ies. The last two
spheres contain no stars.

We see, then, what we must understand by the oft-recurring _spheres_ in
Milton's poetry. In the line, _Down through the turning sphere_, however,
the singular _sphere_ is obviously used to mean the whole aggregate of
spheres composing the starry universe.

50. With turtle wing. With the wing of a turtle-dove.

56. The hooked chariot. War chariots sometimes had scythes, or hooks,
attached to their axles. See 2 Maccabees XIII 2.

60. sovran. Milton always uses this form in preference to _sovereign_.

62. the Prince of Light. Note the corresponding epithet applied to Satan,
Par. Lost X 383.

64. The winds, with wonder whist. The word _whist_, originally an
interjection, becomes an adjective, as here and in The Tempest I 2 378.

66. Make three syllables of Oceaen, and make it rhyme with _began_.

68. birds of calm. The birds referred to are doubtless halcyons. Dr.
Murray defines halcyon thus: "A bird of which the ancients fabled that it
bred about the time of the winter solstice in a nest floating on the sea,
and that it charmed the wind and waves so that the sea was specially calm
during the period; usually identified with a species of kingfisher, hence
a poetic name of this bird."

71. their precious influence. The word _influence_ is originally a term
of astrology,--"a flowing in, or influent course, of the planets; their
virtue infused into, or their course working on, inferior creatures"
(Skeat, _Etym. Dict._).

73. For all the morning light. As in Burns's "We dare be poor for a'
that," _for_ meaning in spite of.

74. Lucifer. See Par. Lost VII 131-133.

81. As, for _as if_.

86. Or ere the point of dawn. The two words _or ere_ mean simply
_before_, as in Hamlet I 2 147, "A little month, or ere those shoes were
old." _The point of dawn_ imitates the French _le point du jour_.

88. Full little thought they than. _Than_ is an ancient form of _then_,
not wholly obsolete in Milton's day.

89. the mighty Pan. The poet takes the point of view of the shepherds and
uses the name of their special deity.

95. by mortal finger strook. Milton uses the three participle forms,
_strook, struck_, and _strucken_.

98. As all their souls in blissful rapture took. The verb _take_ has here
the same meaning as in Hamlet I 1 163, "no fairy takes nor witch hath
power to charm." Thus also we say, a vaccination takes.

103. Cynthia's seat. See Penseroso 59, and Romeo and Juliet