. Select Minor Poems of John Milton . tic, thisbelt has received the distinctive name of Zodiac. It was earlydivided into twelve portions, called Signs of the Zodiac, corre-sponding to the successive months of the year, and each containingone important constellation. These, and constellations in general,were made use of in locating the positions of heavenly Milton refers to a comet in Ophiuchus, the sun in Taurus, mentioned in the Minor Poems are the following : — ^ A most beautiful conception was suggested to the imagination of poets bythe contemplation of the planetary
. Select Minor Poems of John Milton . tic, thisbelt has received the distinctive name of Zodiac. It was earlydivided into twelve portions, called Signs of the Zodiac, corre-sponding to the successive months of the year, and each containingone important constellation. These, and constellations in general,were made use of in locating the positions of heavenly Milton refers to a comet in Ophiuchus, the sun in Taurus, mentioned in the Minor Poems are the following : — ^ A most beautiful conception was suggested to the imagination of poets bythe contemplation of the planetary motions. Must not their swift and evenswing through the all-embracing ether give rise to rapid vibrations, and thereforeto musical tones? Must not these tones, harmonious in pitch and exquisite inquality, ever resound in the ears of the gods, though imperceptible to our grossersenses? No other imaginative conception has taken firmer hold of the mindsof the poets than this of The music of the spheres. SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY IDEAS. O^^^. The World as represented in Paradise Section in the plane of the ecliptic. Andromeda. —A constellation lying a little above Aries, namedfrom the maiden in Greek mythology whom Perseus rescued froma sea-monster. (See below, Cassiopeia.) Cassiopeia. — A constellation lying between Andromeda and thenorth pole of the heavens. It is named from a queen of Ethiopiawho boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids (see 50). 1 Note that (a) the eccentricity of the planetary orbits is exaggerated, in orderto render it apparent to the eye; (d) the positions of the planets are so chosen asto illustrate situations to which Milton refers; (c) the dotted circles representsimply limits beyond which the planets never pass (Milton conceived the spheresas zones in the firmament [see 9] without material boundaries); (d) althoughthe suns motion is always from east to west, yet since his motion is slower thanthat of the fixed stars, he appears to move
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