His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspread, 235. And vital virtue' infus'd, and vital warmth Throughout the fluid mass; but downward purg'd The black, tartareous, cold, infernal dregs, Like things to like, the rest to several place 240 Let there be light, faid God; and forthwith light Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure, Sprung from the deep, and from her native east 2455 To journey through the aery gloom began, Spher'd in a radiant cloud; for yet the fun Was not; the in a cloudy tabernacle Sojourn'd the while. God faw the light was good; And light from darkness by the hemisphere Divided: light the day, and darkness night 250 He nam'd. Thus was the first day ew'n and morn: Nor past uncelebrated, nor unfung 2555 By the celestial quires, when orient light And touch'd their golden harps, and hymning prais'd Again God faid, Let there be firmament Amid the waters, and let it divide The waters from the waters: and God made The firmament expanse of liquid, pure, Transparent, elemental air, diffus'd In circuit to the uttermost convex Of this great round: partition firm and fure, Dividing: for as earth, fo he the world 261 4 265 Built on circumfluous waters calm, in wide 270 275 280 285 The earth was form'd, but in the womb as yet Of waters, embryon immature involv'd, Appear'd not: over all the face of earth Main ocean flow'd; not idle, but with warm Prolific humour soft'ning all her globe, Fermented the great mother to conceive, Satiate with genial moisture; when God faid, Be gather'd now ye waters under heaven Into one place, and let dry land appear. Immediately the mountains huge appear Emergent, and their broad bare backs upheave Into the clouds, their tops ascend the sky: So high as heav'd the tumid hills, so low Down funk a hollow bottom, broad and deep, Capacious bed of waters: thither they Hafted with glad precipitance, uproll'd As drops on dust conglobing from the dry; Part rise in crystal wall, or ridge direct, For haste; fuch flight the great command impress'd On the swift floods: as armies at the call 290 295 Of trumpet (for of armies thou hast heard) Al All but within those banks, where rivers now 305 And faw that it was good; and faid, Let th' earth 316. 321 He scarce had faid, when the bare earth, till them 339 Went up and water'd all the ground, and each God made, and every herb, before it grew On the green stem; God faw that it was good: Again th' Almighty spake, Let there be lights High in th' expanse of heaven, to divide The day from night; and let them be for figns, For seasons, and for days, and circling years; And let them be for lights, as I ordain Their office in the firmament of heaven, To give light on the earth; and it was so. And God made two great lights, great for their use To man, the greater to have rule by day, The less by night, altern; and made the flars, 340 345 And set them in the firmament of heaven, To' illuminate the earth, and rule the day 350 For of celestial bodies first the fun A mighty sphere he fram'd, unlightsome first, 355 Tho' of ethereal mould: then form'd the moon 365 Globose, and every magnitude of stars, 379 Dawn Dawn, and the Pleiades before him danc'd, Shedding sweet influence: less bright the moon, 375 But oppofite in level'd west was set, His mirror, with full face borrowing her light に From him; for other light she needed none In that aspéct; and still that distance keeps Till night, then in the east her turn she shines, 380 With thousand leffer lights dividual holds, And God faid, Let the waters generate Reptile with spawn abundant, living foul: And let fowl fly above the earth, with wings Display'd on th' open firmament of heaven. And God created the great whales, and each Soul living, each that crept, which plenteoufly 390 The waters generated by their kinds, And every bird of wing after his kind; And saw that it was good, and bless'd them, faying, Be fruitful, multiply, and in the seas, 396 400 And lakes, and running streams, the waters fill; Moist nutriment; or under rocks their food In jointed armour watch: on smooth the feal, And |