Vondel's Lucifer Part 33

Then bring on Our standard, that we may, beneath its folds.

Swear G.o.d allegiance and our Morning-star.

Luciferians:

We swear alike by G.o.d and Lucifer. 600

Belzebub:

Now bring the censers on, ye faithful hosts.

Faithful to G.o.d. Praise Lucifer with bowl.

Rich with perfume, and flaming candle-sticks: Him glorify with light and glow and torch.

Extol him then with poem, music, song.

Trumpet and pipe. It doth behoove us now Him with such pomp and splendor to attend: Raise, then, sonorous lays to his great crown.

Chorus of Luciferians:

Forward, O ye hosts, Lucifer's minions; Banners wave! 610 Marshal now your bands, spread your swift pinions-- On, ye brave!

Follow your G.o.d where his drumbeats command.

Guard well your Rights and Fatherland.

Help him Michael now hurl to confusion, War, your mood!

Fighting 'gainst Heaven for Adam's exclusion.

And his brood!

Follow this hero to trumpet and drum.

Protect our crown, whate'er may come. 620 See, oh! see now the Morning-star s.h.i.+ning!

In that light Soon shall our foe's proud flag be declining Into night!

Now in triumph we crown G.o.d Lucifer: Come wors.h.i.+p him; revere his star.

Chorus of Angels:

_Strophe_.

What sad surprises waken.

Since Heaven's civil war Burst with divisive jar; And blindly hath been taken 630 The sword for mad attempt!

Who 'mong celestial legions.

Or wins or falls, exempt From grief, to view in the regions Of joy such misery 'Mong their fellows and their brothers: How some, overcome, would flee, While in exile wander others?

O sons of G.o.d on high, Where errs your destiny? 640

_Antistrophe_.

Alas! where now those erring Spirits? What sorcery From their dear certainty Seduced them, vainly luring Them from their rank and state?

Led them to wicked daring?

Our bliss became too great, Too wanton for our bearing; E'en Heaven's alt.i.tude The Angels were outgrowing; 650 And then came Envy's brood.

Seeds of Rebellion sowing In the peaceful Fatherland.

Who cools War's lurid brand?

_Epode_.

Doth not soon some power transcending War's fierce flames in bounds enchain, What will unconsumed remain?

Treason's horrors are impending: Fires of discord shall profane Heaven and Earth and sea and plain. 660 Treason seeks her justifying In her triumph; then she would G.o.d's own mandates be defying: Treason knows nor G.o.d nor blood. 664

ACT IV.

GABRIEL. MICHAEL.

Gabriel:

The whole of Heaven glows with the fierce blaze Of tumult and of treachery. I now Command thee, as amba.s.sador from G.o.d, And His high Throne, to rise without delay And burn out with a glow of fire and zeal These dark, polluting stains in G.o.d's great name, And in the name of the unstained Heavens.

Prince Lucifer defies with trump and drum.

Michael:

Has Lucifer, alas! been faithless found?

Gabriel:

The third part of the Heavens swore but now 10 The standard of that fickle Morning-star Their firm allegiance, perfumed his throne With incense, even as if he were a G.o.d; And with the blasphemous sounds of G.o.dless music Him praises sang. Now hitherward they come, Thronging with mighty hordes that threaten all, How terribly! to burst with violence The gate that leads unto the armoury.

A crash of tempests fierce and wild doth roar On every side. The lightnings rage and rave. 20 The thunders, in their travail laboring, Shake even the ponderous pillars of these courts.

We hear no Seraphim, nor sounds of praise.

Each sits apart, enwrapped in voiceless gloom.

Now hushed at once are all the Angel choirs, And then again they cry aloud in grief And in their pity o'er this blind revolt Of the blessed Angel world, and o'er the fall Of the Angelic race. Aye, 'tis full time That thou perform thy charge, that thou observe 30 The sacred oath that thou, as Field-marshal, Didst swear upon the lightning's lurid edge, By G.o.d's most holy name.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Each sits apart, enwrapped in voiceless gloom."]

Michael:

What, then, doth move G.o.d's Stadtholder thus to oppose himself Against G.o.d, as the impious head and chief Of mad conspirators?

Gabriel:

The Heavens know How loth I am to make in such a way Defence of G.o.d's most righteous cause. But oh!

How terrible the wrath laid up for him!

For we can find no means by which to lead 40 This erring race of blind unfortunates Along the road, the high-road of their faith.

Myself saw there the radiant joy of G.o.d Itself o'ershadow with a gathering cloud Of mournfulness, until, at last. His wrath A flame enkindled in His eyes of light, Ere He, to ward the threatened blow, gave charge Unto this expedition. I then heard Awhile the plea, how there in equipoise G.o.d's Mercy stood against His Righteousness, 50 By weight of reason held. I saw, too, how The Cherubim, upon their faces fallen.

Cried with one voice, "Oh! mercy, mercy. Lord; Not justice give." This dire dispute had thus Been expiated, yea, almost atoned.-- So much seemed G.o.d to mercy then inclined.

And reconciliation; but as up The smell of incense rose, the smoke beneath To Lucifer, from countless censers swung.

Amid the sounds of trump and choral praise, 60 The Heavens their eyes averted from such sight And such idolatry, accursed of G.o.d And Spirit and all the Hierarchies above: Then Mercy took its flight. Awake to arms!

The G.o.dhead summons thee, ere the tumult us Surprise, to tame by thine own arm these fierce Behemoths and Leviathans, who thus Most wickedly conspire.

Michael:

Come, Uriel, squire!