Dante and the early astronomers . Zsntth. Horizon, Fig. 39. Sun, moon, and illustrate Par. xxix. 1-6. {See p. 265). In the first figure the sun and nioon are balanced, as it were, being at equal distancesfrom the zenith : in the second, a few minutes later, by the rising of the sun and thesetting of the moon, the balance is disturbed, and each changes its hemisphere. 268 MOVEMENTS OF THE MOON. sister of the sun,i and with the sun one of the twoEyes of Heaven.^ One exception to this harsh treat-ment is in the beautiful description of reaching theheaven of the moon,^ for there she is t
Dante and the early astronomers . Zsntth. Horizon, Fig. 39. Sun, moon, and illustrate Par. xxix. 1-6. {See p. 265). In the first figure the sun and nioon are balanced, as it were, being at equal distancesfrom the zenith : in the second, a few minutes later, by the rising of the sun and thesetting of the moon, the balance is disturbed, and each changes its hemisphere. 268 MOVEMENTS OF THE MOON. sister of the sun,i and with the sun one of the twoEyes of Heaven.^ One exception to this harsh treat-ment is in the beautiful description of reaching theheaven of the moon,^ for there she is the first star,the eternal pearl; and the sudden burst of eloquencein the midst of a grave argument in De Monarchiastartles us doubly when we find that Justice is com-pared to the moon—not, as one might expect, resplen-dent in a dark sky, but Phoebe gazing at her brotheropposite, in the purple of the morning calm.* Thepassage from Par. xxix. quoted above helps us tounderstand why the moon in this position shouldsymbolize Justice, for he
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