There the revolving Bear, which the Wain they call, was ensculptured,
Circling on high, and in all its course regarding Orion;
Sole of the starry train which refuses to bathe in the Ocean.”
The next likewise appeals to the astronomer. It is the famous simile from the end of the Eighth Book:—
“As when around the glowing moon resplendent in ether,
Shines forth the heavenly host, and the air reposes in stillness;
Gleams every pointed rock, stands forth each buttress in prospect;
Shimmers each woodland vale; and from realms of unspeakable glory
Op’ning, the stars are revealed; and the heart of the shepherd rejoices.
Such, and so many the fires, by the Trojans kindled, illumined