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description of Chaos. “In the day-spring of the ages, says he, there was neither sea, nor shore, nor refreshing breezes. There was neither earth below, nor heaven above to be distinguished. The whole was only one vast abyss without herb, and without seeds. The sun had then no palace: the stars knew not their dwelling-places, the moon was ignorant of her power.” After this, continues he, “there was a luminous, burning, flaming world towards the south; and from this world flowed out incessantly into the abyss that lay towards the north, torrents of sparkling fire, which in proportion as they removed far away from their source, congealed in their falling into the abyss, and so filled it with scum and ice. Thus was the abyss by little and little filled quite full: but there remained within it a light and immoveable air, and thence exhaled icy vapours. Then a warm breath coming from the south, melted those vapours, and formed of them living drops, whence was born the giant Ymer. It is
they appear to me too obscure, I supply them from the Edda, which is for the most part, only a kind of paraphrase of this poem. See especially Mythol. 4, 5, & seqq. Edd. Island. Resenii. Havniæ, 1665. First Edit.
