l. 2. _The intelligence_: i.e. the angel. Each sphere has its angel
or intelligence that moves and directs it. Grosart quotes the
arrangement,--the Sun, Raphael; the Moon, Gabriel; Mercury, Michael;
Mars, Chemuel; Jupiter, Adahiel; Venus, Haniel; Saturn, Zaphiel.
l. 4. _motions._ Nothing is more easy and common than the dropping of
the final 's', which in writing was indicated by little more than a
stroke. The reference is to the doctrine of cycles and epicycles.
l. 13. _But that Christ on this Crosse, did rise and fall._ Grosart
and Chambers adopt the reading 'his Crosse' of _1635-69_, the former
without any reference to the alternative reading. Professor Norton,
in the Grolier Club edition, prints this, but in a note at the
end remarks' that all editions after that of 1633 give this verse,
correctly,
But that Christ on his cross did rise and fall'.
The agreement of the later editions is of little importance. They too
often agree to go wrong. The balance of the MS. evidence is on the
side of _1633_. To me 'this' seems the more vivid and pointed reading.
The line must be taken in close connexion with what precedes. 'If I
turned to the East,' says Donne, 'I should see Christ lifted on to his
Cross to die, a Sun by rising set. And unless Christ had consented
to rise and set on _this_ Crosse (this Crosse which I should see in
vision if I turned my head), which was raised this day, Sin would have
eternally benighted all.'
l. 22. _turne all spheres._ The 'tune all speares' of the editions
and some MSS. is tempting because of (as it is doubtless due to) the
Platonic doctrine of the music of the spheres. But Donne was more of a
Schoolman and Aristotelian than a Platonist, and I think there can be
little doubt that he is describing Christ as the 'first mover'. On the
other hand 'tune' may include 'turne'. The Dutch poet translates:
Die 't Noord en Zuyder-punt bereicken,
daer Sy 't spanden
Er geven met een' draeg elck Hemel-rond
sijn toon.
The idea that the note of each is due to the rate at which it is spun
is that of Plato, _The Republic_, x.