Non secus, ac liquida si quando nocti cometæ
Sanguinei lugubre rubent, aut Sirius ardor," &c.
One of the meanings of κόμη is "the luminous tail of a comet;" and Suidas mentions from the LXX, καὶ ἕσπερον τὸν ἀστέρα ἐπὶ κόμης αὐτοῦ ἄξεις αὐτον (Job xxxviii. 32.). See Scott and Liddell's Lexicon at the words Κόμη, and Πώγων and Πωγωνίας, which latter words are used in reference to the beard of a comet.
Gray must now speak for himself. He says in a note:
"The image was taken from a well-known picture of Raphael, representing the Supreme Being in the Vision of Ezekiel. There are two of these paintings, both believed originals, one at Florence, the other at Paris."
And Mr. Mason adds, in a note to his edition of Gray, vol. i. p. 75. Lond. 1807:
"Moses breaking the Tables of the Law, by Parmegiano, was a figure which Mr. Gray used to say came still nearer to his meaning than the picture of Raphael."
I cannot help thinking that Cowley too was not forgotten. Speaking of the angel Gabriel, he says:
"An harmless flaming meteor shone for haire,
And fell adown his shoulders with loose care."