She is described as conversing before the creation of this Universe, and playing with her Sister Wisdom, in the presence of God, who listens, pleased, to her song.
In this bold and tender twofold Impersonation, I seem to understand this.
Wisdom is the Thought of God respectively to the connection of Causes and Effects in his Creation, or to the Laws which constitute and uphold its Order: considered as Useful.
This Thought is boldly separated from God, and impersonated as One Sister.
Urania is the Thought of God, relatively to the Order and Harmony of his Works:—considered as Beautiful.
When God sees that his Creation upon each day is “good,” (which expression Milton is careful to repeat upon each day,) we must understand that he regards it in both respects.
The Invocation is, therefore, placed with a perfect propriety at the beginning of the Book which is occupied in describing the Creation.
For the meaning here attributed to Urania playing with Wisdom before the pleased Father, compare the passage where the dance of the Angels has been compared to the motions of the stars, and the Speaker, the Archangel Raphael, adds:
“And in their motions harmony divine
So smooths her charming tones, that God’s own ear