Notes on Milton's Nativity Ode. 343 



these spheres, and dependent partly upon the distance between 

 the spheres, and partly upon their relative velocities of rotation, was 

 originated by Pythagoras. The earliest definite theory, recorded 

 by one Nicomachus, of about the middle of the second century 

 A.D. {Enchirid. Harm., ed. Meibom, p. 33), supposes an interval 

 of a semitone between Mercury and the sun, and another between 

 Jupiter and Saturn, the rest of the intervals being whole tones. 

 The planets are seven (covniting the sun as onej. The lowest note 

 is assigned to Saturn, and the highest to the moon. By adding the 

 earth at the one extremity, and the heaven of the fixed stars at 

 the other, and by postulating difi"erent intervals from those of 

 Nicomachus, Censorinus {De Die Nat., A.D. 238, chap. 13: cf. 

 Pliny, H.N. 2. 22. 20) finds that the sum of all the inter\als con- 

 stitutes a diapason, or octave. Plato {Timceus, p. 35), followed by 

 Cicero (Sonin. Scip., chap. 5; De Nat. Dcor. 3. 11) has still another 

 scheme. 



P3'thagoras, believing that he alone comprehended this celestial 

 music, taught his pupils to imitate it with harp and voice. Hence 

 Cicero tells us {Somn. Scip.) : ' Some learned men, by imitating this 

 harmony with strings and vocal melodies, have opened a way tor 

 their return to this place [heaven].' 



Plato {Rep., Bk. 10, p. 617), in his myth of Er, conceives of circles, 

 rather than spheres ; and with him the music is produced by sirens 

 (cf. Milton, Arc. 64 ff.) : ' Aloft upon each of the circles of the 

 spindle is mounted a siren, which goeth round with her circle, 

 uttering one note at one pitch ; and the notes of all the eight to- 

 gether do make one melody.' Others have distributed the nine 

 muses to the various spheres (Plutarch, Synip., Bk. 9 ; Martianus 

 Capella, De Nnpt. Phil. 1. 27, 28). Cf. Dekker, quoted in Park's 

 Heliconia 3. 447 : 



Bridegroome of morning, dayes eternall king, 



To whom nine Muses (in a sacred ring) 



In daunces sphericall, trip hand in hand. 



Whilst thy seaven-stringed lute theyr feete commaund ; 



Whose motion such proportioned measure beares, 



That to the musicke daunce nine heavenl}' spheares. 



Cf. Lydgate, Reson and Sensuallyte, ed. Sieper, 276-282. Add 

 Drummond {Muses' Library 1. 34—5) : 



Of quiristers, more sweet than lute or voice 

 (For those harmonious sounds to Jove are given 

 By the swift touches of the nine-string'd heaven). 



