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be fet open, and pour Rain Day and Night upon the Earth; all the Fountains of the Deep fhall be broke up, and heave the Ocean beyond all its former Bounds; 'till an Inundation rife above the highest Hills. Then this Mount of PARADISE, by the Power of the Waves fhall be mov'd out of its Place, by the Violence of the raging Flood, with all its Verdures fpoil'd, and all its Trees adrift down the great River to the main Ocean; and there take Root, and be a bare and falt Ifland, be the Haunt of Fish, aud be fill'd with the Noife of Water-Fowls; to teach thee, that GoD attributes no Holiness to Place, if none be brought thither by MEN, who frequent or dwell in it. And now behold what there is further to come to pass.

ADAM look'd and faw the Ark floating to and fro upon the Flood, which was now abated; for the Clouds were fled away, driven by a keen NorthWind, that blowing hard and dry, began to leffen the Bulk of the Waters, and the clear Sun fhone hot upon the wide watery Deluge, (q) and drew up confiderably from the Waves; which made their Flowing fhrink, and they ebb'd foftly towards the Deep; whose Sluices were now stopp'd, and the Windows of Heaven shut alfo. The Ark now floats no longer, but seems on Ground, fix'd faft on the Top of fome high Mountain : (r) Now the Tops of the Hills began Dd 3

fq) Deluge; Lat. i. e. Was ing or fweeping away; an Inundation or Overflowing of the Earth with Water. There have been feveral Deluges in different Countries: This was the firft, an univerfal one, and the most famous in Hiftory: It was in the 600th Year of Noah, A. M. 1656. The fecond was that of Ogyges King of Thebes, which

to

to appear, like Rocks; from whence the rapid Currents drove their furious Tide, with great Noife and Violence, towards the retreating Sea. Forthwith a Raven (s) flies out of the Ark, and after him (what prov'd a furer Meffenger) a Dove, fent forth twice, to fee if he could find green Tree or Ground, whereon to fet her Foot; returning the fecond Time, fhe brings an Olive-leaf pluck'd off in her Mouth, which was a Sign of Peace between GOD and NOAH. After a while the dry Ground appears, and the antient juft Man defcends from his Ark with all his Train: Then, with Hands lifted up, and with devout Eyes grateful to Heaven, behold over his Head a dewy Cloud, and in the Cloud the diftinct Appearance of a Bow, of three Colours variously intermix'd, betoken= ing Peace with GOD, and a new Covenant made with MAN; whereat the Heart of ADAM, which before had been fo fad, rejoic'd greatly, and thus he joyfully cried out :

HEAVENLY Inftructor! who canft reprefent future Things, as clear as if they were prefent; this laft Sight revives me, feeing that it affures me, that MAN with all the Creatures fhall live, and preferve their Seed. I don't lament now for one whole World of wicked Sons being deftroy'd, fo much as I rejoice to fee one MAN fo perfect and fo juft, that GOD vouchfafes from him to raife another World, and to forget all

Some call it Lubar, others Baris; fome the Cardyan, Gerdyaan, Godochian, and others the Carduchian Mountains.

(s) Raven. A rapacious and unclean Bird, Deut. 14. 14. She was fent out first on the 17th Day of Auguft, and on the first Day of the Week, and forty Days after the Tops of the Mountains appeared, but did

not return; because she is a ravenous Creature, and fettles upon Carcaffes, or any dirty Grounds, which the Dove doth not; and therefore fhe went away upon Prey, but this returned to the Ark: She was fent out of the Ark on the 24th of Auguft, and the firft Day of the Week.

all his Anger. But tell me, what mean those colour'd Streaks, that are stretch'd out in Heaven, and look like the Brow of GoD appeas'd? Or, do they serve as a flowery Edge, to bind the fluid Skirts of that fame watery Cloud, left it fhould diffolve and fhower down upon the Earth?

To whom the Arch-Angel made Anfwer: What thou haft guess'd, is very near to the Purpofe; fo willingly doth GOD remit his Anger, though fo lately he repented that he had made MAN, feeing he was become fo much deprav'd; being griev'd at his Heart, when looking down he faw the whole Earth fill'd with Violence, and all Flesh corrupt in the Imagination of their Thoughts: Yet thofe once remov'd, one juft MAN fhall find fuch Grace in his Sight, that he relents, and determines not to blot out MANKIND, and makes a Covenant, that the Waters fhall never become a Flood, to destroy the Earth again, nor ever to let the Sea furpass its Bounds, nor Rain to fall fo as to drown the World, with MAN or Beast therein: But, when he brings a Cloud over the Earth, he will fet his Bow in the Clouds, and it fhall be for a Token of a Covenant between GoD and the Earth; Day and Night, Heat and Cold, Seed-time and Harveft, fhall hold their Courfe, and not ceafe; 'till the general Conflagration purge and purify both Heaven and Earth, wherein thenceforward the Just shall dwell for ever.

The End of the ELEVENTH BOOK.

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THE

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TWELFTH BOOK

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PARADISE LOST.

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The ARGUMENT.

HE Angel Michael continues from the Flood to relate what shall fucceed; then, in the Mention of Abraham, comes by Degrees to explain, who that Seed of the Woman fhall be, which was promis'd Adam and Eve in the Fall: His Incarnation, Death, Refurrection, and Afcenfion: The State of the Church 'till bis fecond Coming. Adam, greatly fatisfied and recomforted by thofe Relations and Promifes, defcends the Hill with Michael; wakens Eve, who all this while bad lept, but with gentle Dreams compos'd to Quietness of Mind and Submiffion. Michael in either Hand leads them out of Paradise, the fiery Sword waving behind them, and the Cherubim taking their Stations to guard the Place.

CHA P.