Page:History of the Devil, ancient and modern (2).pdf/13

 the ſucceſſion of blood in the royal original line

of Adam, brought down as low as Noah and his

three ſons, for it continued a ſeries of 1450 years,

ſay ſome, 1640, ſay others; in which time, ſin

ſpread itſelf ſo generally through the whole race;

and the ſons of God, ſo the ſcripture calls the

men of the righteous ſeed, the progeny of Seth

came in unto the daughters of men, that is, join-

ed themſelves to the curſed race of Cain, and

married promiſcuouſly with them according to

their fancies—the women it ſeems being beauti-

ful and tempting; and though the Devil could

not make the women handſome or ugly in one or

other family, or either ſide, ſo as to make both

the men and women tempting and agreeable to

one another, where they ought not to have been

ſo; and perhaps as it is often ſeen to this day,

the more tempting for being under a legal re-

ſtraint, Thus having completely debauched them

the whole 1500 years, he led them to ſcorn and

contemn, Noah, and treats him as a fantaſtic reli-

gious fool for building the ſhip in which he and

the flock on board were to ſkip over hills and

dance over plains: but ſoon were they left in

the Devil's lurch; and he no doubt amazed and

nonpluſſed to gueſs what would enſue from this

inundation.

No ſooner did the Devil ſee the ark reſting

on Mount Araret, and Noah and his family and

every living creature deſcend from it; and know-

ing all his infernal work was to begin, that he

might again ſtrike at the root inſtantly com-

mences with Noah, who had been a very great

preacher; and by means of his witched child

Canaan gets him drunk, and ſo ſtopt his mouth;

for we never hear of him after, though he lived

a long time.