city when besieged by the Peloponnesians and Beotians, relates their climbing over the wall and crossing the ditch, but only after a hard struggle; “for the ice (kptoradXos) in it was not frozen hard enough to bear” (iii., 28). Crystal, regarded as a mineral, was originally held to be only pure water congealed, by great length of time, into ice harder than common. Hence it was believed that it could be produced only in regions of per- petual ice.
In the midst of—round about. Commonly explained as one in the midst of each of the four sides of the throne. “At the extremities of two diameters passing through the centre of the round throne ” (Milligan).
Beasts (fa). Rev., living creatures. Alford aptly remarks that beasts is the most unfortunate word that could be imagined. Beast is Snpiov. Zaov emphasizes the vital element, Inpiov the bestial.
Full of eyes before and behind. The four living beings are mainly identical with the cherubim of Ezek. i. 5-10; x. 5— 20; Isa. vi. 2,3; though with some differences of detail. For instance, Ezekiel’s cherubim have four wings, while the six described here belong to the seraphim of Isaiah. So also the Trisagion (thrice holy) is from Isaiah. In Ezekiel’s vision each living being has all four faces, whereas here, each of the four has one.
‘¢ There came close after them four animals, Incoronate each one with verdant leaf, Plumed with six wings was every one of them, The plumage full of eyes; the eyes of Argus If they were living would be such as these. Reader! to trace their forms no more I waste My rhymes; for other spendings press me s0, That I in this caunot be prodigal. But read Ezekiel who depicteth them As he beheld them from the region cold Coming with cloud, with whirlwind, and with fire ; And such as thou shalt find them in his pages, Such were they here ; saving that in their plumage John is with me, and differeth from him.”
Dante, ‘‘ Purgatorio,” xxix., 92-105.
Vou, I1.—31