Vondel's Lucifer

Luciferians:

Alas! alas! where is our bliss departed?

Belzebub:

All goeth well: we gain increase. In griefThe Angels now assemble, and in woeTheir heads they droop together. What doth moveYou. Angel hosts, with sighs and groans to mourn?Can, then, the bloom of happiness thus fade?In peace all to possess that Spirit can wishFrom God, the Giver—doth even this contentYou not? Ye therefore stand in your own light.And cherish mournfulness, whose cause I canNor fathom nor discern. Come, cease your groans,Nor longer tear your standards and your robesWithout a cause; but clear your clouded faceAnd darkened forehead with new radiance,O children of the Light! The voices shrill.Whose deep-resounding songs the Godhead praise,Grow faint, displeased that ye should mingle withTheir godlike melody such spurious soundsAnd bastard tones. Your bitter moan doth marThe rhythm of the celestial palace tillThese vaults re-echo with your woe. The wailOf sorrow through the highest arches rolls.From sphere to sphere: nor without crime can yeBy such sad discord thus the growth disturbOf God's great name and glorious majesty.

Luciferians:

Chief Lord, whose potent word unnumbered bandsWould call to arms, thou comest most opportuneTo soothe our misery and to preventBy thy great power this threatened injuryAnd undeserved disgrace. Shall GabrielThe sacred crown of the holy Angels placeOn Adam's head: through Adam's son and heirCrush God's first-born? 'Twere better far had weNot been made ere the splendor-dazzling sunHis chariot mounted and in Heaven shone.The Godhead chose in vain the Spirits as guardsOf these immobile courts, if thus He shall.Against their vested Rights, Himself oppose;Who guiltless to resistance are provokedBy dire impatience and necessity.We were rejoicing here, enraptured withThe praise to God outpoured, were bowing lowIn deep humility, and worshipping'Mid burning censers with devotion flamed:—All-quivering with the rippling notes, the Heavens,From choir to choir, unto the sound gave ear—Yea, melted slowly in delicious joy,With song and harp enchanted—when the trumpOf Gabriel 'mid the rising harmonyBlew that decree, and midst the glory fellThis sudden thunderbolt of night. There layWe all amazed, dispersed, with gloom depressed.The gladness died away. Hushed were the throatsPregnant with praise. The youngest son was givenThe crown, the sceptre, and the blessing, whileThe eldest-born, thus disinherited,By Majesty Supreme, marked as a slaveRemains. That is the part obedience,Devotion, love, and faithfulness receiveFrom God's rich treasury, that mourning brings;That wrath enkindles, and thoughts of revenge,Grown out of righteous hate, to smother inHis blood this upstart man, ere he shall crushThe Angels in their state; and they be forced,As base and craven slaves, with fetters bound,To run before his lash and at his will,Even as he keeps the beasts beneath in awe.Chief Lord, thou canst prevent our fall, and byOur charter yet preserve our Rights: protectUs by thy power. We are prepared even nowTo follow 'neath thy standard and command,To be thy troops. Lead on. 'Tis gloriousTo battle for one's honor, crown, and Right.

Belzebub:

Methinks that thou art wrong. O King of Lords,'Twere better to avert this. Give no causeFor mutiny or discord: give no causeWhereby Rebellion grows. What remedy?How reconcile you with the MajestySupreme?

Luciferians:

He doth transgress the holy RightOnce to the Angels given.

Belzebub:

The lawful RightsOf subjects to transgress can them inflame,And fires enkindle that the very airWould soon consume. How poor a recompenseFor stainless faith! How shall we best conductOurselves amid this mournful hopelessness?

Luciferians:

'Twill comfort us one bold attempt to make.

Belzebub:

What venture this? Adopt a softer pace.

Luciferians:

This violence needs, compulsion, and revenge.

Belzebub:

We might, mayhap, a safer method choose.

Luciferians:

Delay would bring us here not gain, but loss.

Belzebub:

One should his wrong with reason understand.

Luciferians:

Reason doth publish here: we are oppressed.

Belzebub:

With prayers ye first and best might gain your end.

Luciferians:

This plot to bare would foil its execution.

Belzebub:

Scarce can such plot be hidden from the light.

Luciferians:

We're gaining fast, and stand in equipoise.

Belzebub:

Their chance is best who with God's Marshal fight.

Luciferians:

This can be righted ne'er by fright nor moan.

Belzebub:

But what say Belial and Apollion?

Luciferians:

Both are with us, and strengthen our array.

Belzebub:

How gained ye them? 'Tis far, indeed, progressed.

Luciferians:

The Heavens flow toward us now with teeming floods.

Belzebub:

Trust not in armies formed of wavering throngs.

Luciferians:

Even now advantage towers, and danger flees.

Belzebub:

Who rashly dares should not advantage claim.

Luciferians:

All on the issue hangs. Before the eventAll judgment errs. The gathered hosts demandThee as their leader and their sovran chiefIn this our expedition.

Belzebub:

But who couldBe so bereft of wit as to defendYour righteous cause, and by such course provokeThe battled hosts of Heaven? Aye, to yourselvesBe ye more merciful. Exempt me fromThis charge. I choose to hold a neutral place.Deliberation will yet make things right.

Chorus:

O! brothers, hear. Through mediators takeUnto God's Throne your supplications sad.More ground is won by mediation thanRebellion's steep ascent. With coolness act:With reason and deliberation weigh.We will on high your Rights defend. Be calmYe offend the crown of God, the Lord of Lords.

Luciferians:

And ye, our vested Right: be ye less bold.Lord Belzebub, advance our lawful claim.Place all the legions now in battle line.We'll follow thee together.

Belzebub:

Stay, O think,Ye flaming zealots, think, I pray you, farther.I will precede you to the palace grand,Unto the Throne, and there our Rights obtainThrough peaceful means and mutual covenants,Made voluntarily and uncompelled.

Chorus:

Be still! be still! thou art by Michael spied.

"Be still! Be still! thou art by Michael spied!"

MICHAEL. BELZEBUB. LUCIFERIANS.

Michael:

Where are we? What great noise arises here?This seems a court of tumult and dispute,Instead of peace, obedience, and faith.Prince Belzebub, what reasons move thee thus,Head of rebellious hordes, to aid a causeSo pregnant with such godless treachery,Against that God the refuge of us all?

Belzebub:

Mercy, O Michael! Deem us worthy wordsExplanatory, ere in zealous wrathThou dost thy sentence for God's honor pass.Impute to us no guilt.

Michael:

Your innocenceEstablish. I shall patiently attend.

Belzebub:

The assemblage of so many thousand troops,Disturbed by God's command, through Gabriel's trumpetFrom out the Throne of Thrones proclaimed, demandsSome mediation that shall quench this flame;Wherefore I came to gain a better senseOf the ground of their complaints, to quell as bestI could this mutiny. But they beganWith frantic haste and raving recklessnessTo force their clamorous claims upon me. IThen made attempt their forces to disperse(Let to my faith these faithful choristersTheir witness bear), to counsel that they pourTheir grievances before God's Throne; but 'midThis tumult and this clamor, vain my zeal,As if to calm a sea swollen to the skies.Let now the Field-marshal lead on; we arePrepared to follow, if he see a wayTo smooth this difference.

Michael:

Who dares opposeHimself to God and His most holy will?And who so bold these warlike banners thusTo plant within the virgin Realm of peace?If ye through envoys wish to treat on high,For your defence, we will your cause assumeAnd mediate with God that He forgive:Or else beware your heads! This ne'er succeeds.

Luciferians:

And wouldst thou then oppress our holy RightBy force of arms? Unto the Field-marshalThey were not given for such purpose dire.We rest alone upon our vested Rights.Most bold and strong is conscious righteousness.

Michael:

Least righteous he who would rebel 'gainst God.

Luciferians:

We serve God. He has for His service foundUs ever worthy. Let the Heavens remainIn their first state. Nor let the honored sonsOf the Fatherland celestial thus be placedBeneath mankind in rank and dignity.For such disgrace the Thrones and Hierarchies,The Powers and Dominations, high and low,Of Spirits, of Angels, and of great Archangels,Shall ne'er endure. Ah! nay, although, forsooth,Thy lightning spear should pierce them, breast on breast,Through their most faithful hearts. From Adam's raceWe never shall such bold defiance brook.

Michael:

I will that each depart, even as I waveMy hand. He God and Godhead doth oppose.Who now, forsworn, 'gainst us shall take his stand.Depart unto your posts. That is the dutyOf soldiers and of loyal sons of Heaven.What violence? What impious threat is this?Who wages war, save 'neath my banner bold,Doth fight 'gainst God and doth oppose His Realm.

Luciferians:

Who wards his Right need fear no violence.Nature made each defender of his Right.

Michael:

'Tis my command ye lay your weapons down.Such gathering breaks your honor and your oath.

Luciferians:

The hosts Angelic are by nature boundIn union strong. They stand or fall together.Not one alone is touched in this dispute,But one and all.

Michael:

Would ye with weapons thenIn such tumultuousness the Heavens embroil?These were not given you to use 'gainst God.Abuse your power, then fear the Power Supreme.

Luciferians:

The Stadtholder we hourly here await.In haste he hath been summoned to attend.We'll venture all. 'gainst Gods arraying Gods,Rather than thus our Rights resign through force.

Michael:

So great an indiscretion I shall neverFrom Heaven's Stadtholder await.

Luciferians:

It seemsMore like an indiscretion thus to placeThose older and first born, like servile slaves,Beneath the yoke of him, the youngest-born.But that the Angels now defend their kind,And here against their peers, in rank and stateAnd being, contend, is indiscretion called.

Michael:

O stiff-necked kind, ye are no longer sonsOf Light; but rather are a bastard race,Which yields not even to God. Ye but provokeThe lightning stroke and wrath implacable.Harden your hearts, lo! what calamityAnd what a fall for you reserved! Ye heedNor counsel nor advice. We'll see what usEnjoined is on high by Voice Supreme.Come, then; I wish now all the choristersAnd hosts yet righteous and yet virtuousTo part, at once, from these rebellious throngs.

Luciferians:

Let part who will; but we shall keep together.

Michael:

Come follow, O ye faithful choristers,God's Field-marshal behind.

Luciferians:

Depart in peace.

BELZEBUB. LUCIFER. LUCIFERIANS.

Belzebub:

The Field-marshal, in haste, to God hath gone,Bearing complaint. Keep heart: Prince LuciferSpeeds hitherward on winged chariot.Ye should therefore at once deliberate.Helpless the battled host without a chief:As to myself, the post is far too grave.

Lucifer:

Afar and wide, the Heavens vibrate and shakeWith the sound of your disputes. The legions standDivided, split in twain. The tumult winsIncrease. Our great necessity enjoinsMuch prudence here, disaster to prevent.

Luciferians:

Lord Stadtholder, of all the Spirits brave.Retreat and refuge sure, we hope that thouShalt ne'er, as Michael, doom the neck of the AngelsTo be thrust 'neath the feet of Adam's brood,And then, as he, go gild and bloom this shameAnd insult with the show of equity;And with thy might sustain the bold ascentOf man, this gross and Earth-born race. To God,By him so seldom seen, what incense brings he?Why stand we charged to serve a worm so base,To bear him on our hands, to heed his voice?Made God the boundless Heavens and Angels thenFor him alone? 'Twere better far had weNever been made, sooth, had we never been.Oh! pity, Lucifer, do not permitOur Order now so low to be abased,And, guiltless, to decline, while man, thus madeThe Chief of Angels, e'er shall shine and glowAmid the splendor inaccessible,Before which Seraphim as shadows fade,With dreadful trembling. If thou'lt condescendSo great injustice in this Realm to quell,And shalt maintain our Rights, we swear togetherE'er to support thy mighty arm. Then graspThis battle-axe. Help us our Rights to ward.We swear, by force, in majesty undimmed,To set thee on the Throne for Adam made.We swear with one accord support. Then graspThis battle-axe. Help us our Rights to ward.

Lucifer:

My sons, upon whose faith and loyaltyNo stain of treason lies, all that God wills,All He demands of us, is right: I knowNo other law; and stay, as StadtholderOf God, His late decree and His resolveWith all my might. This sceptre which I bear,To my right hand the great OmnipotentGave, as a mark of mercy and a signOf His love and affection for us all.Doth now His mind and heart to Adam turn,And doth it please Him now to set mankindIn full dominion us above—them overBoth you and me to crown, though in our chargeWe ne'er grew weary, yet what remedy?Who will oppose such resolution here?Had He to Adam given an equal rank,A nature like unto the Angel world,It were supportable for all the sonsOf Heaven, sprung from God's lineage; now letThem be displeased, if such displeasure beOn high not counted as a stain. However,There is a danger on each side—to yieldThrough fearfulness, or boldly to oppose.I wish that your resentment He forgive.

Luciferians:

Lord Stadtholder, aye, grasp this battle-axe.Protect our holy Right. We'll follow thee.We'll follow on. Lead thou with speedy wings:We'll perish, or triumphant overcome.

Lucifer:

That breaks our oath and Gabriel's command.

Luciferians:

That violates God's self, sets man above.

Lucifer:

Let God His honor, Throne, and majestyHimself preserve.

Luciferians:

Do thou preserve thy throne.As pillars we will stay thee, and the stateOf the Angel world as well. Mankind shall neverOur crown, the crown of God, tread in the dust.

Lucifer:

Soon shall the Field-marshal, great Michael, armedWith blessings from on high, 'gainst us appear,With all his host. His army 'gainst your own—How great the difference!

Luciferians:

If not one half.At least a third part of the Spirits, thouShalt sweep with thee, when thou shalt join our side.

Lucifer:

Then shall we venture all, our favor lostTo the oppressors of your lawful Right.

Luciferians:

Courage, hope, insult, sorrow, and despair,Prudence and injury and vengeance forSuch inequality, not otherwiseComposed: all this, and what on this depends,Shall nerve our arms to strike the blow.

Belzebub:

Even nowThe Holy Realm is in our power. WhateverMay be resolved, our weapons shall enforce,Our arms shall soon compel. Once place us hereIn battle rank, and they who waver yet,Soon toward our side shall lean.

Lucifer:

I trust me, then,This violence with violence to oppose.

Belzebub:

Mount, then, these steps. O bravest of the brave!Lord Stadtholder, we pray, ascend this throne,That thee we now allegiance may swear.

Lucifer:

Prince Belzebub, bear witness; also ye,O Lords illustrious; Apollion,Bear witness thou, and thou, Prince Belial bold,That I, constrainèd by necessityAnd by compulsion, shall advance this cause.Thus to defend God's Realm and to ward offOur own impending ruin.

Belzebub:

Then bring onOur standard, that we may, beneath its folds.Swear God allegiance and our Morning-star.

Luciferians:

We swear alike by God and Lucifer.

Belzebub:

Now bring the censers on, ye faithful hosts.Faithful to God. 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 nowHim 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!Marshal now your bands, spread your swift pinions—On, ye brave!Follow your God 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.See, oh! see now the Morning-star shining!In that lightSoon shall our foe's proud flag be decliningInto night!Now in triumph we crown God Lucifer:Come worship him; revere his star.

Chorus of Angels:

Strophe.

What sad surprises waken.Since Heaven's civil warBurst with divisive jar;And blindly hath been takenThe sword for mad attempt!Who 'mong celestial legions.Or wins or falls, exemptFrom grief, to view in the regionsOf joy such misery'Mong their fellows and their brothers:How some, overcome, would flee,While in exile wander others?O sons of God on high,Where errs your destiny?

Antistrophe.

Alas! where now those erringSpirits? What sorceryFrom their dear certaintySeduced them, vainly luringThem from their rank and state?Led them to wicked daring?Our bliss became too great,Too wanton for our bearing;E'en Heaven's altitudeThe Angels were outgrowing;And then came Envy's brood.Seeds of Rebellion sowingIn the peaceful Fatherland.Who cools War's lurid brand?

Epode.

Doth not soon some power transcendingWar's fierce flames in bounds enchain,What will unconsumed remain?Treason's horrors are impending:Fires of discord shall profaneHeaven and Earth and sea and plain.Treason seeks her justifyingIn her triumph; then she wouldGod's own mandates be defying:Treason knows nor God nor blood.

ACT IV

GABRIEL. MICHAEL.

Gabriel:

The whole of Heaven glows with the fierce blazeOf tumult and of treachery. I nowCommand thee, as ambassador from God,And His high Throne, to rise without delayAnd burn out with a glow of fire and zealThese dark, polluting stains in God'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 nowThe standard of that fickle Morning-starTheir firm allegiance, perfumed his throneWith incense, even as if he were a God;And with the blasphemous sounds of godless musicHim praises sang. Now hitherward they come,Thronging with mighty hordes that threaten all,How terribly! to burst with violenceThe gate that leads unto the armoury.A crash of tempests fierce and wild doth roarOn every side. The lightnings rage and rave.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 griefAnd in their pity o'er this blind revoltOf the blessed Angel world, and o'er the fallOf the Angelic race. Aye, 'tis full timeThat thou perform thy charge, that thou observeThe sacred oath that thou, as Field-marshal,Didst swear upon the lightning's lurid edge,By God's most holy name.

"Each sits apart, enwrapped in voiceless gloom."

Michael:

What, then, doth moveGod's Stadtholder thus to oppose himselfAgainst God, as the impious head and chiefOf mad conspirators?

Gabriel:

The Heavens knowHow loth I am to make in such a wayDefence of God's most righteous cause. But oh!How terrible the wrath laid up for him!For we can find no means by which to leadThis erring race of blind unfortunatesAlong the road, the high-road of their faith.Myself saw there the radiant joy of GodItself o'ershadow with a gathering cloudOf mournfulness, until, at last. His wrathA flame enkindled in His eyes of light,Ere He, to ward the threatened blow, gave chargeUnto this expedition. I then heardAwhile the plea, how there in equipoiseGod's Mercy stood against His Righteousness,By weight of reason held. I saw, too, howThe Cherubim, upon their faces fallen.Cried with one voice, "Oh! mercy, mercy. Lord;Not justice give." This dire dispute had thusBeen expiated, yea, almost atoned.—So much seemed God to mercy then inclined.And reconciliation; but as upThe smell of incense rose, the smoke beneathTo Lucifer, from countless censers swung.Amid the sounds of trump and choral praise,The Heavens their eyes averted from such sightAnd such idolatry, accursed of GodAnd Spirit and all the Hierarchies above:Then Mercy took its flight. Awake to arms!The Godhead summons thee, ere the tumult usSurprise, to tame by thine own arm these fierceBehemoths and Leviathans, who thusMost wickedly conspire.

Michael:

Come, Uriel, squire!Haste speedily and bring the lightnings here;Also my armor, helm, and shield. Then bringGod's banner on, and blow the trumpet bold.To arms! at once, to arms! ye Thrones and Powers,Who, true and faithful, are with us arrayed.Ye legions, on! each in his place. The HeavensHave given command. Now blow the trumpet boldAnd beat the hollow drum, and summon here,In haste, the countless cohorts of the armed,Blow, then! My armor, I put on; for hereGod's honor is concerned. There's no retreat.

Gabriel:

This armor fits thy form as if 'twere madeWith thee. Behold! our glorious banner comes,From which God's name and ensign grandly beam,While yon high sun doth promise thee success.Here come the chiefs, to greet thee as the headOf the celestial legions that have swornGod's standard to uphold. Take courage, then,Prince Michael, thou shalt battle for thy God.

Michael:

Aye! aye! Keep thou my place on high. We go.

Gabriel:

Thy march we'll follow with our thoughts and prayers.

LUCIFER. BELZEBUB. LUCIFERIANS.

Lucifer:

How holds our army? How is it inclined?

Belzebub:

The army longs, prepared, 'neath thy command,To plunge at once against Michael's armament.

Luciferians:

'Tis true; each waits for Lucifer's commandTo haste at once, with speedy wings and arms,To steal away from our great enemyHis air and wind, and, as he lies confusedIn helpless swoon, to chain him forcibly.

Lucifer:

How many strong our host? Wherein our strength?

Belzebub:

That grows apace and sweeps on toward us withA rush and roar from every firmament,Like a vast sea aglow with radiant lights.Indeed, a third part of the Heavens embraceOur side, if not the half; for Michael's tide.On every hand, each moment swiftly ebbs.The half, even of the watch and of the chiefsThat round the palace guard—of every rank.Of every Hierarchy some—have forswornTheir lord. Prince Michael, even as we. BeholdArchangels, Cherubim, and SeraphimOur standards bearing. Even Paradise,Made mournful by the sounds of woe, grows dimIn hue, and its bright verdure fades. WhereverThe eye doth look, there seem signs of decay;And up above a threatening thunder-cloudDoth seem to hang. This portent bodes our bliss.We need but to begin. Already dothThe crown of Heaven rest upon thy brow.

Lucifer:

That sound doth please me more than Gabriel's trump.Attend and listen, ye, beneath this throne;Attend, ye chiefs; attend, ye valiant knights,And hear our charge, in words both clear and brief.Ye know how far in our revengeful course,Against the Ruler of the palacesSupreme, we have advanced: so that it wereFor us but folly to retreat with hopeOf reconciliation; how none daresTo think to purify, through mercy, thisOur stain indelible: necessityMust therefore be our law, a stronghold sure.From which there is no wavering nor retreat.Defend ye then, ne'er looking back, with allYour might, this standard and my star: in briefThe free-created state all Angels own.Let things proceed howe'er they will, press onWith heart undaunted and with cheerfulness.Not even the Omnipotence on high hath powerCompletely to annihilate the beingThat ye have once, for all eternity.Received. In case ye fiercely shall attackWith your whole force, and pierce with violenceThe heart of your great foe, and chance to win:So shall the hated tyranny of HeavenInto a state of freedom then be changed,And Adam's son and seed, crowned us aboveIn honor, with a retinue of EarthAround, shall not then chain your necks untoThe fetters of a slavish bondage thatWould make you sweat for him and pant beneathThe brazen yoke of servitude forever.If now ye own me as the head and chiefOf your free state, even as just now ye sworeWith one full voice beneath this standard bright,So raise that binding oath again together,That we may hear; and swear allegianceAnd loyalty unto our morning-star,

Luciferians: