[ 339 ] 



Thus profundus is applied by Virgil to Heaven, 



Terrafque tra&ufque maris, coelumque profundum, 



Eel. Ivv 



Mtm likewife fignifies either high or deep, as in the line of 

 Virgil, 



Poftquam altum tenUere rates. 



Having thus endeavoured to fix the fenfe in which the 6th-, ^th, 

 and 8th chapters of Genefis have introduced thefe expreffions, I 

 will beg any candid reader to perufe them, fubftituting my ac- 

 ceptation of thefe words, inltead of the terms in which thefe 

 •chapters are rendered either into Greek, Latin, or Englim. 



It is proper, however, that I mould here ftate the only text's 

 which may feem to require being underftoOd to extend to a general 

 •deluge. 



** And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth, and all 

 ** the high hills that were under the whole heaven were covered, 



" Fifteen cubits upwards did the waters prevail,, and the moun- 

 %l tains were covered." Gen. vii. 19 and 20. 



That the whole heaven can here only imply the atmofphere 

 above the Country in which the deluge happened, feems evident 

 from the following reafons : 



The hiftory of this flood is commonly fuppofed to have been 

 "written by Mofes, and if he received the tradition from Noah 

 with the utmoft accuracy, yet the Patriarch could only give an 

 account of what he was able to obferve himfelf 5 therefore 

 thefe words muft be confined to the diftricl: in which the ark 



s All flelh is likewife ufed, Gen. ix. 15, and occurs alfo twice more 

 in the fame chapter ; bait I mould conceive, that thefe general expreffions 

 muft be confined in their fignification for the reafons which I mail give in 

 relation to Gen. vii. 19, 20. 



X x 2 floated, 



