elevated places and mountains whence he might observe the heavenly bodies. 997 Hung forth in heaven his golden scales, The constellation Libra (when the sun enters at the autumnal equinox) is expressed by the balance or scales in equilibrio, as the days and nights are then of the same lengh, and seem to observe an equilibrium like that instrument. 998 Betwixt Astrea and the Scorpion sign, Astrea is called the goddess of justice, having the scales in her hand. Scorpio an autumnal sign. 999 Wherein all things created first he weigh'd Who weigh'd the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Isa. xl. 12. 1012 Where thou art weigh'd, and shown how light, Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Dan. v. 27. Let us then upon all occasions submit with resignation to the divine appointments; first studying by daily meditation to learn the divine will, and then to obey it; remembering, that while the blessings which are promised to the obedient, are great, great also will be the punishment of the children of disobedience. By making the Holy Scriptures the subject of our daily meditations we shall there learn, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God; and be farther instructed in the means of avoiding that terrible end. END OF THE FOURTH BOOK. BOOK V. 6 Aurora's fan Aurora, goddess of the morn: represented, by the poets, drawn in a rose-coloured chariot, and opening, with her rosy fingers, the gates of the east; pouring the dews upon the earth, and making the flowers grow. Her chariot is drawn by white horses; and she is covered with a veil. Nox and Somnus fly before her; and the constellations of heaven disappear at her approach. 16 Mild, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes, Zephyrus, the west wind: and Flora, the goddess of flowers. 56 Ambrosia; his dewy locks distill'd The food of the gods was called Ambrosia : it is said, the gods perfumed their hair with it. 153 These are thy glorious works, 160 Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty., Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy great and adorable name? because thou only art holy; and, in thy presence, the holiness of all other beings disappear, as unworthy to be mentioned or remembered. ye sons of light, Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all hosts. Psalms, cxlviii. 2. P 166 Fairest of stars, last in the train of night Hesperus, the evening star. The glittering stars, By the deep ear of meditation heard, Still, in their midnight watches, sing of him. 171 Thou Sun of this great world both eye and soul, The sun is formed of such a determinate magnitude, and placed at such a convenient distance, as not to annoy, but only to refresh us; and nourish the ground with its kindly warmth. If it were larger, it would set the earth on fire; if smaller, it would leave it frozen: if it were nearer us, we should be scorched to death; if far from us, we should not be able to live for want of heat. Th' unwearied sun, from day to day, Does his creator's pow'r display; The work of an Almighty hand. 175 Moon, that now meets the orient sun, now fly'st, As when the moon, refulgent lamp of night, O'er heaven's clear azure spreads her sacred light; ILIAD. VIII. 176 With the fix'd stars, fix'd in their orb that flies The planets, and all the innumerable hosts of heavenly bodies, perform their courses and revolutions, with so much certainty and exactness, as never once to fail; but, for almost six thousand years, come constantly to the same period, in the hundredth part of a minute. 180 Air and ye elements, Praise Jehovah from the earth, ye dragons and all deeps: fire, hail, snow and vapour, stormy wind fulfilling his word; mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars, beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying fowl. 221 Raphael, the sociable spirit, that deign'd To travel with Tobias, See line 168 in Book IV. 262 Of Galileo. By whose aid are seen The planetary phases, the bright cohort 264 Or pilot, from amidst the Cyclades, Delos or Samos The Cyclades Islands, lie like a circle round Delos, which is the largest of them: they are in the Archipelago. Though not above six miles in circumference, it is one of the most celebrated of the Grecian islands, being the birth-place of Apollo and Diana; the magnificent ruins of whose temples are still visible. It is now almost destitude of inhabitants. 272 A Phoenix, The naturalists speak of this bird as single, or the only one of its kind; the size of an eagle; its head finely crested, with a beautiful plumage; its neck covered with feathers, of a gold colour; the rest of its body purple, only the tail white, intermixed with carnation; and it eyes sparkling like stars. They say it lives five or six hundred years, in the wilderness; that, when thus advanced in age, it builds itself a funeral pile of sweet wood and aromatic gums: this it fires with the wafting of its wings, and thus burns itself; and, from its ashes, arises a worm, which, in time, grows up to another Phoenix. Other accounts of this extraordinary bird mention, that it makes a brilliant appearance, and undertakes frequent excursions with a load on its back; that when, by having made the experiment through a long track of air, it gains sufficient confidence in its own vigour, its takes up the body of its father, and flies with it to the altar of the sun, to be there consumed. From this statement it appears probable, that the learned, especially of Egypt, enveloped under this allegory, the philosophy of comets; and that the Phoenix was an Egyptian hieroglyphical representation of the comet. 274 Bright temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies. An ancient celebrated city in Egypt, called also Hecatompylos, on account of its hundred gates; |