Boughs stripped off by the winds, mingling by the meeting of the winds, with people upon them.

Broken trees loaded with people.

Ships broken to pieces, beaten on rocks.

Flocks of sheep.  Hail stones, thunderbolts, whirlwinds.

People on trees which are unable to to support them; trees and rocks, towers and hills covered with people, boats, tables, troughs, and other means of floating.  Hills covered with men, women and animals; and lightning from the clouds illuminating every thing.

[Footnote:  This chapter, which, with the next one, is written on a loose sheet, seems to be the passage to which one of the compilers of the Vatican copy alluded when he wrote on the margin of fol. 36:  “Qua mi ricordo della mirabile discritione del Diluuio dello autore.” It is scarcely necessary to point out that these chapters are among those which have never before been published.  The description in No. 607 may be regarded as a preliminary sketch for this one.  As the MS. G. (in which it is to be found) must be attributed to the period of about 1515 we may deduce from it the approximate date of the drawings on Pl.  XXXIV, XXXV, Nos. 2 and 3, XXXVI and XXXVII, since they obviously belong to this text.  The drawings No. 2 on Pl.  XXXV are, in the original, side by side with the text of No. 608; lines 57 to 76 are shown in the facsimile.  In the drawing in Indian ink given on Pl.  XXXIV we see Wind-gods in the sky, corresponding to the allusion to Aeolus in No. 607 1. 15.-Plates XXXVI and XXXVII form one sheet in the original.  The texts reproduced on these Plates have however no connection with the sketches, excepting the sketches of clouds on the right hand side.  These texts are given as No. 477.  The group of small figures on Pl.  XXXVII, to the left, seems to be intended for a ’congregatione d’uomini.’ See No. 608, 1. 19.]

609.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DELUGE.

Let there be first represented the summit of a rugged mountain with valleys surrounding its base, and on its sides let the surface of the soil be seen to slide, together with the small roots of the bushes, denuding great portions of the surrounding rocks.  And descending ruinous from these precipices in its boisterous course, let it dash along and lay bare the twisted and gnarled roots of large trees overthrowing their roots upwards; and let the mountains, as they are scoured bare, discover the profound fissures made in them by ancient earthquakes.  The base of the mountains may be in great part clothed and covered with ruins of shrubs, hurled down from the sides of their lofty peaks, which will be mixed with mud, roots, boughs of trees, with all sorts of leaves thrust in with the mud and earth and stones.  And into the depth of some valley may have fallen the fragments of a mountain forming a shore to the swollen waters of its river; which, having already burst its banks, will rush on in monstrous waves; and the greatest will strike upon