph by him stood ,That to ld him of a fiendish brood

Residi ng i n the realms below,

Who seek our bl i ss to overthrow .

The vi sion seems to vex him much,

Hi s breakfast he would hard ly touch,

T HE ANTEDILUVIAN .

Scarce half an apricot he ate,

And then went forth to medi tate.

Left thus to breakfast all al one,

I ate unt il my peck was gone,W hen

,hav i ng none to hear me talk

,

I. too, came out to have a walk,And glad I am to see thy face

And talk wi th thee of Adam ’s case .

I don ’ t know why i t thus should be,

But he don ’ t seem a bi t l ike me !He’ s growing set

,in hi s own way

W on ’ t hear a word I have to say .

I’ve just such d reams most every n ight,

And they don ’ t trouble me a mi te !Catch me to go without my food

For them,or any o ther brood !

And yet I’m grieved to have him so,

For there’ s n o other man,you know .

T HE ANTEDILUVIAN.

! ea,

’ quoth the serpent,

“ you ’re qu ite

In keeping thus your appetite,

And al l thi s tenderness you feel,

The coming woman doth reveal !But

,then

,respecting Adam ’ s dreams

,

I ’ve been thinking ! and i t seems

To me,the more you have to say

The more he’ ll have allhi s own way !And

,that the best thing to be done

,

Is just to leave the man alone !I have n o doubt he’ ll come out right

From this i l l usion of the n ight,

Return ing in a differen t mood !So let us pluck del i ci ous food

,

W hich from your hands he may receive

And eat,and bless hi s darl ing Eve .

These orchard trees,with frui t replete

,

Of course from all you freely eat !

T HE ANTEDILUVIAN .

Thi s tree seems higher than the rest,

No doubt i ts apples are the best . ”

Oh,n o ! ” says Eve

,

“ tha t cannot be !

For this i s the forb idden t ree !I n ever d reamed i t was so near.

Oh ! I shal l d ie . Oh,dear ! Oh

,dear !

A dam ! Adam ! Why ar’n t you here !

To which the serpen t makes reply

W oman,you shal l n ot surely die

,

Thi s frui t will only make you wise,And open you r becl ouded eyes !It i s a frui t to be d esi red

But taste and you wil l be i n spi red,

Exal ted,made to comprehend

The Dei ty,and me, your friend .

Do tell,

” say s Eve, can that be so !

Nearer the fatal tree they go .

Butthen i ts bran che s al l are h igh,

T HE ANTEDILUVIAN.

And Eve,at first

,i s somewhat shy !

So Satan,being long and sl im

,

Stretched up and b en t her down a l imb !Some of i ts leaves graze o’er her brow,

She w inks,as n ’er she winked til l now

,

A l onging feels,far from her wont ,

(She’l l have an apple

,see

’f she don ’ t .)

The pregnan t l imb i s bend ing o’er her,And wisdom’ s apples swing before her,From which she plucks

,despite her fear

So pleasantdoes the frui t appear !W hile Satan

,cer tain of hi s game

,

Shapes back his course from whence he came .

Shouting as the serpent squ i rms,

Hurrah ! Hurrah ! W hat food for worms !

Fair Eve,mean time

,her partner finds

,

When round hi s neck her arms she twmes,

Andwi th such fondness hugs the man ,

1 0 THE ANTEDILUVIAN .

As only mor tal woman can !Whi le her erubescent cheeks

,

And these saccharifi'

erous freaks,

Of coming human nature spake,

And told him she was half awake.

He was a man ! first of the race,And

,l ike a man he viewed the case !

He’d pondered si nce the morning l ight

Upon that v i sion of the n ight,

Til l the impression found its b ir th ,That endless li fe

,was not of earth .

So to hi s fate became resigned,

And in this wi se rel ieved hi s mind“ This morn ing after leav i ng thee

Seeing a monkey in a tree,

I threw a stone hi t monkey ’s head

The monkey fell,I found him dead

,

And scrutin ized h im half an hour,

THE ANTEDILUVIAN . 1 1

Till i n terrupted by a shower !And l it tl e differen ce I see

Betwix t the monkey, you or me .

W e’re al l constructed much the same,

W arm hearts are beating i n each frame !All have the sinews

,flesh and blood

,

Kept from decay by heal thy food

And though they talk i n l ingo queer,

The greatest odds that doth appear,

Is thei r extension i n the rear,

By which they have the van tage ground,

When savage fl ies are buzzing round .

Soon after,runn ing o’er the plai n

lncauti ously,I stubbed my toe

,

Hopped on one leg,and cried with pain

,

And almost cursed,i t hurt me so .

W ould an immortal foot thus ache !

Says Eve,

“ You’d better ask the snake

1 2 THE ANTEDILUVIA N .

For from the fru i t,on which he feeds

,

In kn owledge,u s he far exceeds .

This morn he took me to that tree

Forbidden but to you and me,

Told me the virtue i t con tained,

And what,by eating might be gained .

I then,and there

,some apples took

,

W hich l ie con cealed near yonder brook,

The eat ing,I deferred unt i l

I came to you,and learn ed your will.

Adam repl ies,

“ You’re right my dear

The serpen t now i s master here,

And we must eat of thi s same frui t

Or rank in knowledge ’nea th the brute,

And though i t be a sin to eat,

From what’ s decreed there’ s n o retreat .

My angel vi sitan t last n ight,

Bade me beware,lest Sa tan might

THE ANTEDILUVIAN. 1 3

E vade the watch upon the wall,

A nd sl ipp ing in,effect our fall!

But I’ve not seen the chap about

Although I ’ve kept a good lookout .

I knocked that monkey off the l imb,

Thinking perchan ce i t might be him

A nd fearing that i n some such shape,

Our guard ian watch,he might escape

Invi sibl e,he may be near,

And yet I would not have him here,

I ’m sure I ’d rather fall w ithout h im,

Although I don ’ t know much about h im .

To comprehend thi s state of ours,

We must enlarge our men tal powers

I think corruption,heaven ’s pl an

,

And knowledge,foreordained for man !

Mortal ity hath wants,and pains

,

While endless l ife i tself sustai n s

1 4 THE AN TEDILUVIAN.

These bodies,fash ion ed from the clay

,

Like vegetati on,must decay

So we must eat,or bl indly rust

,

For what o riginates from dust

Must back to du st again return

So bring the frui t we’ve much to l earn .

She goes,wi th swift and will i ng feet !

She’l l bring the frui t,and we must eat .

Ye generat i on s yet to be

And feast beneath the l iv ing tree !Bel ievers in free agency !

Blame not your God ! created si re,

Because appointed to expi re

W i th an enlarged and growing mind,

Not chosen ever to be bl ind !

Conceive a race i n darkness bound !Compare them wi th yoursel ves

,renowned

In allthat deifies our dust .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

CANTO SECOND .

They eat ! Earth’s hostess and her host

Now entertain a di smal ghost !

Unseen,upon hi s pall id beas t

He comes,and join s them in thei r feas t !

Unnoticed,i n trospects the twain

,

And plants hi s germs,and strews his grain !

W i th ghastly smile,surveys the field

,

And tall ies up the wondrous yield .

The world before ne‘

er saw hi s match

For counting chickens ere they hatch .

The feast goes on,and Adam’ s brai n

Expands,un til he feel s a pain

Yet so enlarged in mind i s he,

Thei r nakedness he fail s to see .


W hil e Eve,with vi sion more confined

To dressing, strongly feels i ncl ined !A nd soon

,a notion she conceives

To sl ip away,and bring some leaves

Wherewi th their persons to adorn,

Thus pride of nakedness was born .

’Twas thus that Satan stained with fraud

Proud man ! the image of hi s God !

Whil e angel s watching at thei r post

Beheld a cloud o’er Eden blown,

Heard the shout of Satan ’ s host

And here the tid ings to the throne.

There Gabriel,min ister of state

,

And chief among the peers of fate,

Commanded that the Tree of Life

Be guarded by a flaming kn ife,

And cherubim,i ts way to sh ield

Until i t’s t ime to be revealed .

1 8 THE ANTEDILUVIAN .

This i s that fated world,

” he said,

Where Satan i s to have free trade !Of l i v ing soul s make merchandise

,

And drug the hearts of men wi th l ies

H i s character and skilldisplay,

And traflic in free agency .

Notal l the wisdom of the throne,

To such as Satan,i s made known

Some plan s there are,he may not view,

Though i n them he has much to do .

’T ’ i s his to work,through the l ong night

Ti llt ime reveal s the coming l ight !Then to behold

,to hi s di smay

,

Though things wen t swimmi ngly hi s way

H imself and all his imps of sin,

But l it tle wheel s,a wheel wi thin .

This offspring of Eternal Mind

Some way to earth,must be confined !

T H E ANTEDILUVIAN . 1 2)

O r iginating from the throne,

Where corruption ’s powers unknown,

Its tenden cy this wav would be

But for reaction from the tree,

Which i s required to absorb

And bind i t to the new made orb,

Confine i t to i ts house of clay,

Till death shal l bear the wreck away .

For,soul in substance to remain

Requires an influence to restrain

Its cen tric fl ight ! which mo t i ve power,

To Satan gi ven,he by our

Preordination doth repair

On hi s appointed mission there .

All world s are made and filla placeRevolving in the realms of space !The paren t mind di rects thei r course

,

And rules them by the laws of fo rce .

2( THE ANl‘E DILUVIAN .

While men,poor brooding , th inking clods

Conduct themsel ves as thev were Gods,

Revol ving round the firstgreatcau se

W hich art to be and e ver was .

Thus knowledge earthwa rd rol ls her t ide

And though corrup t i on wi th i t bl end

Who wisdom makes h i s only guide

W i l l have the Father for a fr iend .

Thi s Tree of Li fe,from whi ch they go

,

In this good t ime,i ts leaves wil l shed

,

To heal the wounds of sin and woe ,W here’er the t ribes of earth are spread

And every tenemen t of ol av,Tha t bears the Father’ s image there

Shal l have i ts resurrect i on day,

And breathe another atmosphere,

Though under just what stars and skies

Is left a puzzle to the w i se .


Yet many min i sters of grace

Striv ing to elevate their race,

Ponder the word and weigh each verse,

And puzzl e o ’er the fall,and curse .

Keep puzzl ing on ! as they grow old,

And thus i nferring what’ s untold,

Give i t each Sabbath to thei r age

A helpmeet for the sacred page .

”

Then to those watchers of the scene,

He said Return to earth agai n ,

Let sl ip the demons of the curse

W i th pall,and w i nding sheets

,and hearse .

Adam,the first of al l below

,

W i th hi s for better o r for worse ’

From Eden ’s bowers n ow must go .

Thi s order,they forthwith obey

,

And back to Eden wing their way,

Where soon,they light upon the wall

,

22 THE ANTEDILUVIAN .

And thus aloud,on Adam call .

“ Adam ! Adam Where are ye now !

Have ye been plucking from the bough,Whereof ye gather but to d ie !

Says Adam,

‘ I can ’ t t ell a l ie,

’

The woman made for my helpmeet

Helped me to some,and I did eat.

”

Unto the woman,then they say

“W hy did ye lead the man astray !

W hen promptly Mo ther Eve repl ies

The serpen t said ’twould make me wise,

Give to though t a new creation,

L ift me to a higher sta t i on

Meet with Adam’ s approbation

So wi thout procrast ina t i on

I pl ucked,and straight to Adam came

And though we ate,the snake’s to blame .

Now,as al l knowledge i n th is brute

,


A nd progeny to Kick up N ed

Through allof which she l i ves caressedAnd chi ldren ’ s children call her blest .

To Adam who (so says St . Paul),\Vas no t dece ived . though in the fall

,

Because wi th Eve he d id partake !The ground was cursed for his sake

,

Thi stles and thorn s must ever yield ,And man must toil i n wood an d field

W i th sweat ing brow his l iving earn

Tillhe to dust agai n re turn .

Clo thing the angels now provide,

And fig leaves must be laid aside,

So whil e the pai r thei r toilet make

VVe’llfurther muse upon the snake .

CANTO THIRD .

D ou b tless,before the fal l took place

Serpen ts excel led the new made race

In al l those elements of mind

That since have deified manki nd

Upon thy belly thou shal t go,

Impl ies tha t ’ twas n ot always so,

And leads the studen t to conclude

That formerly e rect they stood .

And proudly i n the garden walked

And wi th the couple laughed and talked .

Our sacred wri ters often make

Mystic allusion s to the snake,

Which poin t to one,more noble far

Than allearthés creeping monsters a re

,


And tell s the searcher after truth

That serpents once were notuncouth .

The brazen serpen t Moses wrought,

Israel balm from Eden brought

So ful l of power,i t only took

For d irest wound,a single look

And typified the heal ing balm

W hich “ art,and wast

,

”and “ art to come .

“ Be ye therefore as serpents wise ”

Appl ies to him i n Paradise,

Ere Satan ’s crew in truding thence

Corrupted al l h is better sen se,

En throned him as thei r Demon Prince

And hailed him as “ Your Emi nence .

”

WVellwas hi s worth and wi sdom knownBy allthe imps of Satan ’s throne

!

Which were created and exist

But to effect some high behest.

THE ANTEDILUVIAN . 27

For every thing was fixed and planned

Bef ore the earth was made and manned !A nd Satan by foregone decree

Helps carry out,what i s to be .

There could not be,in other sense

,

An overrul ing Prov idence .

Dost ask who was thi s being wise

Located thus i n Paradise,

As teacher of the infan t pai r

Breathing with them ambrosial ai r !

Tell then,Oh

,Muse ! ’Twas Lucifer !

B r ight Lucifer,the morn ing star !

Proud Lucifer,befo re he fell

To be a min ister of hell!They needed some one to d irect

W i th higher powers of in tel lect,

And thus a sort of Moses he

To pilot them on l ife’ s rough sea.

T H E ANTEDILUVIAN .

Whi ch duty he no doub t performed

Til l Demon force the castl e stormed ,

And sly Old Sc ratch (b y hook or crook)Said Lucifer’s acquirements took

,

From which he cu t that spacious cloak

Wherein to perpetrate the deed

Of death,to Adam and hi s seed .

‘Vhen that proud peer,and all hi s chums

Became tran sformed to snakes and worms,While other hosts of fal len ones

Assumed the shape of Adam’ s sons.

Thus to my muse’ t i s clear and plai n

Celest ial ones fellwi th the twainEl se tel l u s who those son s of God

Dwell ing wi th men before the flood

Wedding the fai res t maids of earth

Who gave to monster gian ts bi rth !

Who b ut those satell i tes tha t fell,

THE A N'

I‘

E DILUVIA N . 29

By Milton ’s verse described so wel l,

Rebell ious host,routed and dri ven

By Gabriel down the slopes of Heaven !

Our Father Isaac when a lad

Conversan t was wi th Arphaxad ,And oft he heard that parent tell

How these rebellious subject s fellAnd in thi s new made world of ours

Found refuge from offended powers !Took human form , and filled a place

Contemporary wi th our race

In its in itiatory days,

Ere wisdom magnified her ways .

Told how his grandsire used to say

Those Anacondas of his day,

Allgrace and righteousness withstoodDefiled the race

,and caused the flood .

Though N oah with themliv ’d and deal t,

T HE ANTEDILUVIAN .

Thei r influence he never fel t,

Nor did they have the least effect

On any i n the l ine direct.

Thei r power to wear the human form

W as deluged i n that awful storm,

But st il l thei r shades i n darkness dwell

Haun ting thi s orb to which they fell

And though to sight i n vi sible

These same old anti ! deluge chaps

Ring round thi s world thei r spiri t raps,

Hav ing their mediums of renown

Alarm ing country,d iverting town

A nd who,by svmpathetic aid ,

Put Moses’ wonders i n the shade .

From i n struments sweet music bring

\Vithouta hand to touch a string,

Or in a ring, around some table ,Callup Nimrod who founded Babel ,

32 THE AN TEDILUVIAN .

She merely questi on s the old chap

Touching thi s mysterv of our age,Then gives her spi ri t friends a rap

,

And leaves her note on hi storic page.

CANTO FOURTH .

Secre ts obscure,dark

,and profound

,

This snake,and tree

,and frui t surround !

And though some wri ters on the

Suggest a devi l ln them a l l,

But few are wi ll ing to concede

Him,an appoin tment

,or a n eed .

While all admi t he puts on airs,

And still wi th frui t the mind ensnares

In every heart,some plant doth nourish

,

And del ights,when most doth flourish

Those scaly germs of innate sin,

The serpen t left when winding i n !Which to my muse m ! kes things appear

Inconclusive , mixed , and queel,

34 THE ANTED ILUVIAN .

Unless he has a mission here .

Again , we read on scripture’s page

Of one correct,upright old sage

Who keeping Satan i n hi s rear

Became tran slated from thi s sphere

Now had al l walked wi th Enoch’ s m ien,

W ould such translation allhave seen 9This surely was not the i n ten t

For which the soul in clay was pen t !In Enoch ’ s travel we behold

How Satan ’s power may be con trolled ,And that despi te hi s tricks and l ies,Man ’ s pro vince i s to scale the skies.

And where there’s mystery invol ved

H i s mi ss i on i s to have i t solved

And where a peg holds but a doubt’Ti s woman ’s sphere to pry i t out.

Tel l bu t a ch ild i n thi s our time

THE ANT EDILUVIAN . 351

That i f a certai n tree he cl imb ,He’ s sure to meet wi th some disaster,See i f he does notcl imb i t faster

If no t,he don ’tbelong to me

,

For mine would cl imb no other tree.

Just so i t was with Eve and Adam,

They would keep cl imbing t illthey had ’e1n

,

The apples,on that tree of knowledge

N ow flouri shing in school and col lege.

Prol ific tree ! Progressive fruit

Lifting our race above the brute

And,l acking which

,l ike dolts and gumps

,

Notknowing when we hold good trumps,

We’re euclned i n the very faceOf both the bowers and the ace !

Why to our parents thus forb idden !

Deep, deep, the mystery i s hidden

And not a spiri t loafs about

36 run ANTEDILUVIAN .

Able to rap the puzzle out .

Yet Adam ’ s race as they rotate

And sound the depths of sin and fate

That underl i e snake,fruit and tree

Shal l fathom thi s deep mystery,Which in earth’ s coming jubilee

All printed i n a book shal l be .

W e’ve seen a rib from Adam’ s side

Become a woman,and a bride

,

By which process she’ s more refined .

WVhen wi th the man anew combined .

And though they’re called one flesh ”

They d ifi'

er,j ust a l ittl e grain

In some things ! thu s related,N otbeing always fai rly mated .

Take, for in stance, the subject tongue,Why, Eve had two, to Adam

’ s on e :

Dost think that Paradise could b e

T nE ANTEDILUVIAN . 37

Where there was such di screpan cy !

It never could have been,no

,never

B utfor the serpen t ’s being clever,Supplying to each wherein they lacked

,

By hi s sagaci ty and tact,

And keeping Eden from commotion

By his wisdom, and devot ion ,Jus t as train oi l doth still old ocean

W hich Eden might be ours to ! day

Had Sa tan ’ s imps been kept away .

Ye ! who would equal ize manki nd

To thi ngs as ordered,not resigned !

Be t ter you lay the ear aside,And drift at rest upon the t ide

Or else , create another moon ,Controll i ng tides to sui t your tune .

You can ’ t ! Pull on ! I’l l j oi n you when

The serpen t shal l return again,


To promenade the earth once more

Endowed wi th wisdom as of yore !

To nav igate the human race

A nd keep them i n the paths of peace 3

I t was n ot thus that Mil ton soared

And sung of Parad i se restored .

”

Thanks,Moni tor ! Mil ton was great

H i s muse I woul d n ot underrate !Yet bear w i th mine another fl ight

,

She possiblymay come out right .

Adam and Eve Majesti c pai r !

Though breathing an ambrosial ai r,

Your bl i ss con si sts i n being bl i nd

To all that elevates mankind .

TillSatan ’ s torchlitwisdom’ s l ight,

Darker than Egypt,was the night

That hung around your mental sight

Is such,the Paradi se to be,

CANTO FIFTH .

W i th knowledge,now i s u shered i n

T he fallen serpen t ’s reign of sin

Both good and ev i l was the frui t,

And both in man have taken root .

Read the tale of b vgone ages

W ri t ten by the pr 1est s and sages,

Light,and darkness fi l l i ts pages

Now the star of Tophe t rages,

Demon work and si n the wedge i s,

Lift ing honor from men ’ s soul s,

As round her cen tral o rb she ro ll s .

Anon the sun ’s bright beams l ook down ,And heal thy planets circl e round

,

\Vhile Satan ’s banner t rai l s the ground,

THE ANTEDILUVIAN . 4 ]

And human aspi ration s ri se

Scal ing the battlements of l i es .

Old earth was made for day and n ight ,

Season s of darkness and of l ight,So man

,c reated from its dust

,

M usthave hi s shade, forsooth he must,

And thus the snake,through dep mn m ight,

Prepared him for h i s day and n ight,

Suspend ing l ife upon a breath

Beneath the shadow of grim death .

For though the Spi ri t grieve and mourn

To see i t s dwell ing wrecked and torn,

Death has no power but to sl ay

Man ’ s an imal i ty of clay.

W hen soul,unshackled from the clod

Re turn s set free un to i ts God .

Hi s words, ye shal l not surely d ie

W ere never more thanlaatf a l ie,

42 T H E ANTEDILUVIAN .

And thus our serpen t i n the fal l

Proves n ot a l iar after all .

Why then abuse and cal l him black ,And every chance gi ve him a whack !

Some men exist i n our days,

WVho certai nly have snaki sh ways !If th ings go wrong thev’re su re to squirm ,

And lay i t to the etirsed worm !Others, whom sin has brought to grief

Fly to the serpen t for rel i ef,

While some a lump of al l sin make,

And dump the whole upon the snake .

Strange logic i n the world i s found

And many theories abound

But such theology as thi s,

Might wel l be answered wi th a hi ss .

Though earth,wi th l ies i s over ! run

,

The serpen t told but half an one,

THE ANTE DILUVIAN . 43

Or ra ther,Satan (as we

’ve seen)Employed him as a “ go between

And through the carriage of the brute,

Revealed the secret of the f ru i t !W hile Eve qu ite will ing to be wi se

,

Opened her mouth ! and then her eyes !Nor i s i t strange

,that she should stray

,

WVhen such a teacher led the wav .

Though created firs t,of all

,

Adam appears the last,to fall .

He stood untilthe W oman blushed,

W hen al l his murmurings were hushed,

Ili s wakened spouse,seeming so cu te

,

He qui te elated,t ook the fru i t

No right to l ive alone he claimed,

So ate untilhe was ashamed,

And since there was no other flame,

Poor man he’ s not so much to blame .

44 THE AN T E DILUVlam‘

.

Ye who the serpen t stigmat i ze,

And style him father of al l l ies !

B etter you leave his sin alone,And seek forgiveness for vour own

If i n the fall he took the front,

So i n the curse,he bore the brun t .

Think not because of old twas said

The woman ’s seed shall brui se hi s head,

That every mortal child of earth

Should hate the repti le,from hi s bi r th

,

And pel t,and mangle

,him wi th stones

,

To atomize hi s very bones !Such acti on shows the man of sin

,

Whom Satan ’ s self resides wi thin

Who when resi sted takes to flight,t i le snakes resi sted always fight !A proof than holy wri t more strong

,

That Satan was not i n him l ong,


Butwrought the fall , as we have seen ,Then left him for the souls of men .

When the two founders of our race

In knowledge,took the serpent’ s place.

For th is medlar was fate ’ s repose

Their eyes to open ! hi s to close,

And when fai r Eve the appl e took,

The sleeping deit i es awoke,

And the “ knowledge box ” exchanged

Preci sely as twas pre arranged,

Though Satan swore,and proved i t too

'

That brokerage to him was due .

Thus wi sdom ’s frui t,food of the mind

,

Came wi th si n ’ s essence in the rind .

Oh ye ! who feast at w isdom’ s feet

Do peel her apples ere you eat !

Why, alltheir pomace mast i cate !Keeping your imps in church and State,


W i th titl e deeds of modern date,Lacking the sign and seal of fate .

Deacon s,and Elders

,whose long prayers

Scarce shiel d them,from temptat i on s’ sn ares,

And honorables to Congress sen t,

On salary grabbing jobs i n ten t !

48 THE AN TEDILUVIAN.

To kiss the daughters of the proud !Though imps

,and fiends

,are n ot all owed

,

Or if one chance to show its face,

They smother i t,with so much grace

That ti s not thought a real case .

Tis true,of late

,some congressmen

A l i ttle i ndi screet have been,

And frenzied with the nat ion ’ s cares,

Bought i nto Satan ’ s Railroad shares.

However,taken as a class

They al l as goodly jewel s pass,

And though they hold conflicti ng views,

Some wearing boots, and others shoes,W i th whi ch they make some splendid hi ts

,

And sometimes give each o ther fi ts .

Yet when bisected hoofs break out,

I t goes as parl iamentary gout,’

Or other transcendental ill,

TIIE ANTEDILUVIAN . 49

For which the doctors have no pi ll .

And so sweet Chari ty steps in ,To nurse the wounded member’s shin

,

W hile all the people shout, Amen

And vote the cripple i n again

Wha t imps among these honored on es !

Go, wean your muse or spike her guns

No demons among Adam’ s boys ! ”

Lying spiri t,hush thy n oi se !

And hark,to you grave ! digger’s song

,

Whose occupation,gobl in s throng

,

Singing, among the sculptured stones,Singing

,among decaying bones

,

S inging,where others come to weep

,

Singing,where dead men come to sleep

,

S inging,as he wields the spade

,

S ingi ng,as he earns hi s bread

Singing,to the silen t hosts

,

3


S inging to thei r varied ghosts,Singing

,in the hole he ’s dug

,

S inging to the worm and bug,

Singing,while the death bel l rings

,

Singing l i sten while he sings

Lying Spi ri t,l end an ear !

Of a demon,thou shalt hear.

Business w ith me is never slack,

I cover simple ones and wise,

Just as they fall.For there ’s a. demon on the track

Of p ilgrims here below the skies,

Who gathers all.

T is said,that Adam’s rib

,or wife

,

The mother of the human race,

Of scripture fame,Wen t off, and left the tree of Life,And gave th is Demon her embrace

,

And fell in shame.

T HE ANT E DILUVIAN .

Since which,from every land

,and clime

,

And kindred,tongue

,and nation

,

From huts,

thrones,This fiend has oiled the wheels of time

W i th grief,and lamen tation

,

And sighs and groans.

The peasant ol‘ the lowly cot,

Whether in ! oy, or its reverse,Famine or feast

,

Is as con tented wi th his lot,N or dreads this demon of the curse

More than the P riest.

Beneath the shadow of his wing

Great David,i n his robes was chilled

,

His powers flagFull soon

,his royalpulse was stilled

,

In vai n,alas ! She cherished him

,

Fai r Abishag.

TH E ANTEDILUVIA N.

Infall ible,al though they be

,

R ome's haughty P ope ’s,his sway must own

,

And,athis nod

They founder on the Sacred See,

And i n their holy water,drown

Grasp ing the rod.

Here,too

,i n this our favored land

,

Than where,no brighter banner waves

O'

er creation,

He re igns ! and,wi th unflinching hand

,

Sends generations to thei r graves,

Or cremation .

And though no Kings sitrobed in might,

Or ! ueens, the lordly sceptre sway,Cap’ t wi th a crown

,

This tyrant,with unquestioned right,

Orders our presiden ts away !Men of renown .

T HE AN T E DILUVIAN .

Lincoln,who earns immortal fame

,

When battle for a nation ’s l itelts harvest reaps !

Falls by a rebel demon ’s aim,

The noblest martyr of the strife,

The U n ion weeps.

E vents that are to come,will be

,

And that which is to happen,will

Satan doth roar,

An d though our contrabands are free,

They ’ve that old curse upon them still,

P ronounced by N oah.

The power which scattered men abroad,

G iving new tongues,on Shinar’s plain ,

Where Babel stood,

Can work through fiends, and have restored

One language to the world again ,One brotherhood.

T HE ANTEDILUVIAN

Beneath thy robes, philanthropy,How many cloven feet are trained

,

In these our times !And in thy name

,humani ty

,

How many imps are left unchained,

To hatch new crimes !

Some few,appear to human ken ,

R eflected in the anc ien tlaw,

To Moses given

Though l i ttle here i s known to men,

The services these imps are for

Under high Heaven .

We know they make men disagree,

E ach wedding to some fond idea

Of what i s r igh t.

I w ish they ’d help my spade and me,To cover those they hasten here

From human sight.

T HE ANTEDILUVIAN.

E re which I hope to be at rest,

Another leave to actmy part

A nation w i ll no t miss memuch

! etnot more swee t do th Li ncoln sleep,

N or pope,nor king

Than I shal l when death ’s demon touch

Sends me to earth,

! no more to weep,

Or dread his sting.

The bell to toll

weep who love me best,

sighing from the heart,

P eace to his soul !

CANTO SI! TH

And now,my muse

,turn we again

,

To where,erstwhile

,we left the twain

,

Not each disti nctive act to trace

In thi s first toi let of our race !For earth con tained no gossip then

To tel l how people dressed,and when

,

T hus non e behel d dear mother Eve

W orking her head out through her sleeve !Or with hi s coat on upside down

,

Saw father Adam of renown .

Thi s an ecdote,by Eve was told

To her grandchildren when qui te old

And was handed down through Noah

To the descendan ts of N ahor .


And later E dom’s daughters laugh

Round Jacob lean ing on his staff,As he the anci en t story tells,While making merry wi th those belles.

Thu s it came down in l in e d irect

And so I have i t quite correct .

Now,as there i s n o act of fate,

Fashion and style to regulate,

They,though at fi rst somewhat perplex ed

Get things at last al l rightly fixed,

W hen hand in hand,and wide awake

,

Their way in to the world they take

Adam to plant,and Eve to sew

,

Where tares abound and thi stles grow.

A firm resol ve i s i n each heart,

To gi ve themselves a fitti ng start,

Li ving as far from Satan ’ s thral l

A s found consistent wi th the fal l


And w ith the tribes on record place

The G enesi s of Adam’s race .

Obedien t to nature’ s l aws

When weary on thei r march,they pause

The dust from off their garments shake,

And marvel that thei r bones should ache

When near thei r hal t ing place, i s seen

A. mossy hi ll ock,soft and green

,

Fit sofa for a fall en queen .

Now mother Eve recl i ni ng here

And con templating woman ’s sphere

Moi sten s her frail ty wi th a tear

W hile Adam ! din ner on the b rain

Ascends a tree,food to obtain

,

And find ing soon.

a frui tful l imb

He cal l s on Eve to foll ow him .

Oh,no 1” says Eve

, I’m safer here

For we might fall again,my dear .

”


Says he “ I had not though t of that,

”

Then w i th the frui t fill s up hi s hat

Cautious descends, then cool and calm,

D i nes wi th his rib,and feels no harm .

For covert from the l i on ’ s paw,

And other beasts wi th man at war,

And shelter from the wind and storm,

An urgen t need they feel and see,

So when refreshed from spring and tree,

They give to arch itecture thought .

Their plan s are to a focus brought,

A nd every energy is ben t

On the erection of a tent

And when the occiden tal breeze

Dan ced through the sun set, on the t rees,Fin ished

,and firm

,the fabric stood,

And Adam’s voi ce pron ounced i t good

Whi le i n the di stan ce, Eve we see


Pre ! meditating near a tree,

As to what fruit she’ 11 have for tea .

Which question,se ttled to her mind

She si nks the chosen bush behind,

A nd from its l aden branches picks,

W hile at its roots,the death watch ti cks

Merri ly to the l ively cheer

Of the cri cket singing near.

Tillculti vat ion brought them bread,

W i ld fruit was al l the food they had,

And simple water from the brook

The only beverage they took

Whi le in the tent their wants were few,

And l i ttl e work they found to do !Thus in simpl ici ty they dwel t,And Eden ’ s loss was l ightly fel t

,

Until the leaven of the tree

Infiated their posterity .


Take now our period ’s female ,As fully rigged

,before the gale

,

She sweeps across the serpent’s trailAnd let some popular d ivine,Whose sermons make earth ’ s Sabbaths shine,And fillmen’ s soul s wi th sacred wine

,

Atholy matr imon ial shrine

Un ite her to some mascul ine

Of ton and fashion the latest make !And as they float on hymen

’s lake,

Observe what Specialpains they take,

T o trace the windings of the sn ake !And all thei r ways and wants compare

W i th what thei r pristi n e parents were !Then cast the odds

,and we behold

,

T he Devil’s boot, when Eve was sold 1

From the exchange of Belzebub,

Of spi ri t ci rcles, still the hub,


So Eve sings him l ull abys,Sings to him of snakes and l ies .

T HE F IR ST BAB! SON G .

Hush ! Hush,my dear baby,

An d l isten to me,

Whi le I sing you the song

Of the snake and tree.

When time w as beginning,

And mother w as new,

And l iving i n E den,

W i th nothing to do

A tall,pol ished serpent,

A talkative snake,Oftwalked in our garden

H is w i ts allawake.

T HE ANT E DILUVIA N .

Where proud of the wisdomW i th which he was blest

,

He became one fine dayOf Satan possessed.

And there i n the garden,

W i th apples ben t down,

Loomed over allothers,

The tree of renown .

’Twas a harbinger,there

,

OfHeaven ’s inten t,Whose blessings to mortalsThrough Satan are sen t.

Though i ts secret was h id,

And v i rtue concealed,

Till found by this Demon

And to me revealed.

6 T HE ANTEDILUVIAN.

For ‘ twas here,my darl ing,

And under this tree,

! e sweet talk ing serpent

Came tricking to me.

! ea,bright was his garn ish,

And luring he smi led,

Be wary,my darl ing !

Be cautious,my child !

H i s crest,now

,i s fallen

,

And dust is his food,

And over creation

He scatters his brood !

His fangs are ex tended,

And play round his face,

And blaz ed on his forehead,

These words we may trace

T HE ANTEDILUVIAN .

Confus ion to Adam !

Though lofty his head,

The sweat of his temples

Shall moisten his bread !

And his ch ildren,for aye

Our God shal l reprove

For seiz ing the knowledge

I brought from above !

Beware of this serpent,

And when on his trail,

Look out for the ci rcle

Described by his ta il !

And when comes to your ears

H is warning rattle,

Then think of thy mother,

Be brave in the battle !

TH E ANTEDILUV IAN .

For this i s the Demon,

R eleas ed wi th his brood !When I ate of those apples

,

That tasted so good !

Oh ! beware of th is brood !

My own precious chi ld !For they ’re i n allthe land !And the earth is defiled !

The tribes that are coming

Shall bow to his sway,

And knowledge i n battle

Its thousands shal l slay

R emember he lured her,

And left her i n shame,Go

,arm with a cudgel !

An d strike,i n her name !

THE ANTEDILUVIAN .

T i ll the tree,now pregnan t

W i th apples of doom,

Shall yield earth a goddess,

To light up the g loom l

Hark ! hark,my dear baby !

The v oice of our God,

In thunder from Heaven ,P eals out from the cloud !

’Twas not thus in E den

Where mother was queen ,N o thunder was there

,

Or l ightn ing, or rai n .

ButP ison and Gihon,

And other streams n igh

Gav e mists to the garden

Which never was dry.

T HE ANT E DILUVIA N .

And the angels of l ight

Spoke soft,cheerful words

,

And danced with thy mother.And sang with the bi rds.

When from earth,and our fall

,

They shal l w ing me away,

Oh ! remember the song

That I sing thee to ! day.

This song the pol ished,

Intell igen t snake,

That walked in the garden

H i s w i ts allawake.

! es,rife were his manners

,

And w inn ing he smi led !Be wary

,my darling,

Be cautious,my child !

CANTO SEVENTH.

The early and the latter rainFalls on hi s v ineyard, corn , and grain ,While Adam cul tivates each row

,

W i th perspiration on his brow !For him

,and his

,the world goes round !

Eve tends the pot,he ti ll s the ground .

W hile hopeful Cain , scorn ing to crawl ,Or longer hang upon the wall

D rives roun d the doo ryard on the goa t

Heedless of mother’ s warn ing note .

Oh,ye ! whose chi ldren cry for bread

,

Go,t i ll the land

,as Adam did

,

Gird up your loins,and buckle to i t

Too many rather die than do i t.


And ye, fai r ones of modern times,W i ld votaries at fash ion ’s shri ne

,

Fiz zled,and flounced

,with hard earned dimes,

Contemplate thi s primeval scene

And blush,that is

,if you can

Not that young scamp,my muse wou ld note

Demoral iz ing wi th the goat !But ye

,whilom ancestral pot

,

Legs on the bottom,

! l i d on top

Oh,ye ! plai n wholesome ki tchen knowledge

,

Dear rel ic of the old “ has been ! ”

Fain fain,would she soar with thy porridge

,

To the ten ts of the daughters of men

When Adam’ s v i ntage graced the lease

And mellow frui t hung on the trees,

Ere Sol had left the orien t,

A figure four came to the tent,

When for hi s father Cai n was sen t .

74: THE ANT EDILUVIAN .

He found that paren t i n the field,And in thi s wi se the news revealed

A ’ittle tranger’ s to u s tameOtma onts you to tum and name,He’ s j ust as

'

tua niu’ as a t i t ten,

An ’ mover’s go t ’ 1m in your mi t ten .

Just so,

” says Adam,that’ s allright

,

Go tell her I’llb e home ere n igh t,

And hang the m i tten on the gable,

VVe’llname him when she’ s bet ter,Able .

And m ind,my boy

,keep burn ing brigh t

A fire w i th i n the ten t to ! n ight

For mi schief ’s brewing in the weather,And we must keep close watch together.

I ’ve n oticed many signs to ! dav,

Tell ing of Demon stretch thi s way,

They’re quick to scen t all mortal j oy,

So we must keep awake,my boy

,

THE ANTEDILUVIAN. 75

W atching,with prayer

,and Ebenezer

,

Shall take men through worse t imes than these are !Keep thi s i n mi nd

,and understand

,

My seed must subjugate the land

Unless these imps take social form,

In which even t there’l l be a storm,

And then,though earth be o verfiown ,

Jehovah’s sure to save hi s own .

”

Thus Adam Spake,putting to rout

Some few diabolos on scout

W hen Cain return ing to the ten t

Pondered these sayings as he wen t ,

To be recalled i n after t imes.

W hen stai ned with blood,and steeped in crimes.

The wheel s of time revol ving move,Our fallen pai r con tented prove,They borrow not

,or do they care

To lend their neighbors of the air.

76 THE A N'

I‘

E D ILUVLAN .

Adam toi l s on,no fear or thought

Of poaching on a neighbor ’ s l ot,

Seed t ime and harvest,hears none say

You’re cul t i vating the wrong way,

From east t o west your rows should tend

You’l l not have half a yield my friend !Til l blest w ith sight of stock and v i ne !W hil e mother Eve from goat or kine

,

Their lactescen t fluid squeezes.

As she con templates curds and cheeses '

And thus they l ive as rol l the years,

Attending to thei r own affairs .

But Satan,who l ikes n ot thi s style

,

Leaving his throne,puts on a smile

,

And to his imps says “ come on now.

‘ Let u s g o up and make a row ! ”

’Tis thus a fuss i s brought about,

The brothers have a fal ling out,

THE ANTEDILUVIA N . 77

Young Cain and Abel can ’t agree,

They differ i n theology !

So Cain resol ves to be a hero,

And Abel falls,

fall s to zero !

When Cain receives a mark or brand

That none shallsl ay him i n the land,

W i th th is he left hi s home and God,

And journeyed to “ the land of Nod,

Where he located wi th hi s spouse,

Butwho she was,no mo rtal kn ows .

Howbeit,an Enoch here they had

,

Who was the father of Irad !And here a city

,too they rai sed

Around which Jabal s cattle grazed !Here Jub al’s an cient harps were tunedAnd earth’s p r imeval organs groaned

,

Here Lamech’ s w i fe, ! i llah the younger !Reared Tubal Cain

,the i ron ! monger.


Judging from what Lamech confessed,

Thi s ci ty of the fratri ci de

W i th hol iness was never blessed

But wen t wi th the apostate tide,

Till Heaven ’ s wrath,throng/LNoah

’ s flood,

Avenged her wrongs,and Abel ’ s blood .

Since which, we find i n eve ry place

,

Among the tribes,that Adam’ s race

Associate the man of mark

W i th deeds d iabol ic and dark !WVhile on hi s n ame there rests such stain

,

N0 child has sin ce been chri stened Cain .

Old Enoch ci ty of the flood,

And refuge of the Son s of God ! ”

Who,fall ing from thei r fi rst estate

,

Brought Adam’s race to sin and fate

Some other bard thy wall s must scale

Tally thy gates,and chan t thy wai l


And long before Adam was buried,

Mahalaleel produced a Jared,

By whom an Enoch was begot,

“7 11 0 walked uprigh tly,and was n ot .

Methuselah the next i n l i ne,

Foots up n ine hundred six ty ! n ine !And sixty ! six was Lamech ’ s age

,

When Adam left thi s pilgrim stage .

Next comes the hero of the flood,

Who buil t the ark of gopher wood ,And by hi s energetic action ,Of allcrea t i on

,saved a frac t i on

According to the Lord ’s command,

Who had proposed to flood the land

Aposta te peoples to efface

And wi th them,such of Adam’s race

,

As might. be t i nc tured w i th the stain s

Of blood,n o t l i neal

,from hi s vein s.


This uprigh t fraction proved so small,

That one l ight bark conveyed them all,

Upon that sea wi thou t a shore

To Ararat wi th father Noah

Where,when the waters were rest rained

,

W e’re told their ancien t c raft remained,

Long after patriarch and sons,

W i th thei r wives and l i ttle ones,

Beasts, creeping things, and birds that fly

Had landed safe to mul tiply .

And they a new departure take

Thence from the al tar,whi ch they make

,

Cheered by the “ bow of promi se sen t,T he token of the co venant .

In mathematics Noah was good ,And navigation understood

Grounding the ark on Ararat,

Appears the fault of young Japheth,


t o , having fel l asleep,’ twas said

Neglected thus to cast the lead .

Schooled by the masters of hi s t ime,

He stood an oracl e subl ime,

And taught hi s children how to shun

And ci rcumven t the evilone .

”

But when the wo rld,i n knowledge grown

,

For wickedness was overth rown,

Noah’s good Judgmen t somewha t strayed ,

And that even t to knowledge laid .

W i th sacred winc ! blent demon guile,

And “ took a dri nk ” or in a “ smile ”

Indulged ! then cursed the seed of Ham !W hich curse of l ate good “ Uncle Sam

,

”

W i th modern teachers for hi s guide,

Ilas l abored hard to set asideAnd i f the curse be but of earth

,

Having it s genesis,or birth


Solely from Noah’s getting tight

Then “ Uncl e Samuel ” i s right

And Heaven speed h im on his way

In boosting up our colored clay !

But if thi s curse,by God ’s o rdained

Human ity has nothing gain ed ,And al l the boons of ci v i l right

W i l l fai l to make ou r dark ies whi te !

Thi s error of the patriarch ,H i s son s embraced

,and quen ched the spark

Of human knowledge stayed i ts t ide

Leav ing the wo rld to Satan ’s guide,

Who unmolested,for a span

,

Again seems ruler over man .

But ’round the tents of chosen Shem

Yetlingered Eden ’s cherubim,

Vi cegeren t of the “ Lofty One

W atching,til l Terah ’s loyal son

T H E ANTEDILUVIAN .

Appeared ! the fai thful Abraham,

To whom Jehovah said “ I AM ! ”

Look to the stars and trust in me !

E ’en as thei r hosts ! thy seed shal l be !

Nation s,and kings shall come of thee

,

And priests and prophets shal l i ncrease

Til l earth recei ve the Pri nce of Peace ! ’

But stay my Muse restrai n thi s fl ight

Nor ba the thy wings i n Judah’s l ight !

Our task was rather to explore

The garden and the world of yore

Its patriarchs to recreate

And from the ruined work of fate

D i splay that serpent to our race,

Who “ woke up Eden ’s masterpiece

CANTO EIGHTH .

Thus hav ing seen one flesh and blood

Restored to earth,through Noah’s flood

,

Let us return to Adam ’s day,

H i s lengthened span of l ife survey,

And estimate hi s social clay .

To Him,who clothed in majesty

,

D i rects through space the rol l ing spheres,

A thousand years i s but a day,

A day e’en as a thousand years .

Thus Adam’ s years were mul tipl ied,

W hile i n a day he l ived and died .

Moses gives u s to understand

H i s pilgrimage eventful,and

D iversified in many ways,


Upon the l ife t ide of tho se days !W hen fallen angel s dwelt wi th men ,

Producing mutiny and sin .

He saw the tribes spring from hi s tent,

W i th an i nhuman offspring blent,

And welded by the fiends’ cement .

W ept o’er the chosen Abel,slai n

By hi s unhallowed bro ther CainHad daughters ruined i n thei r prime

By these strange beings of hi s t ime

Yet n o on e ever heard him grieve

That he forsook not mo ther Eve,

In that hugely pregnan t hour,

Yielding her to demon power !As a less manly soul had done

,

Hugging to Paradi se,alone .

And though Satan i c pressure then

Was stronger than i t sin ce has been,

T HE AN TEDILUVIAN .

He flo uri shed i n thi s v ale of tears

N i ne centuri es and thi rty years,

And having stood by mo ther Eve,

W hen the apple sealed her doom,

He,too

,the scenes of earth must l eave,

And be gathered to the tomb .

So Death comes by,one pleasan t day

,

And takes hi s power to breathe away !Bids him unto hi s sceptre bow

,

And stamps hi s seal upon hi s brow

St ill s the pul se and chill s the blood,

W hen soars the spi ri t to i ts God,

Leavi ng the clay inan imate,

To find i ts antecedent state .

Adam i s dead l ” ’t i s whi spered low,

The ten ts of Seth are draped in woe,

E ight generat ion s feel the blow,

And tears,wi th old Euphrates flow

,

THE ANTEDILUV IAN . 89

As here,the di stan t tribes collect

To pay thei r tribu te of respect,

And on l ife’s brevity reflect,

W i th sympathy for nearer kin

And charity for in nate si n .

Then,holy Enoch

,bathed i n tears

,

Recoun ts hi s deeds through all hi s years,

And poi n ts them to thei r G od above,

And to the an tedated king,

The seed appoi nted to remove

The venom of the serpent’s st i ng !W hile l amentati on rends the ai r

,

From allthe thousands gathered there .

The tribes of Nod,Kingship main tain

,

And join as mourners in the train

W hile ten ts extraneou s dot the plai n,

Of mu l t i tudes an temundan e

W hich wing of doomed celesti al pride

Turned out to swel l the imposing tide .


Thus father Adam’ s fated cl ay

Was honored in tha t early day .

Our mother Eve,not long before

Had journeyed to the silen t shore !And after preparati on s made

Near her,to have the father laid

,

They move,with slow and measured pace

Toward the consecrated place,

W here hi s remain s are laid i n view,

That al l may take a last adieu .

Peace to hi s dust ! ” the stern tribes cry,

As i n thei r turn they’re wi ndin g by !“ Peace to hi s dust !”each patri arch said

,

Then lowered him to hi s hal lowed bed,

And l eft him to hi s final rest,

Restored un to hi s mother’s breast .

What though w i th sin he be defiled,

She recogn iz es but her chi ld,

And takes un to her pure embrace


Old Adam,father of his race .

Thus sanctified,and high abov e

Corruption,hides maternall ove .

A glory,not in Eden known ,

N ow radiates the mother’s zone,And si ts en throned upon her brow,Dist ill ing l ike the precious dew

An essence,pure and undefiled

,

Around the pathway of her child

And giv ing aspi rat ion s flow,

That t ime nor change can overthrow !

And when she’s gathered to the tomb

A nd we,the mourners’ hearth surround

,

There comes a fragran ce from the bloom

Of memories, with glory crowned .

Dear mother Eve,had but th i s grace

Adorned thy brow,beneath that tree,

Satan and hi s apostate race

T H E AN TEDILUVIAN .

In vain had surely tempted thee !

This fact the arch decei ver knew,

So hurried on hi s fiendi sh crew,

And faltered not t il l he could read

(Or thought he could), a ti tle deed

To found hi s kingdom,and proceed

To rule and wreck the coming breed .

W e know not why ’twas thus t o be,

Or why in Eden grew that tree !“7c only know we find sin here

,

An inst itut ion on our sphere,

And that we find n o earthly zone,

W here thi stle down has never blown

Or country,with such wholesome l aws

That men won ’ t toi l i n Satan ’s cause !W e can ’ t tel l why we were n ot born

Where bl ooms the rose wi thou t a thorn,

Or why a spacious world l ike th i s,

Should have no spot of perfect bli ss !

THE ANTEDILUVIAN. 93

We only know the first transgression,

Gave to Satan full possession

Of al l who have the “ l east di screti on

We know not why Eve was begui led

Before a babe on earth had smiled

Or how the garden could have joys

W i thout i t s l i ttle girl s and boys !We only know they come to us

W i th smiles,that antedate the curse

,

And ar’n t of Adam ’s paradi se,

Where Satan ’s kingdom had its ri se,

But of that ci ty,whose foundation

Knows no wreck or devastation

And pay no tribute to the fiend ,Til l from thei r innocence they’re weaned .

Ye,who the woman ’s courage doubt

,

And cal l her nervous,weak an d vain

,

Go,ask the anaconda out

,

T HE ANTEDILUVIAN .

And walk with him without a cane .

Eve met him thus,in Eden ’ s bower

,

W hen he was crowned wi th demon power,

And walked wi th him wi thout a dread,

Before hi s first great coat was shed

You hail h im i n the wilderness

And he’ l sal ute you with a hi ss,

And if you ’re n ot l ike Dan iel blest,

He’l l gulp you down,pants

,coat

,and vest .

Eve heard the beast expound and preach,When he had brai ns and power of speech

,

Embraced hi s creed,and thought how wrong

To l ive without her sight so long !And now

,though brain s and speech are gone

,

H i s flattened head stil l preaching on,

Corroborates each l ine and verse,That give the story of the curse !And tell s us

,fewer brain s are hi s

,

T HE ANT E DILUVIAN .

Mothers shall seek his dwell ing place,

A nd leave thei r babes i n hi s embrace !

Children will smi le to hear hi s name,

And elders sing with glad acclaim,

H i s star (ecl ipsed that death might

Restored t o bless the world again .

And thou ! great Alpha of our race !

Who w i th thy rib, didst death embrace !

All tribes to thee thei r source may trace

And though in scien tific m ire,

Some,hankering for another sire

,

Ally themselves unto the brute,

And wri te manki nd,but monkey fru i t

Thy name,and fame

,baptized shal l be

In the dread Jordan of the tree !

And with the fallen serpent ’s sting

Shallonward through the ages ring !While ri sing generation s sing,

T HE ANTEDILUVIAN .

A nd round the realms of scien ce swing

This tai l of human

ANTEDILUVIAN. CANTO F IR S T . T HE ﬁat of W isdom, creation’s last day Brought forth in...

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Transcript of ANTEDILUVIAN. CANTO F IR S T . T HE ﬁat of W isdom, creation’s last day Brought forth in...