And love that passeth knowledge! Words are vain; Language is lost in wonders so divine. "Come then, expressive silence, muse his praise.' 418 Meanwhile upon the firm opacous globe Of this round world, Satan's arrival on the outside of the new created world, and that shapeless unformed heap of materials, which still lay in chaos and confusion, strikes the imagination with something great and wild. He after wandering on the surface discovers a wide gap, which led to the creation, and is described as the opening through which the angels pass to and fro into the lower world upon their errands to mankind. He looks down.. into that vast hollow of the universe with the kenn of an angel. He surveys all the wonders in this immense amphitheatre that lie between both the poles of Heaven, and takes in at one view the whole round of creation. 431 As when a vulture A voracious bird larger than the eagle, of an excellent sight and smelling, more than other birds. Milton compares Satan in his pursuit of man to the vulture. It can perceive the savour of dead carcases many miles from it. They do not touch the living. 431 Imaus. A large mountain of Scythia, which is part of Mount Taurus. 436 Of Ganges or Hydaspes. The Ganges, a large river of India, falling into It inundates the adjacent the Indian ocean. was held in the greatest veneration by the inhabitants, and this superstition may be said still to exist in some particular instances. The Hydaspes likewise in India, the boundaries of Alexander's conquest in the east. It falls into the Indus. 438 Of Sericana where Chineses drive. Seres, a nation of Asia, according to Ptolemy, between the Ganges and the eastern ocean. They were naturally of a meek disposition. Silk was brought to Rome from their country, and on that account it was called Sericum, and thence a garment of silk is called serica vestris. Heliogabalus, the Roman Emperor, was the first who wore a silk dress, which at that time was sold for its weight in gold. It afterwards became cheap, and was the common dress among the Romans. Some suppose the Seres are the same as the Chinese. 441 Walk'd up and down alone, bent on his prey, Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour. 1 8. Pet. v. 463 Hither of ill join'd sons and daughters born. Then the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which they chose. There were giants in the earth in those days: the same became mighty men,-men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth. Gen. vi. 2. 4, 5. 466 The builders next of Babel. 467 470 Fearing another flood, men began to build a tower so very high that the top of it might not be overflowed, as if they would defend themselves in their wickedness against the anger of the Almighty; but he soon stopped their work, by confusing their language, so that they could not understand one another, so they left off at the building which was afterwards called Babel.. on the plain Of Sennaar. A part of Chaldea, where Nimrod began to build his tower. Etna. A mountain of Sicily, now called Mount Gibel, famous for its volcano, which, for more than three hundred years, has thrown out fire at intervals. It is supposed to be eight miles high, and sixty in compass. Its top is covered with snow and smoke at the same time; and the sides, on account of the fecundity of the soil, are carefully cultivated and planted with vineyards The poets supposed that Jupiter had confined the giants under this mountain. It was the forge of Vulcan, where his servants, the Cyclops, fabricated thunderbolts. he who to be deem'd A god, leap'd fondly into Etna flames, Empedocles, a philosopher, poet, and historian of Agrigentum, in Sicily; he showed himself an enemy to tyranny, and refused to become the sovereign of his country; it is reported his curiosity to visit the flames of Etna proved fatal to him. Some say he wished it to be believed that 474 he was a god, and that his death might be unknown, he threw himself into the crater and perished in the flames. His expectations were frustrated, for the volcano threw up one of his sandals, which proved how he perished. and he who to enjoy Plato's Elysian. A youth of Ambrasia, who killed himself after reading Plato's immortality of the soul, called Cleombrotus. eremites and friars Eremites or hermits, dwellers in the wilderness at first, holy men for the sake of Christ and their lives, in persecution hid themselves in deserts, and gave themselves to fasting and prayer and great austerities. 476 Here pilgrims roam. Men that travelled through foreign countries to pay their devotions to departed saints, shrines, and relics. The Christian pilgrims went to Jerusalem, Rome, St. Jago, &c. and the Turks to Mecca, in Arabia, every year in solemn procession to visit the tomb of Mahomet. 477 In Golgotha. that stray'd so far to seek A skull; our blessed Redeemer was crucified on Mount Moriah, on the north side of Jerusalem. It is the same spot on which Isaac was to have been offered two thousand years before, and was a lively type of this event. 479 Dying put on the weeds of Dominic. A Spaniard was the author of this order, called carry a dying person through purgatory, they put on them the robe of a priest of this order. 480 Or in Franciscan think to pass disguised. St. Francis was an Italian merchant, first called John, who instituted the order of Franciscan friars, A. D. 1192. 481 They pass the planets seven. 481 The universe throughout all space is replenished with systems or worlds of different bodies. By system is meant a number of bodies which move around one centre. Such a system we call the world; and the moving bodies of these systems we call planets or comets, which, together with the sun, are termed the solar system. Under the denomination of planets, are now comprised, Mercury, Venus, the Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Georgium Sidus, or Herschell, Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta; the four last named planets are recent discoveries. The fixed stars are supposed to be suns in the centre of their respective systems, having planets revolving round them. 482 And that crystalline sphere. 491 The milky way is named from its peculiar whiteness, and consists of an innumerable quantity of stars; being the only real circle in the heavens, and always visible in a clear night. these reliques. Fragments of the bodies of saints preserved by Roman Catholics, with great veneration; that is, a finger, a toe, &c. and was worshipped by them. |