250 And Light from Darkness by the Hemif

phere Divided:

the Hemisphere is Half the Globe, and These Hemispheres are the Conftant Measures of Light and Darkness, for as faft as Light gains upon One Side of the Globe, Darkness in Juft and Equal proportion Seizes the Other. It must be remember'd that the Earth is yet Involv'd in Water, So that the Hemisphere here spoken of must relate to That Globe of Water, That of Earth being Hid within it. Milton, as Ufual in Poetry, has put the Singular (Hemisphere) for the Plural.

252

Thus was the First Day Ev'n and Morn:

for as there was Day and Night in the two Different parts of the Great Globe of the Creation according as Light or Darkness prevail'd, there must be Confequently Even and Morning in This First, as well as in the two Succeeding Days 'till the Light was Tranfplanted into the Sun, &c. and as the Scripture divides these Three First Days, and gives Them, as the Following,an Evening and a Mor⚫ ning, it was Abfolutely Neceffary to Suppofe the Light to Move Progreffively as when the Sun had the Diftribution of it. a Sudden Univerfal Illumination would have Excluded

any

any Such Divifion into Day and Night, Morning and Evening.

257 the Hollow Univerfal Orb

the Firm Opacuous Globe of this Round World, Hollow, for as Yet 'twas Empty of all but the Conglob'd Earth and Water, from Thence to the Uttermoft Convex of this Great Round was without Sun, Moon or Stars, without Inhabitants, Hollow of all but Air; and the Radiant Cloud the Tabernacle of Light. but This Hollow was fill'd with Joy and Shout, with the Sound of Angelick Golden Harps, and Hymning Celestial Voices.

261

Let there be Firmament whatever Opinions fome of the Greek Philofophers have had concerning the Firmament, as being Something Solid, and therefore call'd Segewμa, the Hebrew Word which in OurTranslation is Firmament Signifies Expansion, and accordingly Milton fays 'tis an Expanse of Air, in Short 'tis no Other than that which the Scripture calls Heaven, Gen. i. 8. the Region in which the Heavenly Bodies move, v. 17. the Fowl Fly v. 20. III. 574. and it was to extend to the Uttermost Convex of this Great Round, this New Creation. by the Way, Convex is Here inftead of Concave, not Ünufual with the Latin Poets. Virg. Æn. I. 451. &c.

314. IV.

As

As the Air had already taken its Region with the reft of the Cumbrous Elements (Cumbrous Compar'd with the Ethereal Quinteffence, or even That Liquid, Pure, Tranfparent Air of which the Firmament is Compos'd, we may imagine that the Work of This Second Day was to Rarify this Air, and to make it fit for the Ufes to which it was Defign'd, as for the Animals to Breath in when Created, though no Other is at Prefent mention'd than to Divide the Waters Underneath from Thofe Above, as Gen. i. 7. the Firft were Thofe which Yet flow'd round the Earth, its Elementary Region as v. 276; Thofe Above are the Pure Crystaline Ocean, the Clear Hyaline Above the Outermoft Boundary of this New Created World. See III. See III. 518. Explain'd by Milton himself in the Argument before That Book. See alfo v. 270. and 619. of This Book, &c.

St. Aug. upon Gen. L. 11. c. 10. It is not call'd Firmament as being a Solid Body, but because it is a Bound or Term between the Upper and the Nether Waters; a Partition Firm and Immovable, not upon Account of its Station, but of its Firmness and Intranfgreffibility.

269

- for as the Earth, So He the World Built on Circumfluous Waters Calme, in Wide

Chryftalline Ocean,

as Mofes Gen i. 7. fays there were Waters a

bové and Under the Firmament, Milton Suppofes a Chryftalline Ocean, a Sea Clear as the Pureft Chrystal, flowing round the New Creation, a Fence (befides the Wall, III. 721.) against Chaos. But This is not the Chrystalline mention'd III. 482. That was a Sphere, and for a Different ufe, nor is it a part of Milton's Syftem. See our Note on the Place.

276 the Earth was Form'd, but in the Womb as yet

of Waters, Embryon Immature Involv'd, Appeer'd not:

the Earth had receiv'd its Globular Form but as an Embryo, not yet Ripe for Birth, was hid in the Womb of Waters. Nothing but Main Ocean and Firmament were feen. the Work of this Third day is to produce the Terraqueous Globe, and then to Adorn it. When Like Things were Conglob'd with Like, the Elements feparated, the Earth was form'd of all the Solid Terreftrial Particles, Earth of all kinds, Stone, Minerals, &c. This made One Globe, the Center of this New World; but Now it was to take Another Form and to be Produc'd to View, a Globe Still, but Confifting of Earth and Water, Sea and Land, as Gen. i. 9, 10. the Hills Therefore were to Heave up to the Clouds, as v. 285. and then

289 Down Sunk a Hollow Bottom Broad and Deep,

Capa

Capacious Bed of Waters:

this Bed was Soon fill'd with Ocean. Thither Thefe Waters

291 Hafted with Glad Precipitance,

as the Place prepar'd was Deep their fall into it was Precipitate (as from a Precipice) and Glad, a Metaphor taken from the Quick Motion of Those who Rejoice to Go where they defire.

Ibid.

Uprowl'd

as Drops on Duft conglobing from the

Drie:

This is One, and the most Distinguish'd Motion of the Waters of the Sea, the whole Mass rifes up in a Globular Form, as Water does Dropt on a Dufty place, Were they not Thus Uproll'd they would not with the Earth Conftitute One Globe as they Certainly do, and Vifibly in Large Seas, as when a Ship appears at a Great Distance the Top-Sails are Firft Seen, Then Lower, and fo On, as must happen when the Space between is Round and not Level.

293 Part rife in Chryftial Wall, or Ridge di

rect

for Hafte

as in Great Waves or Cataracts. the Other Various Motions of Water follow.