Then staid the fervid Wheeles, and in his hand
He took the golden passes, prepard [ 225 ]
In Gods Eternal store, to circumscribe
This Universe, and all created things:
One foot he terd, and the other turnd
Round through the vast profunditie obscure,
And said, thus farr extend, thus farr thy bounds, [ 230 ]
This be thy just Circumference, O World.
Thus God the Heaved, thus the Earth,
Matter unformd and void: Darkness profound
Coverd th Abyss: but orie calme
His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspred, [ 235 ]
And vital vertue infusd, and vital warmth
Throughout the fluid Mass, but dourgd
The black tartareous cold Infernal dregs
Adverse to life: then fouhen globd
Like things to like, the rest to several place [ 240 ]
Disparted, aween spun out the Air,
Ah self ballan her ter hung.
Let ther be Light, said God, and forthwith Light
Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure
Sprung from the Deep, and from her Native East [ 245 ]
To jourhrough the airie gloom began,
Spheard in a radiant Cloud, for yet the Sun
Was not; shee in a cloudie Tabernacle
Sojournd the while. God saw the Light was good;
And light from darkness by the Hemisphere [ 250 ]
Divided: Light the Day, and Darkness Night
He namd. Thus was the first Day Eevn and Morn:
Nor past ued, nor unsung
By the Celestial Quires, when Orient Light
Exhaling first from Darkhey beheld; [ 255 ]
Birth-day of Heavn ah; with joy and shout
The hollow Universal Orb they filld,
And touchd thir Golden Harps, and hymning praisd
God and his works, Creatour him they sung,
Both when first Eevning was, and when first Morn. [ 260 ]
Again, God said, let ther be Firmament
Amid the Waters, a divide
The Waters from the Waters: and God made
The Firmament, expanse of liquid, pure,
Transparent, Elemental Air, diffusd [ 265 ]
In circuit to the uttermost vex
Of this great Round: partition firm and sure,
The Waters underh from those above
Dividing: for as Earth, so he the World
Built on circumfluous Waters calme, in wide [ 270 ]
Crystallin O, and the loud misrule
Of Chaos farr removd, least fierce extreames
tiguous might distemper the whole frame:
And Heavn he namd the Firmament: So Eevn
And M Chorus sung the sed Day. [ 275 ]
The Earth was formd, but in the Womb as yet
Of Waters, Embryon immature involvd,
Appeerd not: over all the face of Earth
Main O flowd, not idle, but with warme
Prolific humour softning all her Globe, [ 280 ]
Fermehe great Mother to ceave,
Satiate with genial moisture, when God said
Be gatherd now ye Waters under Heavn
Into one place, a dry Land appeer.