Underneath, Soft grew the sward and delicate, and flocks Of egrets, ay, and many cranes, stood up.
Fanning their wings, to agitate and cool The noonday air, as men with heed and pains Had taught them, marshalling and taming them To bear the wind in, on their moving wings.
So long time as a nimble slave would spend In milking of her cow, they walked at ease; Then reached the palace, all of forest trunks, Brought whole, and set together, made.

Therein Had dwelt old Adam, when his mighty sons Had finished it, and up to Eden gate Had journeyed for to fetch him.

"Here," they said "Mother and father, ye may dwell, and here Forget the garden wholly." So he came Under the doorplace, and the women sat, Each with her finger on her lips; but he, Having been called, went on, until he reached The jewelled settle, wrought with cunning work Of gold and ivory, whereon they wont To set the Elder.

All with sleekest skins, That striped and spotted creatures of the wood Had worn, the seat was covered, but thereon The Elder was not; by the steps thereof, Upon the floor, whereto his silver beard Did reach, he sat, and he was in his trance.
Upon the settle many doves were perched, That set the air a going with their wings: These opposite, the world's great shipwright stood To wait the burden; and the Elder spake: "Will He forget me?
Would He might forget! Old, old! The hope of old Methuselah Is all in His forgetfulness." With that, A slave-girl took a cup of wine, and crept Anear him, saying, "Taste"; and when his lips Had touched it, lo, he trembled, and he cried, "Behold, I prophesy." Then straight they fled That were about him, and did stand apart And stop their ears.

For he, from time to time, Was plagued with that same fate to prophesy, And spake against himself, against his day And time, in words that all men did abhor.
Therefore, he warning them what time the fit Came on him, saved them, that they heard it not So while they fled, he cried: "I saw the God Reach out of heaven His wonderful right hand.
Lo, lo! He dipped it in the unquiet sea, And in its curved palm behold the ark, As in a vast calm lake, came floating on.
Ay, then, His other hand--the cursing hand-- He took and spread between us and the sun.
And all was black; the day was blotted out, And horrible staggering took the frighted earth.
I heard the water hiss, and then methinks The crack as of her splitting.