The paths of righteousness, how much more safe,
And full of peace, denouncing wrath to come
On their impenitence; and shall return

815

Of them derided, but of God observ'd
The one juft man alive; by his command
Shall build a wondrous ark, as thou beheldt,
To fave himfelf and houfhold from amidst
A world devote to univerfal wrack.
No fooner he, with them of man and beast
Select for life, fhall in the ark be lodg'd,
And fhelter'd round, but all the cataracts.
Of heav'n fet open on the earth fhall pour
Rain day and night; all fountains of the deep
Broke up, fhall heave the ocean to ufurp
Beyond all bounds, till inundation rife
Above the highest hills: then fhall this mount
Of Paradife by might of waves be mov'd
Out of his place, push'd horned by the flood,

Of heav'n fet open on the earth shall pour

Rain day and night; all fountains of the deep

820

825

830

Broke up.] Gen. vii. II. "The fame day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened." The windows of heaven are tranflated the cataracts, in the Syriack and Arabick verfions, and in the Septuagint and vulgar Latin, which Milton here follows: and what they are, those will. best understand who have feen the fallings of waters, called Spouts,, in hot countries, when the clouds do not break into drops, but fall with terrible violence in a torrent: and the great deep is the vast abyfs of waters contained within the bowels of the earth, and in the fea. Newton.

L. 829.

then fhall this mount

Of Paradife, &c.] It is the opinion of many learned men, that Paradife was deftroyed by the deluge; and our author defcribes it. in a very poetical manner. Pufh'd by the horned flood; fo that it was before the flood became univerfal, and while it poured along, like a vast river; for rivers, when they meet with any thing to ob

With all his verdure spoil'd, and trees adrift,
Down the great river to the opening gulf,
And there take root, an island falt and bare,

The haunt of feals, and orcs, and fea-mews clang: 835
To teach thee that God attributes to place
No fanctity, if none be thither brought
By men who there frequent, or therein dwell.
And now what farther shall enfue, behold.

He look'd, and faw the ark hull on the flood, 840
Which now abated: for the clouds were filed,
Driv'n by a keen north-wind, that blowing dry
Wrinkled the face of deluge, as decay'd;
And the clear fun on his wide wat❜ry glass
Gaz'd hot, and of the fresh wave largely drew,
As after thirst, which made their flowing shrink
From ftanding lake to tripping ebb, that stole
With foft foot towards the deep, who now had stopt
His fluices, as the heav'n his windows fhut.

845

The ark no more now floats, but seems on ground,
Faft on the top of fome high mountain fix'd.
And now the tops of hills as rocks appear;
With clamour thence the rapid currents drive
Tow'ards the retreating fea their furious tide.

851

ftruct their paffage, divide themselves, and become horned, as it were; and hence the ancients have compared them to bulls.

L. 835.

Feft.

·And orcs.] Orca eft genus marine blue maximum. The word occurs frequently in Ariofto. Heylin.

Ibid. and jea-mews clang. So alfo in B. VII. 1. 422. With clang defpis'd the ground, adopting the clangor of the Latins, which is a word that they almost constantly use to exprefs the noife made by, the flight of large flocks of birds. Thyer.

L. 840.

the ark hul on the flood.] A fhip is faid to hull, when all her fails are taken down, and fhe floats to and fro. Richardjon.

I.. 843. Deluge.] Lat. i. c. washing, or sweeping away; an inundation, or overflowing of the earth with water.

L. 851. Mountain.] This is called Ararat in Armenia, Gen. viii. 4. Some call it Lubar, others Baris; fome the Cardycan, Gerdycan, Godochian, and others the Carduchian mount cius.

855

Forthwith from out the ark a raven flies,
And after him, the furer meffenger,

A dove fent forth once and again to spy

Green tree or ground whereon his foot may light;
The fecond time returning, in his bill
An olive-leaf he brings, pacifick fign :
Anon dry ground appears, and from his ark
The ancient fire defcends with all his train;
Then with uplifted hands, and eyes devout,
Grateful to heav'n, over his head beholds
A dewy cloud, and in the cloud a bow
Confpicuous, with three lifted colours gay,
Betok'ning peace from God, and cov'nant new.
Whereat the heart of Adam erft so fad

Greatly rejoic'd, and thus his joy broke forth:
O thou who future things canft represent
As prefent, heav'nly inftructor, I revive
At this laft fight, affur'd that man fhall live
With all the creatures, and their feed preserve.
Far lefs I now lament for one whole world.
Of wicked fons deftroy'd, than I rejoice
For one man found fo perfect and fo juft,
That God vouchfafes to raise another world
From him, and all his anger to forget.

860

865

870

875

But fay, what mean those colour'd streaks in heav'n,
Diftended as the brow of God appeas'd;

Or ferve they as a flow'ry verge to bind
The fluid fkirts of that fame wat'ry cloud,

880

L. 855. Raven.] A rapacious and unclean bird, Deut xiv, 14. She was fent out first on the 17th day of August, 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 carcafes, or any dirty grounds, which the dove doth not; and therefore she went away upon prey, but the dove. returned to the ark. She was fent out on the 24th day of August, and the first day of the week..

Left it again diffolve, and fhow'r the earth?

To whom th' archangel: Dextrously thou aim'ft; So willingly doth God remit his ire,

Though late repenting him of man deprav'd,
Griev'd at his heart, when looking down he saw
The whole earth fill'd with violence, and all flesh'
Corrupting each their way; yet those remov'd,
Such grace fhall one juft man find in his fight,
That he relents, not to blot out mankind,
And makes a covenant never to destroy

885

890

The earth again by flood, nor let the fea

Surpafs his bounds, nor rain to drown the world,

With man therein or beaft; but when he brings
Over the earth a cloud, will therein fet
His triple-colour'd bow, whereon to look,

895

And call to mind his, cov'nant: day and night,
Seed-time and harvest, heat and hoary frost,

8991

Shall hold their courfe, till fire purge all things new, Both heav'n and earth, wherein the just fhall dwell.

End of Book ELEVENTH.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK THE TWELFTH