{"id":61,"date":"2015-11-10T17:16:29","date_gmt":"2015-11-10T17:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newellpoems.library.okstate.edu\/?page_id=61"},"modified":"2017-08-29T18:48:57","modified_gmt":"2017-08-29T18:48:57","slug":"christmas-day-x","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/newellpoems.library.okstate.edu\/index.php\/christmas-day-x\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Day X"},"content":{"rendered":"

X
\nWhen great events occur, or only such
\nAs do concern our selves, we think not much
\nTo print their memories upon that day,
\nYearly wherein they happen, that it may
\nBecome a living History, and tell
\nTo after ages what long since befell
\nBut this great Day\u2019s Inscription doth out-vie
\nAnd silenceth all other historys,
\nIt bears the memory of that great day
\nUnder this curse of God, th\u2019 Eternal Word1<\/a> <\/sup><\/a>
\nDid here assume our flesh, and nature\u2019s Lord
\nSubscribe to nature\u2019s laws, is born and Dyes
\nTo refuse us that were his Enemys
\nImmanuel\u2019s birth2<\/a> <\/sup><\/a>, the day spring from on high,
\nThough glimmering before in propheits,
\nAnd swadled up in-types so many years
\nNow dawns, and like the morning doth appear,
\nA new unheard of Hesperus3<\/a> <\/sup><\/a>, a star,
\nThis Rising sun to usher, and prepare
\nMens minds with wonder, is design\u2019d and sent
\nInto the East: The Wisemen saw, and went
\nTo Bethle\u2019m4<\/a> <\/sup><\/a>, where their tribute they do pay
\nUnto the prince of peace who thought he Lay
\nMeanly Inthron\u2019d, yet majesty divine
\nThough all those veils of poverty did shine
\nAnd now, as by the guidance of a star,
\nThe Eastern Wisemen thus conducted are
\nTo Jacob\u2019s star5<\/a> <\/sup><\/a>; so this great news is sent
\nTo meany men, by means more eminent:
\nThe birth of Israels shepherd yet unknown
\nTo simple shepherds by angel\u2019s flown
\nAnd while the shepherds watch their sheep the night
\nTo entertain this news by heaven\u2019s light
\nIs chang\u2019d to day and a celestial quire
\nOf heavenly citizens, who no less admire
\nThe news then they, to whom they tell it, sing
\nThe happy tidings of this new born king
\nGlory to God on high, on the earth peace
\nTo men, their comfort and their hopes in crease
\nAnd ever blessed by thy glorious name
\nO thou eternal, that contriv\u2019d this frame
\nOf wonder, and of Love, to send thy son
\nPartaker of our nature to become,
\nThat thy lost creatures may become partakers
\nBy him of light and glory with their maker<\/p>\n

By Sir Matthew Hale (As transcribed from Elizabeth Newell’s manuscript)<\/p>\n

Footnotes<\/strong>
\n<\/a>1<\/sup> From the gospel of St. John 1:14- \u201cAnd the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and trueth.” (1611 King James Bible<\/em>) Back to text.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>2<\/sup> From Isaiah 7:14- \u201cBehold a Virgine shall conceive and beare a Sonne, and shall call his name Immanuel.\u201d (1611 King James Bible<\/em>). This was widely believed to prophesize the birth of Christ since the name Immanuel means \u201cGod is with us.\u201d Back to text.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>3<\/sup> Hesperus was the son of Eos in Greek mythology, who is the embodiment of the evening star otherwise known as the planet Venus (Greek and Roman Mythology<\/em> by Malcolm Couch) Back to text.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>4<\/sup>From Luke 2:15- \u201cAnd it came to passe, as the Angels were gone away from into heaven, the shepheards [wisemen] said to one another, Let us now go even into Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass [the birth of Christ]\u201d (1611 King James Bible<\/em>).\u00a0Back to text.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>5<\/sup>From Numbers 24:17- \u201cI shall see him but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: There shall come a star out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel\u2026\u201d (1611 King James Bible<\/em>). The poem compares the star the wisemen followed to witness the birth of Christ as the same star out of Jacob that establishes Israel\u2019s dominance over its surrounding region. Back to text.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

X When great events occur, or only such As do concern our selves, we think not much To print their memories upon that day, Yearly wherein they happen, that it may Become a living History, and tell To after ages … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newellpoems.library.okstate.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newellpoems.library.okstate.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newellpoems.library.okstate.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newellpoems.library.okstate.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newellpoems.library.okstate.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/newellpoems.library.okstate.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":309,"href":"https:\/\/newellpoems.library.okstate.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61\/revisions\/309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newellpoems.library.okstate.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}