things possible that are not probable, and that whilst we avoid credulity, or believing too easily, we should avoid the opposite defect of considering as impossible what we do not readily comprehend, or what is contrary to our limited experience.

Who out of darkness called up light.

This alludes to the sublime passage in the book of Genesis which relates to the creation of light, "Let there be light, and there was light."

"And ye elements, the eldest birth

Of nature's womb that in quaternion run,
Perpetual circle multiform, and mix,

And nourish all things; let your ceaseless change
Vary to your great Maker still new praise."

In the first chapter of Genesis there is an account of the creation of the world-it is there said that the air and

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the other elements were first createdthey are therefore said to be the eldest born of nature.

That in quaternion run.-Quaternion means a sum of four-this was considered as a sacred and mystic number. The elements according to the ancients were four in number, and from their mixture all things were compounded.

Perpetual circle multiform-The elements are in perpetual motion joining one composition and quitting another, and so returning at times to their ori ginal unmixed state, that they may thus be said to circulate or go in circles. Multiform means, of many forms; the stop in this sentence should be after multiform,for multiform is an adjective, agreeing with the air and elements— mix is the verb, and is connected with

run and nourish. Air and ye elements which run in quaternion, and which mix and nourish all things, let your continual changes produce new praise for your Maker.

"Ye mists and exhalations, that now rise
From hill or steaming lake, dusky or grey,
Till the sun paint your fleecy skirts with gold,
In honour to the world's great Author, rise,
Whether to deck with clouds th' uncoloured sky,
Or wet the thirsty earth with falling showers,
Rising or falling, still advance his praise."

This is a most beautiful passage, pleasing to the eye from the images which it presents, and to the ear, from its uncommon melody.

Exhalation. Something breathed Exhalation.-Something out-from the word to exhale-the heat of the sun warms the earth, and mixing with the dew, forms vapour, which

rising condenses into clouds, these refract the rays of the rising sun, and shew prismatic colours on the edges (or fleecy skirts) snow white skirts of the clouds. Prismatic colours are those beautiful colours which appear in the rainbow—a prism in optics is a triangular solid glass by means of which the colours, like those of the rainbow, are to be seen when it is held between the sun and the eye.

Now-meaning morning-when during summer these appearances are

common.

Paint with gold.-The bright yellow colour that is to be seen in the morning clouds.

Steaming lake.-From which steam or vapour is raised by the heat of the

sun.

Dusky or grey.-When vapour rises first in the morning from the earth, it appears dusky or grey till it has ascended to a sufficient height to permit the beams of the sun to be refracted through it to our eyes. This change of appearance in the mists and exhalations is pointed out by the words till the sun paint. The words refract, and refraction, which may perhaps be unknown to the young readers, are purposely used here to excite them to enquire into their meaning. To refract, means simply to bend any thing out of its original direction. To reflect, means to send something back from an object against which it has struck.

In honour to the world's great Author, rise.

Milton does not suppose that the