II.
So those who inhabited the sky, home of glory, were
at peace; hatred was gone, as well as sorrow and strife
among angels, ever since the rebellious hosts, bereft of the85
light, had relinquished heaven. Behind them stood in
grandeur their seats rich in glorious workmanship, teeming
with blessings in God's kingdom, bright and perennially
bountiful,—but all devoid of occupants, ever since the90
miserable spirits had gone to their place of punishment,
their vile prison. Then our Lord bethought him, in
meditative mood, how he might people again, and with
a better race, his high creation, the noble seats and glory-95
crowned abodes which the haughty rebels had left
vacant, high in heaven. Therefore Holy God willed by
his plenteous power that under the circle of the firma-
ment the earth should be established, with sky above and100
wide water, a world-creation in place of the foes whom
in their apostasy he hurled from bliss.
As yet there was nothing at all created here, except
shadows, but this broad earth stood deep and dim, idle105
and useless, alien even to God himself; on it the King
whose purpose never falters turned his eyes and beheld
the place void of joy; he saw dark clouds, black under
the firmament, throng in the eternal night, dun and110
waste, until this world-creation came to pass through
the word of the King of Glory. First the everlasting
Lord, protector of all things, created heaven and earth;
as the almighty King put forth the firmament and with115
victorious might established this ample world. The
earth was as yet unadorned by vegetation: the ocean
covered it far and wide, turbid waves in the eternal
night. Then was the glorious Spirit of heaven's guardian120
borne over the sea with sovereign virtue. For the King
of the angels commanded Light, dispenser of life, to
come forth over the broad expanse: quickly was the
Arch-King's mandate fulfilled, and Holy Light appeared125
over the waste spaces, as the Creator had ordained it.
The Wielder of Victory next sundered light from darkness,
shadow from radiance, over the surge of the sea. Then
he formed the two names of the dispensers of life: light
was first called "Day" by the word of the Lord, a130
beauteous creation. This period of creation greatly
pleased God, in the beginning: the first day saw the
dark shadows duskily flee away over the wide earth.