That he our deadly forfeit should release, And with his Father work us a perpetual peace. II. That glorious form, that light unsufferable, He laid aside; and, here with us to be, Forsook the courts of everlasting day, And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay. III. Say, heavenly Muse, shall not thy sacred vein Hast thou no verse, no hymn, or solemn strain, To welcome him to this his new abode, Now, while the heaven, by the Sun's team untrod, Hath took no print of the approaching light, And all the spangled host keep watch in squadrons bright? IV. See how from far upon the eastern road The star-led wizards haste with odours sweet! 20 6. deadly forfeit, i.e. what was forfeited at the Fall; the souls of Adam and Eve and their whole posterity. These, being as it were held in pledge, Christ released by his death. We fear there may be here too familiar an allusion. 8. that, etc. An allusion to Phil. ii. 7, a favourite text with him at all times, and perhaps the foundation of his future Arianism. 11. To sit, etc. As the order is, Father, Son, Holy Ghost. The allusion to earthly councils is perhaps too familiar. 19. Now, etc., i.e. before it is yet day. 20. took. This should be taken; take would also be correct. At that time there was great confusion made between the part. and the perf. tense. We still retain some of these improper participles, ex. gr. held, sat.—no print, etc. He beautifully expresses the heavens as marked with light by the traces of the Sun's car and steeds. 22. See, etc. He supposes the star to have appeared in the east the instant of Christ's birth, and the wizards or Magi to have set out at once. Like Spenser and others, he uses wizard in its original sense of wise man, sage: comp. Comus, v. 873. Oh! run, prevent them with thy humble ode, Have thou the honour first thy Lord to greet, From out his secret altar touched with hallowed fire. THE HYMN. I. It was the winter wild, While the heaven-born child All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies; Had doffed her gaudy trim, With her great Master so to sympathize. To wanton with the Sun her lusty paramour. II. Only with speeches fair She woos the gentle air To hide her guilty front with innocent snow, Pollute with sinful blame, The saintly veil of maiden-white to throw, 330 40 24. prevent, i.e. anticipate, prævenio; as in "preventing grace," "Prevent us, O Lord!" in the Liturgy. 27. angel quire sc. that the shepherds heard sing, Luke ii. 13. 28. "Then flew one of the Seraphim unto me having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar; and he laid it upon my mouth," Is. vi. 6. The Hymn. In the works of Torquato Tasso there is a "Canzone, Pel Presepio di nostro Signore nella Cappella di Sisto V. in S. Maria Maggiore." Many of the topics are the same as those in the present hymn; but no imitation can be supposed. While is a subst. signifying time, 30. While, i.e. when, or at the time. whence the expression the while, i.e. in the while, shortened to while, as meanwhile is, in the mean while or time. On the prosody of this line, in which 'born' is a dissyllable, see Life of Milton, p. 260. 33. trim, i.e. attire, dress. See on L'Allegro, v. 75. 35. It was, etc. For this love-union of the Earth and Sun, see on Eleg. v. 55. 37. Only, i.e. all she does is. 41. Pollute, i.q. polluted, with the usual apocope: see final note ii. on Par. Lost. i.; or formed from pollutus. 1 Confounded, that her Maker's eyes III. But he, her fears to cease, Sent down the meek-eyed Peace; She, crowned with olive green, came softly sliding His ready harbinger, With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing; And, waving wide her myrtle wand, She strikes an universal peace through sea and land. IV. No war or battle's sound Was heard the world around; The idle spear and shield were high up hung; Unstained with hostile blood; The trumpet spake not to the armed throng; As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by. V. But peaceful was the night, Wherein the Prince of Light 44. so near, i.e. he being so near. 50 60 We meet it 45. cease, i.e. to cause to cease; an unusual sense of this verb. however in Spenser, "Ne wote I how to cease it," Shep. Cal., March, v. 102. 47. sliding. See on Vac. Exercise, v. 4. 48. the turning sphere, i.e. the system of spheres caused to revolve by the Primum Mobile: see the Ptolemaic Astronomy in Life of Milton. 52. strikes, etc. Alluding to the effect of the stroke of the wand of a prophet, magician, etc. There can be no reference whatever to the ferire fœdus of the Latins, for that was done by the parties themselves. 55. idle, i.e. no longer in use, useless; idel, A.-S.; eitel, Germ.-hung up high. Probably alluding to the custom of hanging up arms, that were to be used no more, in temples: see Hor. Carm. iii. 26; Ep. i. 1, 4. 56. The hooked chariot, i.e. the scithed chariot, quadriga falcata. Spenser describes the Souldan's chariot as "With iron wheels and hooks armed dreadfully." F. Q. v. 8, 28.-K. 59. awful, i.e. full of awe or reverence. His reign of peace upon the earth began. Whispering new joys to the mild oceän, While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed wave. VI. The stars, with deep amaze, Bending one way their precious influence, For all the morning-light, Or Lucifer that often warned them thence; VII. And, though the shady gloom Had given day her room, The sun himself withheld his wonted speed; 70 65. whist, i.q. whisted (hushed) part. of old verb to whist or hist (I. Pens. v. 55). "The air is clear and southern winds are whist." Marlow, Dido.-T. Stanyhurst, as Warton observes, renders the intenti ora tenebant of Virgil by they whisted all.” 68. While, etc. It is to be recollected that the halcyon-days are in midwinter.-charmed, sc. by the wand of Peace. 71. one way, i.e. in one direction, sc. toward where the infant Deity lay. The meaning is that, according to the principles of astrology, there was no malign influence exercised: see on Par. Lost, x. 659. 73. For all, i.e. notwithstanding all the efforts of. It is still in use. 76. bespake, i.q. spake. Spenser makes continual use of this word, which is of the form of, bewail, bedew, begrudge, etc., which are slightly intensive. 77 seq." I saw Phœbús thrust out his golden head Upon her to gaze; But when he saw how broad her beams did spread It did him amaze. He blushed to see another sun below, Ne durst again his fiery face outshow." Spenser, Shep. Cal.iv.-B.W. 78. room, i.e. place: see on Vac. Exerc. v. 58. VOL. I. C And hid his head for shame, As his inferior flame The new-enlightened world no more should need; He saw a greater sun appear Than his bright throne or burning axletree could bear. Was kindly come to live with them below. Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep, 80 90 IX. When such music sweet Their hearts and ears did greet, Answering the stringed noise, As all their souls in blissful rapture took. The air, such pleasure loth to lose, 99 With thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly close. 81. As, i.e. as if; a frequent signification of this word in those times; it is a mere ellipsis. 82. new-enlightened, sc. by this Sun of Righteousness which had newly arisen on it. 86. Or ere, i.e. ere, before. It seems to be a reduplication. Though we adhere to the poet's own text we have however no doubt but that it should be or e'er, i.q. or ever, i.e. before ever (or is A.-S. áp, "before"). "And brake all their bones to pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den." Dan. vi. 24. 88. than, i.q. then: see Life of Milton, p. 384. 89. Pan. As this name signifies All, and, in the Old Testament, God i called the Shepherd of Israel, and religious teachers are termed Pastors, the poets thought themselves justified in using it as an epithet of the true God: comp. Spenser, Shep. Cal. May and July. 97. noise, i.c. symphony, concert: see on At a Solemn Music, v. 18. 98. As, i.e. so that it.-took. See on Vac. Exerc. v. 20. |