XII. — Notes on Milton's Ode on the Morning of Christ's Nativity. 



(L. ^= Lockwood, Lcxico)! to the English Poetical Worlds of John Millon.) 



1 . This the happy morn. Perhaps a reminiscence of Drummond 

 of Hawthornden, 'Phcebus, arise' 15 {Muses' Library 1. 70j : 'This 

 is that happy morn.' But see also Spenser, F.Q. 4. 2. 41 : 



Borne at one burden in one happie morne; 

 Thrise happie mother, and thrise happie morne. 



Cf. 167, ' from this happy day.' 



2. Son of Heaven's eternal King. Cf. ccelesti seniine Regem, 

 El. 6. 81, quoted in note on 19. 



3. virgin mother. P.L. 12. 368: 'a Virgin is his mother';. 

 P.L. 12. 379: 'Virgin Mother, hail!' Add P.R. 1. 134, 138, 239; 

 4. 500; N.O. 237. 



4. did bring. For the sake of the rime ; cf. 5, 75, 94. 



5. holy sages. The Hebrew prophets. Cf. P.L. 12. 243; P.R. 

 3. 178; 4. 502-3. 



6. deadly forfeit. Deadly in the sense of ' causing death ' (L.) ; 

 forfeit, 'penalty for trespass.' P.L. 3. 221 has deadly forfeiture. 

 For the thought, cf. P.L. 3. 202 ff. ; 12. 395-429. See such Biblical 

 passages as Ps. 49. 7; Mk. 8. 37; 10. 45; and such discussions as 

 that in Hastings' Diet. Bible, s. v. Ransom. 



release. ' Remit ' ( L.). 

 The 'Lord General Fairfax' (1612-1671) to whom Mikon address- 

 ed a sonnet has an unpubhshed poem, To the Holy Ghost (MS. 

 Fairfax 40), a copy of which I have been permitted to see, through 

 the courtesy of my colleague, Professor E. B. Reed. Line 24 speaks 

 of Christ in heaven as planning 



T' Release the Forfeit and pay the Debt. 



This looks as though Fairfax had our line in mind. 



7. with. Like Lat. apud; cf. apud Pat rem. 



work us a perpetual peace. With work . . . peace Verity com- 

 pares Shakespeare, Temp. 1. 124, ' if you can . . . work the peace,' etc. 

 For the phraseology, as well as the thought, cf. Eph. 2. 15, 16; 

 Col. 1. 20. 



