es
brought about by the real and apparent motions of the celestial orbs.

In this respect Milton is unsurpassed by any poet in ancient or in
modern times. The occasions on which he describes the heavenly bodies,
or alludes to them in association with other phenomena, testify to the
felicity of his thoughts and to the greatness of his poetic genius.
Surely no poet has ever given us a lovelier description of evening, or
has added more to its exquisite beauty by his allusion to the celestial
orbs, than Milton when he describes the first evening in Paradise--

Now came still Evening on, and Twilight gray
Had in her sober livery all things clad;
Silence accompanied; for beast and bird,
They to their grassy couch, these to their nests
Were slunk, all but the wakeful nightingale.
She all night long her amorous descant sung;
Silence was pleased. Now glowed the firmament
With living sapphires: Hesperus that led
The starry host, rode brightest, till the Moon,
Rising in clouded majesty, at length
Apparent queen, unveiled her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her silver mantle threw.--iv. 598-609.

In the avowal of her conjugal love, Eve, with charming expression,
associates the orbs of the firmament with the delightful appearances of
nature which presented themselves to her observation after she awoke to
the consciousness of intelligent existence.

Sweet is the breath of Morn, her rising sweet,
With charm of earliest birds: pleasant the Sun,
When first on this delightful land he spreads
His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flower,
Glistering with dew; fragrant the fertile Earth
After soft showers; and sweet the coming on
Of grateful Evening mild; then silent Night,
With this her solemn bird, and this fair Moon,
And these the gems of Heaven, her starry train:
But neither breath of Morn, when she ascends
With charm of earliest birds; nor rising Sun
On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flower,
Glistering with dew; nor fragrance after showers;
Nor grateful Evening mild; nor silent Night,
With this her solemn bird; nor walk by Moon,
Or glittering star-light, without thee is sweet.
But wherefore all night long shine these? for whom
This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut all eyes?--iv. 641-58.

One of the charms of Milton's verse is the devoutly poetical sentiment
which pervades it. His though