Notes on Milton's Nativity Ode. 315 



Mooch- (Cambridge edition of Milton, p. 6) says that lines 22 and 23 

 ' seem . . . certainl}^ caught from ' Fletcher's Christ's Victory and 

 Triumph ; but the ' wizards ' are there called ' sophies.' 



According to the orthodox view, it was about two years after 

 the birth of Christ when the wise men came to Bethlehem. The 

 notion, which gained wide currenc}^ that they came immediately 

 after His birth, was that of heretics and writers of apocr3'pha. But 

 now and again the orthodox Fathers would forget themselves. Thus 

 Epiphanius, in his treatise on various heresies, after professing the 

 orthodox view (chap. 51), relapses into the popular conception near 

 the end of his work. Cf. Stuhlfauth, Die E)igcl in der Altchristlichen 

 Kunst, pp. 208—9. Milton adheres to this view in his later poems. 

 Thus P.L. 12. 360-2: 



yet at his birth a star, 

 Unseen before in heaven, proclaims him come. 

 And guides the eastern sages. 



P.R. 1. 249-50: 



A star, not seen before, in heaven appearing, 

 Guided the Wise Men thither from the east, 



where ' thither ' means ' to the manger.' 



haste. This is introduced to motivate lines 24 and 26. 



odors sweet. Not ' frankincense and m3Trh ' (Verity, Lockwood), 

 but frankincense alone, which Milton (P.L. 12. 363; P.R. 1. 251) 

 calls ' incense.' 



prevent. Forestall. In this sense also in Ps. 88. 56 : 



And up to thee my prayer doth hie 

 Each morn, and thee prevent, 



where the Authorized Version also h3.s prevent: 'and in the morning 

 shall m}' prayer prevent thee.' Other instances may be found in 

 the English Bible. 



ode. Later called ' hymn.' 



25. lowly. In two successive lines Milton has two of the three 

 words used in the Prayer Book : ' with an humble, lowly, and 

 penitent heart.' Here, however, lowly is an adverb. 



blessed feet. Perhaps a reminiscence of vShakespeare, / Henry IV 

 1. 1. 25. 



27. quire. Cf. P.L. 12. 366-7: 



They gladh' thither haste, and by a quire 

 Of squadroned angels hear his carol sung; 



