The Natkral Hiflory Part Ilr 



would never have reached the EartK| 

 nor afieded that in the leaft : thejl 

 could never havetouchM the Head, oif 

 ftop'd the fource of thele Unhappy miP 

 demeanours, for \^hich the Punilli- 

 ment was fent. That was what no- 

 thing but a Deluge could reach ; 

 and as long as the Caufe remained : as 

 long as the old Temptation was ftill 

 behnid, every Age would have tain un- 

 der frefh Inducerfiettts to the fame 

 Crimes: and there would have been 

 a new neceffity to punifh and reclaim 

 the World: to depopulate the Earth/ 

 and reduce it again to a vaft SoUcude, 

 as conftantly as there fucceeded a new 

 Age and Race of Men. For the terrof 

 of the Calamity would not have ex- 

 tended it felf much farther than thd 

 Men which fuffered under the weight 

 of it : and a few Years would have 

 worn out, in great meafure, the Im- 

 preffions it made. This we fee even 

 from the Example of the Deluge it felf. 

 As formidable as was to thofe who 

 lived at, or near, the time of itl virhd 

 fa w the prodigious Devaftations it 

 made : the horrible Methods by wliich 

 'twas brought about : and the Reafoni 

 #hy Was inflifted ; and to their Po^ 



fterity 



