with
     St. Luke’s word for “manger” (phatne).  After referring to the
     circumstances of the Nativity, Origen proceeds to say:  “That was
     what the prophet foretold, saying, ‘The ox knoweth,’ etc.  The Ox is
     a clean animal:  the Ass an unclean one.  The Ass knew his master’s
     crib (praesepe domini sui):  not the people of Israel, but the
     unclean animal out of pagan nations knew its master’s crib.  ’But
     Israel hath not known me:  and my people hath not understood.’  Let us
     understand this and press forward to the crib, recognise the Master
     and be made worthy of his knowledge.”  The thought that the Ox = the
     Jews and the Ass = Pagans, reappears in Gregory Nazianzen, Ambrose
     and Jerome.  See an interesting article by Mr. Austin West (Ox and
     Ass Legend of the Nativity. Cont.  Review, Dec. 1903), who notes
     the further impetus given to the legend by the Latin rendering of
     Habb. iii. 2 (LXX.) which in the Vetus Itala version appears as
     “in medio duorum animalium in notesceris,” “in the midst of two
     animals shalt thou be known” (R.V., in the midst of the years make
     it known).  The legend does not appear in apocryphal Christian
     literature earlier than in the Pseudo-Matthew Gospel, which
     belongs to the later fifth century.  It is interesting to note that
     with St. Francis and the Franciscans the ox and the ass are merely
     animals:  the allegorical interpretation of Origen had vanished from
     Christendom:  and in its place we find St. Francis (see Life of St.
     Francis by St. Bonaventura, “Temple Classics” edition, p. 111)
     making a presepio at Greccio, to which a living ox and ass are
     brought, in order that a visible representation of the manger-scene
     might kindle the devotion of the Brethren and the assembled
     townsfolk.  This act of St. Francis inaugurated the custom, still
     observed in the Roman Church, of representing by means of waxen
     images the whole of the Nativity manger-scene, Mother and Child
     together with the adoring animals.

97 For the obstetrix, cf. Proto-Evangelium of the Pseudo-James (a
     Greek romance of the fourth century), Sec. 18 et seq., where Joseph
     is represented as seeking and finding a Hebrew midwife.

100 Cf.  Milton’s Ode on the Nativity, ll. 157-164:—­

“With such a horrid clang
As on Mount Sinai rang
While the red fire and smould’ring clouds outbrake: 
The aged earth aghast
With terror of that blast,
Shall from the surface to the centre shake;
When at the world’s last session
The dreadful Judge in middle air shall spread his throne.”

XII