148 PHYSICAL SCIENCE BK. m 



That was splendid, if he had not minded what the 

 wolf and the sheep were doing. Could anything, 

 in fact, swim amid such deluge and destruction ? 

 Was not every hoof drowned in the same torrent 

 as carried it off? You conceived a worthy image, 

 Ovid, when all the world was overwhelmed, and the 

 sky itself descended upon earth. Keep it up. You 

 will know what it ought to be if you reflect that the 

 whole world was afloat. Now we must return to 

 our discussion. 



XXVIII 



THERE is a section of philosophers who hold that 

 while the earth may be greatly harassed by exces 

 sive rains, it cannot be overwhelmed by them. By 

 a mighty blow this mighty earth must be smitten. 

 Rain will spoil the crops, hail will knock off the 

 fruit ; but the rivers will only be swollen above their 

 banks, and will subside again. Some, again, are 

 satisfied that the cause of the widespread destruction 

 will be derived from the movements of the sea. 

 The great shipwreck of the world cannot, they 

 think, arise from injury by cataract, river, or rain. 

 I am willing to grant that when that day of 

 destruction is at hand, and Heaven is resolved to 

 create a new race of men, the rain will pour down 

 incessantly, and there will be no limit to the floods, 

 the north and other dry winds will cease to blow ; 

 the south will bring up in plenty clouds and rain 

 and stream. 



But hitherto only damage has been inflicted. 

 The crops are laid low, and to the grief of the farmer, 

 All hope of increase is abandoned ; the toil of the long year is 

 wasted and vain. 



