...With the fixed Stars, fixed in their orb that flies ; And ye five other wandering Fires, that move In mystic dance, not without song, resound His praise who out of Darkness called up Light. Air, and ye Elements, the eldest birth Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run Perpetual...

...without Song, refound His Praife, who out of Darknefs cali'd up Lights Air, and ye Elements, the eldeft Birth Of Nature's Womb, that in quaternion run Perpetual Circle, multiform ; and mix And nouriih all Things, let your ceafelefs Change Vary to our great Maker flul new Praife. Ye Mifts and...

...without end. (V. 160-65) The hymn continues with the sun, the fixt stars, the air, the elements that "mix / And nourish all things, let your ceaseless change / Vary to our great Maker still new praise" and mists, plants, fountains, birds. Finally, it includes an allusion to the serpent. Yee that in Waters...

...Echo of my carefull cryes. An interesting case is furnished by John Milton's Paradise Lost (V, 17879): In mystic dance not without song, resound His praise, who out of darkness called up light. The phrase "resound His praise," which echoes the earlier "sound his praise" (172),...

...the order of the created world, Adam and Eve invoke Aire, and ye Elements the eldest birth Of Natures Womb, that in quaternion run Perpetual Circle, multiform ; and mix And nourish all things.2 The description of the act of creation itself follows of course the Hebrew account in Genesis,...

...fall'st. Moon, that now meet'st the orient Sun, now fli'st 175 Air, and ye Elements the eldest birth 180 Of Nature's Womb, that in quaternion run Perpetual...new praise. Ye Mists and Exhalations that now rise 185 From Hill or steaming Lake, dusky or grey, Till the Sun paint your fleecy skirts with Gold, In...

...fli'st VX'ith the fixt Stars, fixt in thir Orb that flies, And yee five other wand'ring Fires that move In mystic Dance not without Song, resound His praise, who out of Darkness call'd up Light. Paradise Lost V, 1 60-5, 1 75-9 21 See, for instance, JM Evans, Paradise I -ost and ¡he Genesis Tradition...

...— thereby making our world so much larger. jbk Aire, and ye Elements the eldest birth Of Natures Womb, that in quaternion run Perpetual Circle, multiform, and mix And nourish all things, let your ceasless change Varie to our great Maker still new praise. Paradise Lost, Book V John Milton Contents...

...called up light. Air, and ye elements the eldest birth 180 Of nature's womb, that in quaternion run0 Perpetual circle, multiform; and mix And nourish all...still new praise. Ye mists and exhalations that now rise0 From hill or steaming lake, dusky or grey, Till the sun paint your fleecy skirts with gold, In...