“And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood and had let down their wings. And above the firmament that was over their heads, was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone, and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.” My quotations are running to a great length; nevertheless I cannot refrain from transcribing the splendid description of the Messiah, in which our own Milton has united the above two passages:-- Forth rushed with whirlwind sound The chariot of Paternal Deity, Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel withdrawn Itself instinct with spirit, but convoyed By four cherubick shapes; four faces each Had wondrous; as with stars their bodies all And wings were set with eyes, with eyes the wheels Of beryl, and careering fires between; Over their heads a crystal firmament, Whereon a sapphire throne inlaid with pure Amber, and colours of the showery arch. He in celestial panoply all armed Of radiant Urim, work divinely wrought, Ascended; at his right hand Victory Sate eagle-winged; beside him hung his bow And quiver, with three-bolted thunder stored; And from about him fierce effusion rolled Of smoke and bickering flame, and sparkles dire. Attended with ten thousand thousand saints He onward came; far off his coming shone; And twenty thousand (I their number heard) Chariots of God, half on each hand were seen. He on the wings of cherub rode sublime, On the crystalline sky in sapphire throned. After having transcribed three such passages as these, I am in no mind to return at present to the dirt and filth of Pagan superstition, and I shall hasten to a conclusion.