Fügefeuer

Belzebub:

The Stadtholder now hears the meaning of this proclamation

grave so proudly blown By Gabriel's trumpet bold.

How well he showed thee God's design!

whose purpose thou may'st scent:

Thus shall he clip the wings of thy great power.

Lucifer:

But not so easily:

Ah! nay, forsooth;

I shall have care this purpose to prevent.

Let not a power inferior thus dream to rule the Powers above.

Now swear I by my crown,

upon this chance to venture all,

to raise my seat amid the firmament, the spheres,

the splendor of the stars above.

The Heaven of Heavens shall then my palace be,

the rainbow be my throne,

The starry vast, my court,

while, down beneath,

The Earth shall be my footstool and support.

I shall, then swiftly drawn through air and light,

High-seated on a chariot of cloud,

With lightning stroke and thunder grind to dust

Whate'er above, around, below,

doth us oppose,

were it God's Marshal grand himself.

Yea, e'er we yield, these empyrean vaults.

Proud in their towering masonry,

shall burst with all their airy arches

and dissolve before our eyes:

this huge and joint-racked Earth,

Like a misshapen monster, lifeless lie;

This wondrous universe to chaos fall.

And to its primal desolation change.

Who dares, who dares defy great Lucifer?

Apollion:

O Stadtholder of God's unbounded Realm,

And Oracle within the Council of the Gods subordinate,

I offer thee my service

and await thy new commands.

What now the word—what of thy subject would

Thy Majesty?

Lucifer:

It pleaseth us to hear

Thy sense and thy opinion of a grave

And weighty plan that cannot fail to win.

Tis our intent to pluck the proudest plume from Michael's wings,

that our attempt upon His mightiness shall not rebound as vain.

With his own arm as many oracles He founds,

as ever God Himself hath hewn From deathless diamond with His hand.

Behold

Now man exalted to the Heaven of Heavens,

Through all the circles of the spheres,

then see the Spirit world, so deep, so far below,

Even 'neath his footcloth there, like feeble worms

Already crawling in the dust.

I joy to storm this throne with violence,

and thus to hazard by one strong, opposing stroke

The glory of my state and star and crown.

Apollion.

Thou know'st what Michael, God's Field-marshal may:

'Neath his command are all God's legions placed.

He bears the key of the armoury here on high.

To him the watch is trusted,

and he keeps a faithful, sleepless eye on all the camps;

So that of all the galaxies of Heaven

Not even one star, in its celestial march,

Dare move itself the least,

nor stir without its ranks. '

Tis easy to commence; but in

Such warfare to engage exceeds our might,

And drags a train of hardships in its wake.

"What ordnance and what martial enginery

Could e'er avail his legions proud to quell?

The valiant Michael, bears with no less fire

And pride God's wondrous name amid the field of his great banner,

with the sun above.

Lucife:

What boots a name?

Heroic deeds, as this, are ne'er achieved with titles,

nor with pomp; not by valor, spirit.

And subtle strokes in skill and cunning bred.

Thou art a master-wit with craftiness

The Spirits to seduce,

and teach even those

To waver who had thought to waver never.

Begin, we see God's legions in two camps divided,

lords and vassals roused to strife and mutiny.

And one and all cry loudly for a chief.

"We'll crown thy craft and dexterous management

With place and honor.

Go, this plot consider with Belial,

His countenance,

Smooth-varnished with dissimulation's hue,

My car I now ascend: think ye this over.

And thou, Chief Lord,

guard with thy trusty followers

This mighty gate that to the palace leads.