l MiltonasaRoyalist:`OntheM:orningofChrist'SⅣativity'andHisContemporaryChristmasPoemsWataruSasakawa

MJItonasaRoyaIISt:lont｢杷 MornlngOfChrlSt'sNativity'andHISContemporaryChristmasPoems

Mi l t onasaRoya li st :

̀ Ont heM: or ni ngofChr is t ' SⅣat i vi t y'andHi s Cont empor ar yChr is t masPoems

Wat ar uSas akawa

l

Asa Christian poet,John Milton isfamously known asa ProtestantwhosupportedtheCommonwealth ofEngland,relgned overbyOliverCromwell,andopposedthekingsoftheHouseof Stuart.Infact,thepoet,whenheservedasaforelgnSecretary,wr ote EfkonokIastes(1649),defendingtherigh teousnessoftheexecution ofCharlesI.Therefore,tracingback hispoliticalstatementsand careeraftertheend ofthe 1630S,Milton scholarshavehad a tendencytowardscriticismsemphasizingMiltonwasaradicalsince hisCambridgeyears.Underthistrend,Milton'scriticalattitude towardtheHighAnglicanChurchconductedbypro‑CatholicWilliam Laud hasoften been discussed alongwith Milton'shostilityto CharlesI,whotreatedtheclergyman preferentially.Scholarssuch asChristopherHill,MichaelWilding,andBarbaraK.Lewalskihave foregroundedMilton'srevolutionarycharacteristics･1Forexample, discussingMilton'S̀On theMorningofChrist'sNativity',Lewalski claimsMilton'SoppositionnotonlytotheLaudianChurchbutalso

Anearlierversionofthispaper,inJapanese,wasdeliveredatthe2ndAnnual MeetingortheMiltonAssociationofJapanheldatNihonUniversityon17 October2009.

IseechristopherHill,MiltonandtheErlglishRevolution(London:Faber,1977); MichaelWilding,DragonsTeeth:LiteratureintheEnglishReuolutioTl(Oxford:

0XrordUniversityPress,1987);BarbaraK.Lewalski,̀How RadialWasthe YoungMilton?',inMt'ltonandHeresy,ed.byStephenB.DobranskiandJohnP.

Rumrich(Cambrdige:CambridgeUniversityPress,1998),pp.49‑72.Seealso thenextnote.

33

ProjectPaperNo.26

totheHouseorStuart.

Milton setsChrist'spoweragainstwhatApollotheSun‑God hadcometosymbolizeasaprominenticonographicalsymbol ofRenaissancepopesandaggressiveVatican powerandasthe selトchosenemblem oftheStuartkings,JamesIandCharlesI. ManylmageSinMilton'sdescriptionsoftheseveralpagangods‥.

registertheheightenedconcernin1629overthèpopishidolatⅣ' whichLaud'ssteadilyincreasingpowerwasseentopromote･2

1tisappropriatetoreadtheemergenceofyoungMilton'sradicalism in hisearlyworksin termsofhishatred toboth idolatryand Catholicism,thelatterofwhichheseverelyattacksinhisearlyLatin poemsabouttheGunpowderPlot(1605)･

On thecontrary,recently somescholarswhohaverevised Milton'SearlybiographysuggesthisconseⅣative,notaradicalone.

Theyemphasizethepossibilitythathewasapro‑Carolineinthe 1620sandearly30S.ThomasN･CornsindicatesMiltonsharesmany poetictropesinhisearlyworkswithcontemporaryCavalierpoets,for example,andplacestheyoungpoetaround1630inaroyalistcircle･3

Also,CornsandGordonCampbell,intheirbiographyofthefuture poet,describearatherconseⅣativeMilton･4Moreover,AnnaBeerin herMilton'sbiographyclaimsMiltongrew upam ongmoderatefamily members.

2BarbaraK.Lewalski,TheLifeofJohnMilton,rev.edn(London:Blackwell, 2003),p.48.

3ThomasN･Corns,E"OntheMorningofChrist'SNativityn,uUponthe Circumcision

" ,

Coms(Oxfわrd:Blackwell,2001),pp･215‑31(pp･228‑30)･

4GordonCam pbellandThomasN.Coms,JohnMilton.･L,tfe,Worfc,andT710ught (Clarendon:Oxford,2008).

MiltonasaRoyalist:IontheMornlngOfChrist'sNatlVlty'andHisContemporaryChristmasPoems

John 【Milton】'sfather'sinvolvementwith theChapelofEase suggeststhattheMiltonswerenotanaggressivelyProtestant household andwerecomfortablewithin themainstream or LaudianChurchofEnglandpractice.Certainly,John'Spoetry from theseyearsgiveslittlehintofoppositiontotheestablished church.5

ItistruethatMiltonlaterturnsagainsttheAnglican Church,but atthattime,hescarcelyseemstoshow hisreluctancetoseⅣethe institution.Furthermore,asfわrhisroyalism,SarahKnightpointsout thefactthatMilton'stwoLatinpoems,'Naturam nonpatisenium' and̀DeideaPlatonica',Werewrittenfわraschooleventtowelcome thevisitofaFrenchAmbassadortoChrist'sCollegein1629;and therewasapossibilitythatthepoetwasdeeplylnVOlved ̀inthis royalistshowcase'･6Astheseexamplesshow,youngMiltonaround 1630,orwhenhewr otethearistocraticentertainmentslikeArcades (1633)andAMaskPresentedattheLudlowCastle(1634),thepoet doesnotshowhishostilitytotheHouseofStuart･7

Thispapermainlyexploressomeroyalistaspectsof̀On the MorningofChrist'sNativity.Compos'd1629'withthediscussionof itscontextinamanuscriptnamedTannerMS466,whichJames DougalFleminghasalreadyargued･8 Thisarticlestudiesthe manuscriptingreaterdetailandcomplementshisdiscussionwith someexamplesinsinuatingMilton'spanegyricforStuartKings.

5AnnaBeer,Milton:Poet,Pamphleteer&Patn'ot(London:Bloomsbury,2008),p.

57.

6SarahKnight,'RoyalMilton',Tis,5February2010,p.15.

7Asfわrananti‑protestantstudyonA肋 sk,seeKatsuhiroEngetsu,̀AMask:

TraditionandInnovation',inAConciseCompaniontoMt'ltoTl,ed.byAngelica Duran(London:Blackwell,2007),pp.11ト27.

8Jam esDougalFleming,̀Composing1629･,inMiltoTl,sLegacy,ed･byKristin A･PruittandCharlesW･Durham (Selinsgrove:SusquehannaUniversityPress, 2005),pp.149‑64.

35

ProjectPaperNo.26

Finally,italSodemonstratesthepossibilitythatoneofthemotifsin Milton'sOdeisdeeplyrelatedtopraisesofthenewlybornCharlesII, readingthemanuscriptwrittenbyaroyalistwhotranscribedsome ChristmaspoemsincludingMilton'sNativityOde.

2

0neday,aroyalistopened1645PoemswrittenbyMilton,who wasregardedasapam phleteerduetothefactthathehadalready publishedpoliticalarticlessuchasOfReformation(1641),Doctn'ne andDisciplineofDiuorce(1643),Areopagitica(1644)andsoon.The royalistwouldhighlyregardtheauthorasarefわrmerwhosupported theParliamentandlaterevenbecameadefenderofregicide.With regardtoMilton'sbiographicalcontext,Severalpoemsinthepoetical collectioncouldbepem sedinaradicalwayinthisperiod,asmany scholarsmaintain,andMilton'sOdemaybenoexception.

However,Wecanreadthecollection ofpoemsfrom thesame vleWPOintastheroyalistwouldhave.AsGraham Parryclaims,1645 PoeTTLSSeemsaVeryroyalistbook;thepoet'sfrontispleCePOrtraitby William Marshall̀showsusamanofindeterminateagewiththeair ofajadedCavalier'.9 Inaddition,thetitlepagetellsusthenam esof tworoyalists:OneisHenIY Lawes,whocomposedmusicfわrA肋 sk includedinthebook,andtheotherisaroyalistpublisher,Humphrey Moseley,whowroteadedication tothebook,inwhichhepraises Milton,comparingthenew poetwithEdmundWaller,aroyalistpoet. Readerswhoopened1645Poemscouldthinkofitsauthornotonly asarevolutionistbutalsoasaCavalierpoet.

Thereisanotherunexpectedrelation ofMilton andaroyalist, surroundingthepoeticalwork.Thereadermentioned in the

9Graham Parry,SeuenteeTlth‑CeTlturyPoetry:TheSocialContext(London Hutchinson,1985),p.188･

MiltonasaRoyallSt･̀ontheMorningofChrJSt'sNatlVity'andHisContemporaryChrlStmaSPoems

openingofthissectionisWilliam Sancroft;herefusedtoacceptthe

̀Engagement'(1649),therebywanderedabroad,butbecamethe 79thArchbishopofCanterburyaftertheRestoration.Thefactthat theArchbishop‑to‑bereadtheMilton'spoeticalcollectionisevident becauseheaddedpagenumberstohishand‑writtenelaboratetable orcontentstohisanthologyofpoems,now calledTannerMS466in theBodleian Library,allofwhichareChristian poems(fig.1)･

Sancrortconcludeshistranscribed anthology with four ChristmaspoemscelebratingJesus'snativity･Thefirstnativity poem is̀Caroll,SungtoHisMajestieonChristmasDay.1644'byroyalist MartinLluelyn;NextcomesanotherroyalistWilliam Cartwright'S̀On theNativity.FortheKing'sMusic',whichmighthavebeencomposed byLawes.Thethird pieceis̀Caroll,SungtoHisMajestieon ChristmasDay.1645'byLluelynagaln.Lastly,thereplacesMilton's NativityOde,whichalsofinishesthewholeanthology(fig.2).LOIn ordertoinvestigatebothliteraryreceptionsoftheBiblical episodeof Jesus'snativity initshistoriCal contextan dthepossibility ofMilton's royalism,letusfirstlookintothemanuscripttranscribedbythe royalist.

In thelightofChristmaspoems,Cartwright'snativitypoem followsthetraditional pattern.Severalmotifscanbefoundsuchas themusicofthespheres,thepeacecomingtotheearth,incarnated littleJesus,hisstablewithamanger,andsoon.Thebeginningor thepoem,forexam ple,describestheheavenlymusic.

Omn.eSHeark!

1.'TistheNuptialldayofHeav'n良Earth;

lolnthetableorcontents,thereplacesachapterfrom Ecclesiastesatthe end;but,asthepagenumbertells,Sancroftdidnotthinkitshouldbethe conclusionofthemanuscript.

37

ProjectPaperNo.26

2.TheFather'sMarrlage,良theSon'sblestBirth:

3.TheSpheresareglVenuSaSaRing;thatBliss, WhichwecallGraceisbuttheDeitie'sKiss,

Cft.An dwhatweenowdohearblestSpritssing, IsbutthehappyPo'sieofthatRing.

(1‑6)ll

Thecelestialmusic,which issaid to sound when Jesuswas incarnated on earth,hasbeen frequentlyreferredtoin nativity poems.Milton'SNativityOdealsoreferstotheheavenlymusicfrom stanza9to15,likethat̀suchharmonyalone/CouldholdallHeav'n andEarth in happierunion'(107‑8)and ThehelmedCherubim /AndswordedSeraphim,/‥ .【Harp】inloudandsolemnquire' (112‑15ト12ThemangerwhereJesusissleepingisanothercommon motifofChristmaspoems.AsCartwrightsings,̀1.BlestBabelThy BirthmakesHeavenintheStall;/2.AndweetheMangermayThy Altarcall'.Inlikemanner,Milton'sOdealsohasthemanger:̀the heaven‑born‑child/Allmeanlywrappedintherudemangerlies'(30‑

31トThisshowshecertainlysharestraditionalpoeticidiomswith Cartwright.

Lluelyn'sLCaroll,SungtoHisMajesticonChristmasDay,1644', which SancroftputonpaperbeforeCartwright'soffering,isquite unlqueinthewayorusingthesetraditionalmotifs.Healsobegins thecarolwithadescriptionofthemusicofthespheres.

llAllquotationsofCartwright'StontheNativity.FortheKing'sMusic'arefrom William Cartwright,Playsand Poems,ed.byG.BlakemoreEvans(Madison:

UniversityofWisconsinPress,1951),p.58.

12AllquotationsofMilton'S∫ontheMorningofChrist'sNativity'arefromJohn Milton,CompleteShorterPoems,ed･byStellaP･Revard,tranS･byLawrence Reward(Maiden,MA:Blackwell,2009),pp･16‑27･

MIItonasaRoyallSt ̀ontheMorning0fChTist'sNatIVIty■ard HisContemporaryChrIStmaSPoenlS

Hark!hark!theSphearesincitingnotes!

TheOrbsareSt…ngagaln.

Intelligencestunetheskie;

AndmaketheirJoumieHarmonie.

TheChembimsexalttheirthroats, AndalltheirMusicstrain:

TheAngelscluster, TheirVoicesmuster: AndintheirSeveral1Orderscrowd,

Amaz'dtosee TheDeitie.

Disguis'dan dmask'tinafraileshroud.

(1‑12)13

Although readerscan confirm again thecelestialmusicwas widelyemployedinYuletidepoems,hiscarolfわrthesavior'sdeliveⅣ abmptlyaユtersitstone.

See?him aGiddyRouthathfわund, AndbyhisCradlepast,

Andthisdescri'd,theynowhavebound Him tohisMan gerfast:

They丘Xeandchain Him tohislnneagaln.

HisAltarssinke,hisTempleslyH

(25‑32)

13AllquotationsofLluelym'scarolsarefrom MartinLluelyn,Men‑Miracles･tmth OtherPoems,2ndedn(1656),pp.106‑8.AlsoTannerMS466isreferred.

39

ProjectPaperNo.26

TheviolentactsofthèGiddyRout'areclearlyexpressedbytheuse ofsuchverbsas̀bind',̀丘Ⅹ',and̀chain'.Thecrowdmnsamokand nevershowsdeferencetothesaviorinthemangerthatCartwright comparesasThyAltar'.In thisway,Lluelyn'scarolmainlyputs emphasisontheferociousroutratherthanthecommendationfor littleJesus.

ThenwhyisJesusinthecarolilltreatedbytheroyalisthand?

Theansweriswellprovidedwhenreadersanallyreadontotheend ofthepoem.

Assist,assisthisRescuethen, 'GainstSacrileglOuSmen,

Andmaythosedayes,thathaveinCloudsbeenspent, Clearup,andboastbothhisandyourascent･

(49‑52)

A

lthough thenarratorkeepsusingonlythethirdpronountoinfan t Jesusuntiltheanalline,theapplicationofboththesecondandthe thirdsingularpronounstothelastlinemakesthepoem'stheme comprehensible.Lluelyn'smostimportantandappealingstatement toSancroftandcontemporalyreaderslieshere;thatis,theroyalist poetidentiaesKingCharlesI(asthecarolistilted̀HisMajestie')With theinfan tSavior.

ThenwhymustlittleJesusbeglVenaCarolwithathoroughly brutaltreatment?Thehintisintimatedintheyearwrittenin the title.Itwastheyear1644when Cromwell'sarmyandtheKing's werewagingfatalcombat,such asthebattleofMarston Moor(2 July),thatofLostwithiel(2August),an dthefightinginNewbury(27 October),allofwhichledtothedefeatoftheroyalists.Therefore,the expression,Yourascent',explicitlydenotesthepoet'sdesirethat

MiltonasaRoyallSt･̀ont｢eMoTnlngOfChrist'sNativity.andHisContemporaryChristmasPoems

KingCharlesImayrestorehisthroneandmleEnglandpeacefully.

ThethirdpieceinSan croft'sChristmassequence,'Caroll,Sung toHisMajesticonChristmasDay,1645',conveysfarmoregrleVOuS circumstances.Themusicofthespheresisnomoredescribednor evenmentionedinthesong.Moreover,theintrusiononthestable whereinfantJesusislyingishighlightedaswellastheprevious carolwhenan ungratefulcrowdrelated:

ButsomeintoyourPallacegat, Andrear'dathreateninghead,

Some,whom yourPastureshavemadefat, A

n dyourown Cribbehathfed.

TheBeastswhichtohiscradlecame, Thereathismangerstood;

Nottobuildtriumphsonhisshame, Buttoreceivetheirfわod.

(13‑22)

Noonepaysrespecttothemanger.Thosewhothrustthemselvesinto thestable,nam ely,thecourtoftheKing,mustbetheParliamentary army and aredehumanized ashungry beasts,lessrational existences.

Finally,Lluelynconcludesthecarolwithawell‑knownpunin ordertorecognizethekingshipofCharlesI.

ButastheTreasureintheMine, Istreasurestillthoughtrodde, SointhisCloudourSunyoushine,

̀̀AndGodinFleshwasGod.

41

ProjectPaperNo.26

ForGodandKingsarestillbeyondusplac't AndHigheststill,thoughne'resolow debas't.

(25‑30)

Itistruethatthissun‑Sonwordplayistooobviousandthatthe rhetoricorthewholecaroldoesnotseem sosophisticated.Whatis themostindispensableinLluelyn'Stwocarols,however,liesintheir brierannouncementoftheyears1644and1645suggestingcritical situations.Furthermore,placedbeforean dafterCartwrigh t'ssimple carol,hisunconventionalnativitypoemsrendertheirunlqueneSSand orlglnalitymoreoutstanding･Comparingthetwowriters'Yuletide poems,readersaswellasSan croftwouldlookbackonpeacefuldays whenKingCharlesIrelgnedEngland.

Thenwhendidthefutureecclesiasticcomposehismanuscript? AccordingtoL C･Martin,theyearwhen SancroftwroteTanner MS466inhisownhandwasestimatedataround1646to1651.14

Asthepagenumbersinthetitleofcontentstell,Sancroftactually transcribedeachpoem referringtoprintedmatter.Duetothefact thatthefirstLluelyn'spoeticalworkswerepublishedin1651,he wouldprobablyhavemadetheman uscriptafter1651,whenSan Croft hadalreadyexperiencedtheexecutionorKingCharlesI.Itwould beheartbreakingtoimaginethathetran scribedthepoemsafterthe regicide.Thus,Sancroft'San gerattheparliamentarian San dardent desirean dnostalgiafortheRestorationcouldman ifestthemselvesin thehistoricalcontextofcompilingthepoems･

3

TheninthissequenceofChristmaspoems,whatroledoesthe

'4RichardCrashaw,771ePoems:English,I,atfn,andGreekofRichaTd

C

MiltonasaRoyal)st:tontheMoTnin80fChrist'sNativity'andHisContemporaryChristmasPoems

Milton'sOdeplay?Thereisanotherdistinctivecharacteristicin Sancro打sChristmassequence:acontrastofthethreeyearsbetween Lluleyn'stwocarolsandMilton'sChristmasOde(fig3).Whilethe years1644and1645remindreadersoftheunfわrgettablybrutalacts duringtheCivilWar,thereferenceto1629Offerssuchpeacefuldays as和ledbyCharlesI.

1629istheyearnotonlyoftheKing'suntroubledgovernment butalsoofthebirthoftheroyalfamily'slong‑awaitedfirstchild.

CharlesI,whowascrownedon25March 1625,wasmarriedwith HenriettaMariaon llMayln thesameyear.Thecouplecould havealonged‑forchildin 1629,butthelittlelifesoonpassedaway becauseofthequeen'smiscarrlage,Whichdiscouragedthekingand hispeoplelookingfbIWardtoadestinedKing.However,thesadness wasshortlyreplacedbythedeliveryofthefutureKingCharlesIIon 29May1630.

Inordertocelebratethenativityofchildrenintheroyalfamily, therewerepublishedseveralpanegyrlCCOllectionsin 1630S.They include,forexample,Bn'tanniaenatalfs(1630),composedamong Oxfordcircles,whichcommemoratedthebirth ofCharlesII,Sol上s Bn'tanniciperigaem (1633)forthatofJamesII,FlosBritannt'cus uen'sr101ノissimi,jiliolaCarloetMan'aenata(1637),forthatofAnneof England,thoughshediedaprematuredeathbecauseoftuberculosis in 1640,etc.ThefirstanthologyIncludesCartwrigh t'sdebutpoem, inwhichaddressingCharlesI,thepoetrecognlZeSnewbornCharles IIasaGod'schildjustlikecontemporaryChristmaspoems:1nfan s dei/Verendegenitor,otium logum trahat/Sceptriquietum pondus, etcetra丘de/Secureregna'(Therespec帆llbegetterofaGod'schild, maydraw longleisure,keeparoyalstaff'sweigh t,relgnWithnocare etc'ト15ThesecondexamplealsoincludesCartwright'spiece,and

15BTitanniaeTlatalis(16301,p.46.Translationismine.

43

ProjectPaperNo.26

thethirddoesaswellasLluelyn'S.AsJamesLoxleyputsit,several a

n thologleSCOmPiledbyliterarycirclesfrom OxfordandCam bridge University contributedtotheconsolidationoftheroyal throne.16

AsCartwright'sLatin poem shows,theidentification oflittle CharlesIIwithJesusisaparticularlyfavoredtendency.Oneobvious exampleisseen in RobertHerrick'S̀PastoralUpon theBirth of Charles',which issaidtobewritten shortlybeforehereslgnedas DeanPrior.WhileAmintasandAmarillis,twoshepherdessestalking w

i theachother,Mirtillrocomestodeliveramessagefrom thecourt:

MiTl.But,dearAmintasandsweetAmarillis, Restbutawhilehere,bythisbankoflilies, Andlendagentleeartoonereport

ThecountIYhas.

Amt'n.From whence?

Amαr. From whence?

Mirt. TheCourt.

ThreedaysbefわretheshuttinglnOfMay‑ ･

Mt'rt.An dthathisbirthshouldbemoresingular Atnoonofdaywasseenasilverstar,

Brigh tasthewi semen'storch,whichguidedthem ToGod'ssweetbabe,whenbornatBethlehem;

Whilegoldenangels(somehavetoldtome) Sungouthisbirthwithheavenlyminstrelsy.

(9‑23)17

16JamesLoxley,RoyalismandPoetrym t7teEnglishCivilWars:T九eDrawn St〟ord(Basingstoke:Macmillan,1997ト

17RobertHerrick,ThePoemsofRoberlHerTick,ed.byL.C.Martin(London:

OxfordUniversityPress,1965),p･86･

MiJtonasaRoyallSt:̀ontheMorningofChrist'sNativJty'andHisContemporaryChristmasPoems

Herrickalsopresentsthemusicofthespheresthatwasuniversally acceptedsince1630,alongwithastarleadingthethreemagitothe SaVIOr.

Cartwright'SLatinpoem andcarolshareanemphasisonpeace.

ThenarratorhopesthattheHouseofStuartcouldruleEngland peacefullyboth domesticallyandabroad.In thissense,theidea thatChristcanbringpeacewouldappealnotonlytocontemporaIY poetsbutalsotoSancroft.Thecarolthatthetran scriberputintohis manuscriptlaysstressonJesus'sroleasapeaceharbinger.

1.WhilesGloⅣ thustakesFlesh,良th'Heav'nsarebow'd, MayweenotsayGodComesdowninaCloud?

2.PeacedropplngthusonEarth,GoodwillonMen, MayweenotsaythatMan nafallsagen?

Ch.AllWonders,weconfessarehis:

ButortheseWondersHethegreatestis.

(7‑12)

BehindtherelationofChrist'sbirthandthecomingofpeace,there isabiblicalprophesyoHsaiah2.4,whichproclaimsallwarswillend thankstothecomingoftheSavior.RecordingCartwright'spoem, Sancroftwouldexpressthesituationinthe1630swhentheCivilWar hadnotyetbrokenout,whileLluelyn'stwocarolssuⅣeydesperate a

n dunprecedentedsituationsbefallentothenationan dtheKing.

In Sancroft'smanuscript,Milton'SNativityOdeplaysarole ofputtingpeaceintowordsaswellasCartwright'spoem,forthe word̀peace'isrepeatedfivetimesthrough outMilton'SfirstEnglish poem･Theimageryisfirstemphasizedinthethirdstanza.Christ

̀sentdownthemeek‑eydPeace'(46),whòcrown'dwithOlivegreen' (47)and加avingwidehermyrtlewand'(51),̀strikesauniversall

45

ProjectPaperNo.26

Peacethrough SeaandLand'(52).Thereferencetooliveandpeace would straightfわrwardlyremindcontemporaryreadersnotonlyof thebiblicalpassagebutalsoofAeneas,whowithhiswandwaving proclaimstheendoftheTrojanWar.Moreover,theycouldvividly imagineSuchan allegoricalfigureofPeaceasdescribedin Cesare Ripa'sIcoTWlogt'a･18

Second,thesymbolisforegroundedbytheuseofabirdimagery royalistsoften employed.Thedescription ofpeacefulseawithitis oneexamplefわrMilton.

TheWindeswithwonderwhist, Smoothlythewaterskist,

WhisperingnewJOyeStOthemildOcean, Whonow hathquitefわrgottorave,

WhileBirdsofCalm sitbroodingonthecharmedwave.

(64‑68)

Aswellasthepersonified Peace,itisnotuncommon tousethe imageryofhalcyon,whichisliterarilysaidtoderivefrom Aristotle, PlinyandOvid.Ⅰtshouldbenotedthat,however,themetaphoris quitepolitical atthebeginningoftheseventeenthcentury.

Expressingpeacebytheuseofhalcyonisan ordinarywayto

18cesareRipa,Iconologia,Padua1611,ed.byStephenOrgel(NewYork:

Garland,1976),pp.399‑402.AlsoseeCesareRipa,BaroqueandRococo PictorialImagery,ed.byEdwardA.Maser(NewYork:Dover,1971),p.79.

Somescholarsclaim Lmeek‑eydPeace'conJureSuPthecourtmasques.SeeAnn BaynesCoiro,"̀Aballofstrife":CarolinePoetryandRoyal Marriage',inT九e RoyalImage:RepresentationsofCharlesI,ed.byThomasN.Corns(Cam bridge: CambridgeUniversityPress,1999),pp･26‑46(p･37);RaymondB･Waddington, EMiltonam ongtheCarolines',inTheAgeofMflton:Backgr10uTldstoSeuenteeTltf1‑ CenturyLiterature,ed.byC.A.PatridesandRaymondB.Waddington (Manchester:ManchesterUniversityPress,1980),pp.338‑64(p.344).

MJltonasaRoyallSt:■ontheMorningofChrjst'sNatlVlty.andHISContemporaryChristmasPoems

praiseoftheHouseofStuartfわrmanywriters^･19 RichardFanshawe, apoetborn in thesameyearasMilton,studiedinJesusCollege, Cambridgeand penned ̀OdeUpon Occasion ofHisMajesties Proclamation in theyeare1630',contrastingpeacefulEnglandwith continentalcountriesinvolvedintheThirtyYears'War･

OnelytheIslandwhichweesowe (Aworldwithouttheworld)sofarre From presentwounds,itcannotshow

Anancientskarre.

WhitePeace(thebeautifl'Stofthings) Seemsherehereverlastingrest ToaX,andspreadsherdownywings

Overthenest.

(33‑40)20

Theconnection orpeaceandhalcyon broughttoreaders'mindthe halcyon daysofCharlesI.EvenbeforeFanshawe,Poetsoftenused themythologlCalbird asa symboloftranquilsovereignty;Giles Fletcher,forinstance,writesinChn'stsTn'umphAjterDeatft,̀in the mid'stofNeptunes,angrietide,/OurBritainIsland,liketheweedie nest/ortm eHalcyon,onthewavesdothlie'(part4,stanza21).21As forMilton'sOde,KarenEdwardsclaimsthathishalcyon 'resiststhe

19Asforthe1630S,courtpoemsstating̀TheHalcyonDays,,seeC･V･

Wedgwood,PoetryandPoliticsundertfleStuarts(Cambridge:Cambridge UniversityPress,1960),pp･34‑70･

20RichardFan shawe,ShorterPoemsandTranslatio'ISOfRichardFanshawe,2 vols,ed.byPeterDavidson(Oxford:C1arendonPress,1997),I,p.56.

21meworksoftheBTitishPoets:With&efaces,Biographicala'ldCritical,vol.4, ed.byRobertAnderson(Arch,1795),p.41.

47

PrqjectPaperNo.26

meaningthatCarolinecourtculturehadbythenclaimedfわrit'･22If focusingontheroleofthethreepoemswi ththeexceptionofMilton'S, however,readerswouldbeconfidentthatthereisnochoicebut toreadMilton'SOdeasapraiseoftheHouseofStuart,andinthe context,thehalCyonintheOdeperformsthefunctionofapan egyrlC asseeninthebeginningofthecentury.Sancroftcertainlyknew how thebirdimageryhadbeenusedinroyalistpoetry.

4

San croft'Sreadingsmaybebiasedfrom aroyalistviewpoint,or ratheritmightbeassumedthatthemoderateroyalistwouldturnto accounttheNativityOdebyMilton,whowasanecessarymember ortheCommonwealth.Theardentroyalistjuxtaposesthefour Christmaspoemswith theperiodofthehalcyon daysandthatof theCivilWar.ThenwoulditbethatreadingMilton'SOdeasaroyal genethliacwasnothingbutarbitraⅣ becausethetitlehastheyear

1629,not1630whentheinfan tkingwasborn?

Itispossibletoestimatesomeprobabilities,however,that Milton'sOdecomprlSeSthepraiseoftheroyalbirth although the title'syearisnotwhen theCharlesIIwasborn.Asstatedin the previoussection,1629wastheyearwhen HenriettaMariabore an abortivechild,and alsowhen an olivebranch wasofferedto EnglandandFrance.AccordingtoFleming,poemscirculatedh 1629 inscribedthetrucebetween thetwocountriesachievedthanksto theabortivechild･23Thatis,thefutureKing'sbirthinthenextyear

bearsclosetieswiththechild'sdeathinthepreviousyear.Therefわre, ifpeaceintheHouseorStuartmentionedin Sancroft'swriting,the year1629isnotirrelevanttonarratethereminiscenceorpeacethat

22KarenEdwards了Milton'sReformedAnimals:AnEarlyModernBestiaryH‑K', Mt'lton伽arterly41(2007),791147(pp･81‑82)･

23Fleming,pp･158‑59･

MiltonasaRoyaIISt･一〇ntheMornlngOfChrist'SNativjty'andHisContemporaryChristmasPoems

wasdestroyedduringtheCivilWar･

Theyear1629ishighlypoliticalinthissense.Theyearembraced inthetitleofMilton'sOdehasbeen discussed,in oneway,asit presentsthepoet'smentaldevelopmentfrom thetimewhen he began towritethefirstEnglishpoem,fortheOdewasplacedatthe beginningof1645Poems.Withthisunderstanding,thepoem has beenconsideredtoexpressMilton'sprematureskillfulnessasapoet, likeJesusportrayedintheOde一iesyetinsmilinginfan cy'(151)･In contrasttosuchbiographicalreading,nevertheless,theyearcanbe interpretedinapoliticalway.Theyoungpoetwouldknow how much politicalchoosingthethemeofChrist'snativitycouldbe･Fleming explainstheatmosphereofthetimewhen Milton publishedhis poetical collection1645Poems.

Itlmid‑seventeenth‑centuryChristmaspoetry]isaconservative, arch‑royalist,nostalgic,andreactionary;itisLaudian,ultra‑

Caroline,deaant,andanti‑Puritan.Thisisthegenerichomeof Milton'S̀ontheMorningofChrist'sNativity'･Appearingatthe bookseller'sinJanuary 1646,thepoem isanagrantmotein theeyeofPuritananti‑festivalism.Giventhenostalgicheading

̀compos'd1629',itrecallsthesycophanticdiscourseofCaroline christmasgenethliaca‑ ‑24

Whatis̀conservative,archィoyalist,nostalgic,and reactionary' isdistinguishedthrough thejuxtaposition ofthetitlesSancroft transcribed.Theyears1644and 1645enhance1629allthemore, Onlyifeachtitleglancedthrough.Thoughtakingintoconsideration aroyalistview,StellaP.Revardinterpretstheimportanceofthe year1629asthetimewhen Charlesldissolvestheparliament

24Fleming,p･155･

49

ProjectPaperNo.26

andbeganhisPersonalRule,whichPuritanscriticizedseverely･25 Itisalsopossibleforreaderstoreadthepoem,however,notfrom thestandpointofapuritanorparliamentarian,butfrom onewho wasfamiliarwiththeAnglicanChurchandwasasupporterofthe Stuarts.Thus̀OntheMorningofChrist'sNativity･Compos'd1629'is akindoraroyaloccasionalpoem likeA肋 sk,whichcelebratesthe EarlofBridgewater'saccessiontoPresidentoftheCouncilofWales.

Accordingtothepro‑Stuartreading,1629isasymbolicyearboth whenanewlyborn childwasbroughtandwhenthepeacefulrule began･

Then isitpossibletotraceanotherexamplein theOdethat Miltonhimselfshowssympathywiththenewlybornking?Thehint a

lsoliesinthereferencetothechan geinheavenlybody,especiallyto themusicofthespheres,aswehavealreadyseen･Thereis,however, anotherexampleconcemingtheheavenlychange･

Thestarwhich leadsthethreemaglin Herrick'spoem isnot justastorybasedon theBiblebutalsohistoricalfact･Thereis documentedevidencethatCharlesIIwasborn on 29May 1629, between which asolareclipseobservedon the 16th andalsoa lunaroneon 29thofMay.Aswegaveseen,Herrickidentifiesthe appearanceofthecelestialwonderintheyearasthatreferredand obseⅣedingospelsonthetimewhenJesuswasborn･InhisTothe New‑BonePrinceUpontheApparitionofaSta∫r,andtheFollowing Ecclypse',Richard Corbett,aroyalistpoet,aswellasHerrick, congratulatestheeventasamiraclehappeningatthebirthofthe newprlnCelikethatoり esus･

25stellaP.Revard,MiltonandtheTa'lglesofNeaera'sHair:TheMakingoftfw 1645Poems(Columbia:UniversityofMissouriPress,1997),p.79.

MiltonasaRoyallSt･'ontheMomln80fCh(ist'sNatlVity'andHisContemporaryChrIStmaSPoems

Andwas'tthatnewsthatmadepaleCynthiarun lnsogreathasttointercepttheSunn;

Andenviously,sosheemightgalneThysight, Woulddarkenhim from whomesheehadherlight? Mysteriousprodigies,yetsure,theybee,

PrognosticksofarareprosperityH

(ll‑16)26

Countingonthebiblical reference,asAnnBaynesCoiroargues,the twocourtpoetsinterpretedcelestialchangesasafortunateevent, thecomingofanew King･27

1tisimportanttokeep ln mind thatthereareheavenly phenomenaatthebeginningofMilton'sOde,whichwouldcertainly remindreadersoftheeclipses.

Ⅵ . TheStarswithdeepamaze StandaXtinstedfastgaze,

Bendingonewaytheirpretiousinfluence, Andwi11nottaketheirnight,

Forallthemorninglight,

OrLuciferthatoftenwarn'dthem thence;

ButintheirglimmeringOrbsdidglow,

UntilltheirLordhimselfbespake,andbidthem go.

ⅤⅠⅠ. Andthoughtheshadygloom

26RichardCorbett,T71ePoemsofRt'cfⅦrdCorbett,ed.byJ.A.W.BennettandH R.Trevor‑Roper(Oxford:C1arendonPress,1955),p.84.

27coiro,p･37･

51

ProjectPaperNo.26

Hadgivendayherroom,

TheSunhimselfwith‑heldhiswontedspeed, Andhidhisheadforsham e,

Ashisinferiourflam C,

Thenew‑enlighten'dworldnomoreshouldneed;

Hesaw agreaterSunappear

ThenhisbrightThrone,orburningAxletreecouldbear.

(69‑84)

DouglasBushan dA.P.Woodhouseintheircommentarypointout, ontheonehand,thatMiltonfollowsprecedentliteraryexamples recountingtheheavenlyoccurrenceonthebirthofJesusasseenin writingofEdmundSpenserandhagiography･280mtheotherhand, Sancroft'sreadingofMilton'sOdeasa 1629'soccasionalpoem proclaimingpeacebrough tbytheHouseofStuartnotifiesreaders toreadthestanzasin suchawayasthoseofHerrickandCorbett･ However,thereisacontradictionbetweentheyear1629inthetitle andtheyearoftheactualeclipses,soMiltonscholarshavenotfairly linkedthedescriptionsoftheheavenlybodyin Milton'SOdewith theactualcelestialphenomena.Thisdrivesreaderstothequestion whetheritispossibletobuildupthehypothesisthatMiltonhimself reallywroteintheactualeventsin theNativityOde,likeroyalist poetsandSancroft,whoconsideredthetwoyearshadunbroken continuitybetweentheyearsofthebirthoftheabortivechildandthe futureKing.

Therearetworeasonswhyscholarshavenotcorrelatedthe Ode'sdelineation ofstarsandplanetswith therealeclipses･The f

irstreasonliesin,needlesstosay,thedifferenceinyearsbetween 28DouglasBushandA.P.Woodhouse,A VarionLTnCommeTltaTyOnthePoemsof JofmMilton,volum e2,part1(London:RoutledgeandKegn Paa ul,1972),pp.66168･

MiltonasaRoya一ist:●ontheMorningofChrist'sNativity.andHisContemporaryChristmasPoems

thetitleandtherealeclipses.TheotherisMilton'scommentonthe NativityOdefoundinElegfaseヵaaddressedtoCharlesDiodati,one ofMilton'sclosestfhends.

Isingofthepeace‑bringingkingofheaven'sseed,theluckyages promisedin sacredbooks,an dtheinfan tcriesofGod,stabled inapoorhouse,whoinhabitstheheavenlykingdomswithhis father‑thenew starborninheaven,thethrongsinglnginthe air,thegodsthatinstantshatteredintheirshrines.Indeedwe gavethesepresentsforChrist'sbirth,thoseonesdawn'sfirst lightcarriedtome･29

TheletterhasbeenprovidingcogentevidencethatMiltonpenned iontheMorningofChrist'sNativity'in 1629Christmasseason,an d numerousscholarsacceptthisstatementasahardfactthathe composeditinthatyear.

Thereisareason,however,whyweshouldreseⅣeourjudgment thattheyearwhenthepoetmadeuptheOdeshouldbelimited onlyto 1629.For,asthelettertells,hecommentsontheOdein thepresenttenseanddoesnotmention thathehascompletedit anywhereelse.Furthermore,theOde'sdescription oftherainbow in stanza 15in 1645Poemsslightlychangesin 1673Poems.The factconclusivelyindicatesherevisedthepoem after1645Poems hadpublished;therefore,Miltoncouldpotentiallytakeuphispen sometimesaftertheChristmastidein 1629.Ifso,theyoungpoet mighthavewatchedtheeclipsesin 1630withasenseofwonderand celebratedtheadventoftheKingtocome.ⅠnInQuintum NouembTis (1626),MiltoncertainlyanticipatesthemlebytheHouseofStuart

29Milton,pp･182‑85･

53

ProjectPaperNo.26

asfollows,'Arrivingfrom thefarnorth,piousJamesheldTeucer's childrenan dthewide‑rn gia ngrealmsofAlbion'ssons....peaceful, happyandrich,hesatonhisnew throne'.30Evena洗erhestartedto writepamphletsattackingtheAnglicanChurchin1640S,hedoesnot a

lwaysdenythemonarchyitself.Around 1629,Miltonwouldtake upthepositionthatheisaroyalistorrathertrytomakehisfirst appearanceasapoetbyshowingthathesharesthesamebiblical episodefavoredbyroyal poetsinhistime.

S

Theyear1629recallseveryreaderduringtheCivilWartothe halcyondays,asSancroft'stran scriptionconvincinglydemonstrates.

HemusthavereadwhatFatefわretellsinstanza16intheOdeasthe prophesyoftheRestoration;also,hemusthaveidenti丘edthepagan godsbehindtheapocalypticimageⅣ a洗erstanzas17withtherout assaultingJesusinLluelyn'scarols.Oneoftheprecedentmodels Milton followsisVirgil'sTheFourthEclogue,which enlgmatically anticipatesthebirthofasavior･31JustastheLatinpoem wasread overasapropheticpoem foretellingJesus'sbirthinlateryears,so Milton'S'OdeontheMorningofChrist'sNativity'asapanegyricto theKingbySancroft,although Milton duringthewartimemight havethoughthis丘rstEnglishpoem asacomingofanew rulerlike OliverCromwell.Accordingtotheradicalwayofreadingthepoem by Revard,eventhoughtheyear1629symbolicallyexpressestheblame fordissolvingtheparliament,evensomeroyalistsearnestlywi shfor peaceinEnglan d,asCorbetttellsThatPeace,richwarlickPeace,Ⅰ

30Ibid･,pp･210‑11･

31JohnMartinEvans,forexample,pointsoutsimilaritiesanddifferences betweenthem,thoughhereadsMilton'sOdefrom thestandpointofpuritan poetry.SeeJohnMartinEvans,TheMt'ltonicMoment(Lexington:TheUniversity PressofKentucky,1998),pp.18‑34.

MlltonasaRoyalist:̀ontheMornlngOfChrl'st'sNatJVtty'andHisContemporaryChristmasPccms

meaneConsent/BetweenetheClosetandtheParliament'(19‑20)in his･OntheBirthofPrinceCharles'･32Thisexam pledoesnotman ifest thatallroyalistscompletelyapprovedofCharlesI'sPersonalRule.

Thus,eventhoughMiltonheldwiththeparliamentaround 1629,it hasnotbeenestablishedthathewassucharadicalProtestantashe wasa洗erthelate1630S.

ThereisoneimportantchangeintheOdebetween 1645PoeTnS and 1673Poems.ThelatereditiondoesnothaveLCompos'd 1629' inthetitle(fig4and5).IfMiltonwantedtoconveyhisgrowthasa poetthroughwritingtheyear̀1629'intheOde'Stitlearrangedat thebeginningofhisfirstpoeticalwork,hewouldnothaveneeded todeleteit.AsFlemingputsit,Milton musthaveknown how therepresentation ofthenostalgicyearremindedreadersofthe peacefuldaysduringthePersonalRule,sohecouldhaveeditedit out･Sancroft'smanuscriptdemonstratesthatseveralroyalpoets politicallyemployabiblicalepisodeofJesus'sbirth,andMilton belongedtothecirclesharingthetraditionalmotif,though the meaninghasbeenreconstructedafter1629.

32corbett,p･85･

55

ProjectPaperNo.26

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MiltonasaRoyalist:̀ontheMorningOfChrl'st■sNativlty'andHl‑SContemporaryChristmasPoems

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l触 れ船 外 〆 蜘 .

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Fig.3.ThebeginningofLluelyn'stwocarolsandMilton'sOde.

57

ProjectPaperNo.26

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Fig.5.Thetitleof'OntheMom ingofChrist'sNativity'in 1673Poems･