petuous, and continued till the earth

o more was feen; the floting veffel fwum lifted, and fecure with beaked prow

745

ode tilting o'er the waves; all dwellings elfe
ood overwhelm'd, and them with all their pomp

t fragor; hinc denfi funduntur ab æthere nimbi.

uncia Junonis varios induta colores

oncipit Iris aquas, alimentaque nubibus adfert.

-xpatiata ruunt per apertos flumina
campos;

Cumque fatis arbufta fimul, pecu-
defque, virofque,
Tectaque, cumque fuis rapiunt pe-
netralia facris.

The fouth he loos'd, who night and

horror brings;

And fogs are fhaken from his flaggy wings;

Still as he fwept along, with his
clench'd fift

He fqueez'd the clouds, th' im-
prifon'd clouds refift:
The skies from pole to pole with
peals refound;
And thow'rs inlarg'd come pouring
on the ground.
Then, clad in colors of a various
dye,
Junonian Iris breeds a new fupply
To feed the clouds: impetuous rain
defcends――

Th' expanded waters gather on the
plain:
They flote the fields, and overtop

the grain;

Deep

Then rushing onwards with a sweepy fway,

Bear flocks and folds, and lab'ring hinds away,

Nor fafe their dwellings were, for fapt by floods, Their houses fell upon their houfhold Gods. Dryden. Is it not juster and better to fay, that the fouth wind blew all the clouds together from under Heaven, than that be fqueez'd the clouds with his broad hand? and is it not a more philofophical account, that the bills fent up vapor and exhalation to their Jupply, than that the rainbow fupplied

them with nourishment? and is there not more majesty in this short and full defcription, that the floods over

helm'd all dwellings, and them with all their pomp deep under water roll'd, than in mentioning fo particularly and minutely the floods freeping away corn, and trees, and cattel, and men, and boufes, with their houshold Gods? and yet these are none of the leaft flining paffages in the Latin poet.

743. Like a dark cieling food;] Cieling may be thought too mean a word in poetry, but Milton had a view to its derivation from Cœlum (Latin) Cielo (Italian) Heaven.

Richardfon. 752.-of

Deep under water roll'd; fea cover'd fea,
Sea without fhore; and in their palaces
Where luxury late reign'd, fea-monsters whelp'd
And ftabled; of mankind, fo numerous late,
All left, in one fmall bottom fwum imbark'd.
How didft thou grieve then, Adam, to behold
The end of all thy ofspring, end fo fad,
Depopulation? thee another flood,

750

755

Of tears and forrow' a flood thee alfo drown'd,
And funk thee as thy fons; till gently rear'd
By th' Angel, on thy feet thou ftood'st at last,
Though comfortless, as when a father mourns 760
His children, all in view destroy'd at once;
And scarce to th' Angel utter'dft thus thy plaint.
O vifions ill foreseen! better had I

iv'd ignorant of future, fo had borne
My part of evil only, each day's lot
Enough to bear; thofe now, that were difpens'd
'he burd'n of many ages, on me light

765

at once, by my foreknowledge gaining birth bortive, to torment me ere their being,

With thought that they must be. Let no man feek
Henceforth to be foretold what shall befall

Him or his children; evil he may be fure,
Vhich neither his forekhowing can prevent,
And he the future evil fhall no lefs

in apprehenfion than in fubftance feel

Grievous to bear: but that care now is past,
Man is not whom to warn: thofe few escap'd
Famin and anguish will at last consume

י77

775

Wand'ring

et tu pereas. Terence. Eun. Homo
neque meo judicio ftultus, et fuo
valde fapiens. Cicero De Oratore.
thofe few efcap'd
Famin and anguish will at last con-
Jume]
Maxima pars undâ rapitur; quibus
unda pepercit,

Illos longa domant inopi jejunia
victu.
Ovid. Met. I. 311.

The most of mortals perish in the
flood,

The fmall remainder dies for want
of food. Dryden.
798. Shall

Wand'ring that watry defert: I had hope

When violence was ceas'd, and war on earth, 78% All would have then gone well, peace would have

crown'd

With length of happy days the race of man;
But I was far deceiv'd; for now I fee

Peace to corrupt no less than war to waste.
How comes it thus? unfold, celeftial Guide, 78;
And whether here the race of man will end.

790

To whom thus Michael. Thofe whom laft thou fawit In triumph and luxurious wealth, are they First seen in acts of prowess eminent And great exploits, but of true virtue void; Who having spilt much blood, and done much wafte Subduing nations, and achiev'd thereby Fame in the world, high titles, and rich prey, Shall change their course to pleasure, eafe, and floth, Surfeit, and luft, till wantonnefs and pride Raise out of friendship hoftile deeds in peace. The conquer'd also, and inflav'd by war Shall with their freedom loft all virtue lofe

795

And

798. Shall with their freedom loft where shows his love of liberty, and

all virtue lofe] Milton every here he obferves very rightly

the

and fear of God, from whom their piety feign'd n fharp contest of battel found no aid

800

gainst invaders; therefore cool'd in zeal

hencefore fhall practice how to live secure, Worldly or diffolute, on what their lords

hall leave them to enjoy; for th' earth shall bear More than enough, that temp'rance may be try'd: o all shall turn degenerate, all deprav'd,

806

uftice and temp'rance, truth and faith forgot;
One man except, the only fon of light
In a dark age, againft example good,
Against allurement, custom, and a world
Offended; fearless of reproach and scorn,
Or violence, he of their wicked ways
Shall them admonish, and before them fet

810

The paths of righteousness, how much more safe,

And full of peace, denouncing wrath to come

815

On their impenitence; and fhall return

Of them derided, but of God obferv'd

The one juft man alive; by his command
Shall build a wondrous ark, as thou beheldft,

Το

the lofs of liberty is foon follow'd by There are fuch fentiments in several the loss of all virtue and religion. parts of his profe-works, as well as