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At this beam, at this signal of day, a cluster of fires flew

forth, crossing one another a thousand times on the sphere of the

skies-and the eye of the sun rose up-still somewhat sleepy, it

blinked and trembled and shook its gleaming lashes; it glittered

with seven tints at once: at first sapphire, it straightway

turned blood red like a ruby, and yellow as a topaz; next it

sparkled transparent as crystal, then was radiant as a diamond;

finally it became the colour of pure flame, like a great moon, or

like a twinkling star: thus over the measureless heaven advanced

the solitary sun.