BEFORE the world which we inhabit was arranged and organised so as to be a fit abode for the various orders of animals that were destined to be its inhabitants, this now beautiful frame of nature was a rude undigested mass of matter; a confused assemblage of jarring elements, to which the ancients gave the name of Chaos:' describing it as a dark turbulent kind of atmosphere; a disorderly system, or mixture of all sorts of particles together, without form or regularity. From this gross and shapeless mass, involved in obscurity and confusion, the globe which we in VOL. I. A habit was formed; and the happy arrangement of these discordant principles effected by some divine, though unknown power, produced all the magnificent phenomena of creation, which are displayed to the contemplation of man in the system to which we belong. Order and beauty succeeded to disorder and confusion. No sooner were the elements of fire, air, earth, and water, separated and settled in their respective places, than the sun, moon, and stars, appeared. Light broke in upon the rising world; darkness was dissipated, and Chaos was no more. The earth settling on its centre, was surrounded on all sides by the azure vault of heaven; encircled by the vast unfathomable ocean, covered with vegetation, and refreshed and beautified by rivers, lakes, and rivulets. Five zones, with all their rich variety of temperature and climate, divided the surface of the newly-formed earth, and over it the winds of heaven were permitted to exercise their vivifying influence. Each of these salutary powers had, however, his appointed place of dominion. To Eurus, the east-wind, were assigned the mountains which in Persia and Arabia are first cheered by the appearance of the beautiful Aurora. Zephy |