Vondel's Lucifer Part 23

There hear I Lucifer and him behold.

Who from Heaven's face can drive the night away.

Where he appears, day's glory dawns anew.

His crescent light, the first and nighest G.o.d, 80 Shall ne'er grow dim. His word is stern command; His will and nod a law by none transgressed.

The G.o.dhead is in him obeyed and served, Praised, honored, and adored. Should then a voice More faint than his now thunder from G.o.d's Throne?

Than his be more obeyed? Should G.o.d exalt A younger son, begot of Adam's loins, Even over him? That would most violate The heirs.h.i.+p of the eldest-born and rob His splendor of its rays. 'Neath G.o.d Himself 90 None is so great as thou. The G.o.dhead once Set thee the first in glory at His feet.

Then let not man dare thus our order great Profane, nor thus cast down these vested Rights "Without a cause, or all of Heaven shall spring To arms 'gainst one.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Thou shalt not yet man behold O'er thee exalted, son that thou shalt fall Upon thy knees, and there, abased, adore, With drooping eyes his lofty eminence."]

Lucifer:

Indeed, thou sayest well: It is not meet for Dominations grave, Powers well-disposed in state, thus to give up So loosely their established rights; and since The Supreme Power is by His laws most bound. 100 To change becomes Him least. Am I a son Of Light, a ruler of the light, my place I shall maintain, to no usurper bow, Not even this Arch-usurper. Let all yield Who will, not one foot shall I e'er retreat.

Here is my Fatherland. Nor hards.h.i.+ps dire Nor yet disaster nor anathemas Shall me intimidate, or tame. To die, Or to gain port around this dreadful cape, This is my destiny. Doth fate decree 110 That I must fall, of rank and honors shorn, Then let me fall; but fall with this my crown Upon my brow, this sceptre in my grasp, With my own retinue of faithful troops, And with these many thousands on my side.

Aye, thus to fall brings honor and shall shed Unfading glory on my name: besides, To be the first prince in some lower court Is better than within the Blessed Light To be the second, or even less. 'Tis thus 120 I weigh the stroke, nor harm nor hindrance fear.

But here, hardby, comes Heaven's Interpreter And Herald vigilant, with G.o.d's own book Of mysteries, committed to his care.

Most opportune for us his coming hither; For I would question him. I shall accost Him then, and from my chariot descend.

GABRIEL. LUCIFER.

Gabriel:

Lord Stadtholder, how? Whither bound?

Lucifer:

To thee, O Herald and Interpreter of Heaven.

Gabriel:

Methinks I read thy purpose on thy brow. 130

Lucifer:

Thou who canst fathom and who canst reveal, Through the deep-searching light of thy mind's eye, The shadowy mysteries of G.o.d, relieve Me with thy coming.

Gabriel:

What doth burden thee?

Lucifer:

The late decision of the ruling Powers, The new decree made by the G.o.dhead, who Esteems celestial joys as of less worth Than earthly elements, oppresses Heaven, Even from the low abyss the Earth exalts Above the stars, sets man high in the seat 140 Of the Angels, whom, shorn of primordial powers, He then commands for human happiness To sweat and slave. The Spirits once consecrate To service in empyreal palaces Shall serve an Earth-worm that from out the dust Hath crawled and grown; and on his bidding wait, And see him them excel in rank and numbers.

Why doth the endless Mercy us degrade So soon? What Angel hath forgot to render Due reverence? How could the Deity 150 Mingle with base mankind and thus pa.s.s by The nature of His chosen Angels here, While His own nature and His Being He pours Into a body?--thus eternity Unite with its beginning, time, and what Is highest to what is lowest of the low?

--The great Creator to His creature bind?

Who can the import glean of this decree?

Shall now eternity's bright, quenchless sun Set in the gathering darkness of the world? 160 Shall we, the Stadtholder of G.o.d, thus kneel Before this shadow power, this puny lord; And see the countless hosts of souls divine And incorporeal bow themselves before A gross and sluggish element upon Which G.o.d hath stamped His Being and majesty?

We Spirits are yet too gross to comprehend This mystery. Thou, who the key dost guard Of G.o.d's rich treasure-house of mysteries, Unlock, if so thou mayest, this secret dark 170 From out thy sealed book: unfold to us The will of Heaven.

Gabriel:

As much as is to us Permitted to unfold out of G.o.d's book: Much knowledge doth not profit one alway; Indeed, may damage bring. The Sovran Power Revealeth only what He deems most fit.

The inner light blinds even Seraphim.

The spotless Wisdom would, in part, her will Conceal, in part would it disclose. Himself E'er to submit and to conform unto 180 A well-established law, this best becomes The subject, who unto his master's will And charge stands bound. The reason why the Lord (Which secret we shall know, when first shall pa.s.s A lineage of Earth-born generations) Who, in the course of time, both G.o.d and man Become, shall reign,--shall sceptre sway, and rule, Afar and wide, the stars, the sea, the Earth And all that live, the Heavens conceal from thee: Time shall divulge the cause. G.o.d's trumpet heed: 190 His will thou now hast heard.

Lucifer:

Shall then on high A worm, an alien, wield the greatest power?

Must they who native are to Heaven thus yield To foreign rule? Shall man then found a throne Even o'er the Throne of G.o.d?

Gabriel:

Content thee with Thy lot, the rank and state and worthiness Once granted thee by G.o.d. For thee He made The head of all the Hierarchies, though not To envy others' glory or renown.

Rebellion flattens both her crown and head, 200 Whene'er she rears her crest 'gainst G.o.d's commands.

Thy splendor owes its l.u.s.tre to G.o.d's power Alone.

Lucifer:

Till now my crown hath bowed to none But G.o.d.

Gabriel:

Then also bow before this last Decree of G.o.d, who leadeth all that have Their being from naught, yea, all that e'er shall live, Unto their end and certain destiny, Though we may fail to comprehend His plan.

Lucifer:

Thus to see man into the light of G.o.d Exalted, to behold him deified 210 With G.o.d on His high Throne, to see towards him The censers swinging 'mid the joyous tones Of thousand thousand holy choristers, With one voice pealing symphonies of praise-- Such grandeur doth bedim the lofty splendors, And diamond rays of our own morning-star, That dazzles then no more, while Heaven's joy Shall pine in grief away.

Gabriel:

The highest bliss Alone in calm contentment can be found And in agreement with G.o.d's will, in full 220 Compliance with His law.

Lucifer:

The majesty Of G.o.d and of the G.o.dhead is debased, If with the blood of man his nature ever Unites, combines, or otherwise is bound.

We Spirits to G.o.d and His deep nature come Far closer, as children from one father sprung; And are like Him, if unto us it be Allowed to bring in such similitude This inequality of endless powers With those determinate, of definite might 230 With might indefinite. Should once the sun Err from his...o...b..t's path, and veil himself Behind a mist, to light the globe of Earth Through clouds of smoke and darkling damps, how soon The joys of Earth would die! How would the race Below then want all light and life! How too The sun would lack his dazzling majesty, Circling his daily round! I see the skies Piled up with gloom, the stars confused with fright.

Disorders fell and chaos, where now law 240 And order reign, should once the fount of light Plunge with its splendors into some dark fen.

Think not too harshly then, I do beseech Thee, Gabriel, if now thy trumpet's voice, The new-made law given by the High Command, I do resist, or seemingly oppose.

We strive for G.o.d's own honor, yea, to give To G.o.d His Right, should I become thus daring And wander far beyond the narrow path Of my obedience.

Gabriel:

Thou art, indeed, 250 Most zealous for the glory of G.o.d's name; Though truly without weighing well that G.o.d, The point wherein His majesty doth lie, Far better knows than we. Cease therefore now This inquisition. For when G.o.d as man Shall have become, He shall this book of His Own mysteries, now sealed with seven seals.

Himself unseal. To taste the kern within Is not for thee; thou seest the sh.e.l.l alone.

Then of this long concealment we shall learn 260 The cause and hidden reason, all the while Deep-gazing; in the unveiled Holy of Holies.

It now behooves us ever to obey And to revere this rising dawn, to use Our light with thankfulness until the time When knowledge in her power shall drive all doubt Away, even as the sun the night. Now learn We gradually, with modest reverence, G.o.d's Wisdom to approach. And this to us Reveals, by slow degrees, the light of truth 270 And knowledge, and requires that, on his watch, Each shall submit himself to reason's rule, Lord Stadtholder, be calm. Be foremost, thou, Now to maintain the law. G.o.d sends me hence.

I must away.