[127]-9: ‘Glorificant Angeli Deum pro nostro redemptione incarnatum, quia dum nos conspiciunt recipi, suum gaudent numerum impleri,’ Bede, v. 236.
[132]-5: ‘Gloria in altissimis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis,’ S. Luke ii. 14.
[133]. griþþ ⁊ friþþ: a frequent combination in O.; the words are synonyms, one Scandinavian, the other English: see [19/57 note].
[136]-8: that the angelic host was to be made up to its full number by the addition of holy souls, by which addition honour and glory in God’s presence should be as though it were increased, if indeed it were capable of increase. The explanation of this passage is helped by the parallel place, ll. 143-5: ‘Ȝiff—mihhte’ corresponds to l. 145. ‘quos infirmos prius abiectosque despexerant [Angeli], nascente in carne Domino iam socios venerantur,’ Bede, v. 236.
[140]. soþ sahhtnesse: see 84/50.
[146]-51: ‘qui cum pacem hominibus poscunt, exponunt et quibus, videlicet bonae voluntatis, hoc est eis qui suscipiunt natum Christum, non autem Herodi, pontificibus et Pharisaeis caeterisque antichristis, qui eius nativitate audita turbati sunt, eumque quantum valuere gladiis insecuti. Non est enim pax impiis, dicit Dominus,’ Bede, v. 236.
[149]. Forrhoȝhenn &c., despise and reject.
[151]. wrihhte, merit, lit. thing done: OE. gewyrht, from wyrcan: a dat. pl.: comp. ‘⁊ he wass flemmd ⁊ drifenn ut | All affterr hise wrihhte,’ O. i. 286/8239, id. 147/4283.
[154]. itt: see 114/90.
[155]. hise þannkess, wilfully, of his own free will: see 10/167.