Chapter 7 6
Then staid the fervid Wheeles, and in his hand
He took the golden Compasses, prepared [ 225 ]
In Gods Eternal store, to circumscribe
This Universe, and all created things:
One foot he centerd, and the other turnd
Round through the vast profundity obscure,
And said, thus farr extend, thus farr thy bounds, [ 230 ]
This be thy just Circumference, O World.
Thus God the Heavn created, thus the Earth,
Matter unformed and void: Darkness profound
Covered th Abyss: but on the watrie calme
His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspred, [ 235 ]
And vital vertue infusd, and vital warmth
Throughout the fluid Mass, but downward purgd
The black tartareous cold Infernal dregs
Adverse to life: then founded, then conglobd
Like things to like, the rest to several places [ 240 ]
Disparted, and between spun out the Air,
And Earth self ballanct on her Center hung.
Let the be Light, said God, and forthwith Light
Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure
Sprung from the Deep, and from her Native East [ 245 ]
To journie through 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 uncelebrated, nor unsung
By the Celestial Quires, when Orient Light
Exhaling first from Darkness they beheld; [ 255 ]
Birthday-day of Heavn and Earth; 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 the be Firmament
Amid the Waters, and let it divide
The Waters from the Waters: and God made
The Firmament, expansion of liquid, pure,
Transparent, Elemental Air, diffusd [ 265 ]
In circuit to the uttermost convex
Of this great Round: partition firm and sure,
The Waters underneath from those above
Dividing: for as Earth, so he the World
Built on circumfluous Waters calme, in wide [ 270 ]
Crystallin Ocean, and the loud misrule
Of Chaos farr removed, least fierce extremes
Contiguous might distemper the whole frame:
And Heavn he namd the Firmament: So Eevn
And Morning Chorus sung the second Day. [ 275 ]
The Earth was formed, but in the Womb as yet
Of Waters, Embryon immature involved,
Appeed not: over all the face of Earth
Main Ocean flowd, not idle, but with warm
Prolific humour softning all her Globe, [ 280 ]
Fermented the great Mother to conceal,
Satiate with genial moisture, when God said
Be gathered now ye Waters under Heavn
Into one place, and let dry Land appeer.