Whereat the heart of Adam erft fo 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 last fight, affur'd that man shall live
With all the creatures, and their feed preserve.
Far lefs I now lament for one whole world
Of wicked fons destroy'd, than I rejoice
For one man found fo perfect and so just,

870

875

That God vouchsafes to raise another world

From him, and all his anger to forget.

But fay, what mean those color'd streaks in Heaven
Distended as the brow of God appeas'd,

Or ferve they as a flow'ry verge to bind
The fluid skirts of that fame watry cloud,
Left it again diffolve and fhow'r the earth?

880

To whom th' Arch-Angel. Dextrously thou aim'st; So willingly doth God remit his ire,

897. and he means probably the three principal colors, red, yellow, and blue, of which the others are compounded.

884. To whom th' Arch-Angel. &c.] The reader will eafily obferve how much of this fpeech is built upon Scripture.

885 Though

Though late repenting him of man deprav'd,
Griev'd at his heart, when looking down he faw
The whole earth fill'd with violence, and all flesh
Corrupting each their way; yet those remov'd,
Such grace shall one just man find in his fight, 890
That he relents, not to blot out mankind,
And makes a covenant never to destroy

The earth again by flood, nor let the fea
Surpafs his bounds, nor rain to drown the world

Such grace fhall one juft man find in his fight,

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, ver. 8.

day and night, Seed-time and harvest, heat and hoary froft

Shall hold their course,–

While the earth remaineth, feed-time

And makes a covenant never to and harvest, and cold and heat, and

deltroy

The earth again by flood,And I will eftablish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood, neither foall there any more be a flood to deftroy the earth. Gen. IX. 11.

but when he brings Over the earth a cloud, will therein

fet

His triple-color'd bow, whereon to look,

Summer and winter, and day and night fhall not ceafe, Gen. VIII. 22.

till fire purge all things new, Both Heav'n and Earth, wherein the just shall dwell.

The Heavens being on fire fhall be dif folved, and the elements fhall melt with fervent heat: nevertheless we, according to his promife, look for new Heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, 2 Pet. III. 12, 13. 895. With

With man therein or beaft; but when he brings 895
Over the earth a cloud, will therein fet
His triple-color'd bow, whereon to look,

899

And call to mind his covenant: day and night,
Seed-time and harvest, heat and hoary froft
Shall hold their course, till fire purge all things new,
Both Heav'n and Earth, wherein the just shall dwell.

895. With man therein or beaft ;] Dr. Bentley reads With man or beaft or fowl; because (as he fays) the birds are here forgot, and yet they were in the ark as well as the beafts, and were included in the covenant too. But in the Scripture phrafe

man and beaft comprehend the birds too: fee Pfal. XXXVI. 6. Jerem. XXI. 6. and XXXII. 43. And our poet has twice before (ver. 733, 822.) fpoken of all the inhabitants of the ark under this very title of man and beast. Pearce.

The end of the Eleventh Book.

THE

TWELFTH BOOK

OF

PARADISE LOS T.

Bb 4