314 Albert S. Cook, 



Met. 1. 73: 



Astra tenent caeleste solum formaeque deorum. 

 Fast. 3. 111-2: 



Libera curreljaiit et inobservata per annum 

 Sidera ; constabat sed tauien esse deos. 



The belief as to the influence of the stars upon human affairs held, 

 for example, by Dante, deserves mention in this connection. 



keep watch. Cf Milton's master, Spenser, F.Q. 2. 8. 2. 6-7 : 



They for us fight, they watch and dewly ward. 

 And their bright squadrons round about us plant. 



Verity comj^ares Vac. Ex. 40, ' the spheres of watchful fire ' ; Com. 

 113, 'in their nightly watchful spheres,' and El. 5. 38, ' excubias 

 agitant sidera.' Add P.L. 9. 156; 11. 128, etc. 



squadrons bright. Cf. P.L. 4. 977, ' the angelic squadron bright ' ; 

 6. 16, ' embattled squadrons bright ' ; 1. 356 ; 4. 863 ; 12. 367. Perhaps 

 from Drummond of Hawthornden, Hymn of the Ascension 103—4 : 



And, arched in squadrons bright, 

 Greet their great Victor in his Capitol. 



But cf. above, under keep ivatcli, the quotation from Spenser. 

 Thus Claudian employs acies iProb. et Olyb. 22—3) : 



Hand secus ac tacitam Luna regnante per Arcton 

 Siderecv cedunt acies. 



And thus Prudentius em\)\oys globus {Cath. 12. 30;: 



Quod ut refulsit, ceteri 

 Cessere signorum globi. 



Sannazaro has a more detailed description [De Partu Virg. 1. 20—23) : 



Quam mille acies, quaeque aetheris alti 

 Militia est, totidem currus, tot signa, tubeeque, 

 Tot litui comitantur, ovantique agmina gyro 

 Adglomerant. 



23. wisards. Wise men. This is the very word which Sir John 

 Cheke employs in rendering Matt. 2. 2 ; his use may have guided 

 Milton (see his Sonn. 11. 12). Spenser, as has frequently been noted, 

 also employs the word: Hymn Heav. Beauty 168; F.Q. 1. 4. 12; 

 3. 1. 16; 4. 12. 2; see esp. F.Q. 5. hit. 8. 1-2: 



And if to those ^gy]3tian wisards old, 



Which in star-read were wont have best insight. 



