Vondel's Lucifer

We swear alike by God and Lucifer.

Belzebub:

But see how Rafael with the branch of peace,Astounded and compassionate, flies downTo clasp thy neck, with hope of peace and truce.

RAFAEL. LUCIFER.

Rafael:

Oh! Stadtholder. Voice of the Power Divine,What thus hath driven thee beyond the pathOf duty? Wouldst thou now thyself opposeTo Him, the source of all thy pomp? Wouldst thouNow rashly waver, and thus change thy faith?I hope this ne'er shall be. Alas! I faintWith grief, and hang upon thy neck oppressedAnd wan.

Lucifer:

Most righteous Rafael!

Rafael:

O my joy.My longing, hear me now, I pray.

Lucifer:

Speak on.So long it pleaseth thee.

Rafael:

O Lucifer,Be merciful! Oh I save thyself; nor bearThy weapons thus 'gainst me, who sadly meltIn tears, and pine in sorrow for thy sake.I come with medicine and mercy's balm,Sprung from the bosom of the Deity,"Who, as within His Council He decreed,Hath made thee chief of myriad crowned Powers,And thee, anointed, placed upon thy throneAs Stadtholder. What folly this, that thusDeprives thee of thy wit? God hath His sealAnd image stamped upon thy hallowed headAnd forehead, where all beauty seemed outpoured,With wisdom and benevolence and allThat flows in streams unbounded from the fountOf every precious thing. In Paradise,Before the countenance of God's own sun,Thou shon'st from clouds of dew and roses fresh;Thy festal robes stood stiff with pearl, turquoise.And diamond, ruby, emerald, and fine gold;'Twas thy right hand the weightiest sceptre held;And as soon as thou didst mount into the light,Throughout the blazing firmament and throughThese shining vaults the sounds began to rollOf trumpet and of drum. And wouldst thou nowSo rashly hurl thyself from thy great throne?—Thus jeopardize thy glory, all this pomp?Wouldst thou thy splendors that the Heavens adornAnd that obscure our glow so heedlesslyNow cause to change into a shapeless lumpAnd complication of all beasts and monstersIn one, with claw of griffin, dragon's head,And other horrors terrible? And shallThe eyes of Heaven, the stars, see thee so low,Deprived of all thy power, thy honor, worth,And majesty, through perjuring thine oath?Prevent it, O good God, whose countenance,Amid the Blessed Light, I gaze upon,Where we, the hallowed Seven, do Him serve,Before His Throne, and shake and tremble 'neathThat Majesty that on our forehead beams,That quickens, and that life doth give to allThat live and breathe. Lord Stadtholder, let nowMy prayers affect thy heart. Thou know'st my pureIntent, and heart distressed for thee. Tear offThat shining crest so proud, that armor tossAside. The battle-axe cast from this hand,Thy shield then from the other: nay, not thus,Not higher. Oh! throw it now aside. I pray.Oh! cast it down. Let fall thy streaming standardOf thine own free will, also thine outstretched wings,Before God and His splendor, ere He shallFrom cut His Throne, the highest firmamentO honor, swoop to grind thee into dust:Yea, so that of the race of Spirits, nor branchNor root, nor life nor even memory,Remain; unless it be a state of woe,Of pain, of death and of despair, the wormEndless remorse, and a gnashing dire of teethShould bear the name of life. Submit thou, then.Cease this attempt. I offer thee God's grace,Even with this olive-branch. Accept, or else'Twill be too late.

Lucifer:

Lord Rafael, I nor threatNor wrath deserve. My heroes both by GodAnd Lucifer have sworn, and under oathsTo Heaven have raised this standard thus aloft.Let rumors, therefore, far and wide be spreadThroughout the Heavens: I battle under GodFor the defence of these His choristers,And for the Charter and the Rights which wereTheir lawful heritage ere Adam sawThe rising sun: yea, ere o'er ParadiseThe daylight shone. No human power, no yokeOf man, shall plague the necks of Spirits, nor shallThe Angel world, like any servile slave,Support the throne of Adam with its neck,Unfettered now, unless in some abyssThe Heavens shall bury us, together withThe sceptres, crowns, and splendors that to usThe Godhead from His bosom gave, for timeAnd for eternity! Let burst what will,I shall maintain the holy Right, compelledBy high necessity, thus urged at length,Though much against my will, by the complaintsAnd mournful groans of myriad tongues. Go hence,This message bear unto the Father, whomI serve, and under whom I thus unfurlThis warlike standard for our Fatherland.

Rafael:

O Stadtholder, why thus disguise thy thoughtsBefore the all-seeing Eye? Thy purpose thouCanst not conceal. The rays flashed from His faceLay bare the darkness, the ambition thatThy pregnant spirit reveals in all its shape.And lo! even now its travail hath begunThis monster to bring forth. Where shall I hideMe in my fright? How rise my hairs with fear!Thou erring Morning-star, oh! spare thyself!Thou canst not satisfy OmniscienceWith such deceit.

Lucifer:

Ambition? Say me, then,Where hath my duty suffered through neglect?

Rafael:

What hast thou in thy heart of hearts resolved!—shall mount up from here beneath, through allThe clouds, aye, even above God's galaxies,Into the top of Heaven, like unto GodHimself; nor shall the beams of mercy fallOn any Power, unless before my seatIt kneel in homage down! No majestyShall sceptre dare, nor crown, unless I shallFirst grant it leave out of my towering throne!"Oh! hide thy face. Fall down and fold thy wings.Have care to know a higher Power above.

"Thou erring Morning-star, oh! spare thyself."

Lucifer:

How now? Am I not then God's Stadtholder?

Rafael:

That art thou, and from the unbounded RealmThou didst receive a power determinate.Thou rulest in His name.

Lucifer:

Alas! how long?Until Prince Adam shall make us ashamed:When he, placed o'er the Angel world, shall fromThe bounteous bosom of the DeityHis crown receive, and take his seat by God.

Rafael:

Even though the sovran Lord should thus divideHis power with His inferiors; though He shouldCommand that man upon his head shall placeThe brightest crown; him consecrate the ChiefOf Spirits, o'er all that crown or sceptre bear.Or e'er shall bear: learn thou submissivelyTo bow 'neath God's decree.

Lucifer:

That is the stoneWhereon this battle-axe shall whet its edge.

Rafael:

Thou'lt whet it rashly for thine own proud neck.Think where we are. The Heavens can bear no stainOf pride, hate, envy, or malevolence.The wrath of Deity doth threaten soonTo wipe this blot away. Here not availsDissembling. Oh! that I this blasphemyCould hide from the all-seeing Sun and fromThe all-penetrating Eye. O Lucifer,Where is thy glory now?

Lucifer:

My glory wasLong since to Adam given, and to his seed.I am no longer called the eldest heir,The son first consecrate.

Rafael:

Prince Lucifer,Oh! spare thyself: submit unto the wishOf the Most High. Oh! deem us worthy nowTo bear such joyful tidings up above.Each waits with longing eyes for my return.Before thy splendor I most humbly kneel.Oh! for the sake of God, beware lest thouEncouragement shalt give to mutiny,That on thy will and word doth henceforth turn,As on its axis. Wouldst thou thus, againstThe courts of Heaven, this air so full of peaceAnd holiness, for the first time disturbBy the clash of countless warring myriads?—Thus to the sound of trump and drum unfurlThese battle-banners bold?—Thyself to GodThe matchless wrestler thus oppose?

Lucifer:

'Tis weThat are opposed. Were unto Adam's raceBut given a rank and throne, even similarTo that the Angels own, 'twere to be borne.Now fly, instead, o'er all the roofs of HeavenThe sparks blown from this burning in the skies.Peace! Angels all, and reverentiallyYour homage bring, for all that you possess,To Adam and his seed. To strive 'gainst manIs the Godhead to oppose! Oh! how could God,Within His heart, so low, so deep degradeHim whom He for the mightiest sceptre formed:A worthiness once sanctified to rule,So sadly thus abase for one so low,And thus disrobe of all its splendid pomp,And cause it thus to curse the glorious dawnOf its ascent—to wish far rather thatIt had remained a shadow without hue,A nothing without life? For not to beIs better thousand times than such a fall.

Rafael:

A vassal's power is no inheritance:It stands free and apart.

Lucifer:

This power is thenNo boon, if power it may be called.

Rafael:

Thy placeMaintain: or hast thou then forgot thy charge?Thy place, as Stadtholder, to thee was givenThat in thy wisdom thou mightst keep all thingsIn peace and order here. And dost thou now.The perjured chief of blind conspirators.Put on this coat of mail to fight thy God?

Lucifer:

Necessity and self-defence compelledThese arms; nor wished we to engage with God.Reason would speak, even though our arms were dumb.We fight in Freedom's cause, denied this bliss?

Rafael:

No bliss is glorious, where in one realmThe embattled squadrons of the state must fightAgainst their peers. Most pitiful it is,When brothers of the selfsame order must,At last, even by their brothers be o'ercome.Oh! Stadtholder, for our sake, and for fearOf God and of His threatened punishment,Send hence thy gathered legions, send them hence.Oh! melt, I pray, beneath my prayers. I hear,'Tis terrible! the chains a-forging now,That thee shall drag, when vanquished and bound,In triumph through the skies. And hark! I hearA din, and see the hosts of Michael drawWith nearing tread. 'Tis time, yea, 'tis high time,Thou cease this mad attempt.

Lucifer:

What profits itEven though unto the utmost I repent?Here is no hope of grace.

Rafael:

But I assureThee mercy; for I now appoint myselfThy mediator up above and asThy hostage there.

Lucifer:

My star to plunge in shameAnd darkness: yea, to see my enemiesDefiant on my throne?

Rafael:

O Lucifer,Beware! I see the lake of brimstone downBelow, with opened mouth, gape horribly.Shalt thou, the fairest far of all things everBy God created, henceforth serve as foodFor the devouring bowels of Hell's abyss—Flames never satisfied nor quenched? May GodForbid! Oh! oh! yield to our prayers. ReceiveThis branch of peace: we offer thee God's grace.

Lucifer:

What creature else so wretched is as I?On the one side flicker feeble rays of hope,While on the other yawns a flaming horror.A triumph is most dubious; defeatMost hard to shun. In such uncertainty,God and His banner to oppose?—the firstTo be a standard to unfurl 'gainst God,His trump celestial and revealed command?—Of rebels thus to make myself the chief,And 'gainst the law of Heaven another lawTo oppose?—to fall into the dreadful curseOf a most base ingratitude?—to woundThe mercy, love, and majesty of Him,The Father bountiful, source of all goodThat e'er was given or may yet be received?How have I erred so far from duty's path?I have abjured my Maker: how can IBefore that Light disguise my blasphemyAnd wickedness? Retreat availeth not.Nay, I have gone too far. What remedy?What best to do amid this hopelessness?The time brooks no delay. One moment's timeIs not enough, if time it may be called,This brevity 'twixt bliss and endless doom.But 'tis too late. No cleansing for my stainIs here. All hope is past. What remedy?Hark I there I hear God's trumpet blow without,

APOLLION. LUCIFER. RAFAEL.

Apollion:

Lord Stadtholder, awake! not now the timeFor loitering. God's Marshal Michael nears,With all his stars and legions, and defiesThee in the open field. The time demandsThat thou array for battle. Come, advance!Advance with us: we see the battle won.

Lucifer:

Won? Ah! that is too soon: 'tis not commenced.The heavy bolt of war should not be weighedToo lightly.

Apollion:

I saw even in Michael's faceThe hue of fright, while all his legions paleLooked backwards. Ah! we long. O doubt it not,To humble and destroy them. Lo! here comeThe various chieftains with our streaming standard.

Lucifer:

Each in his rank! Let each his banner ward.Now let the trump and bugle boldly blow.

Apollion:

We wait upon thy word.

Lucifer:

Then follow on,As I this signal give.

Rafael:

Alas! but nowHe stood in doubt suspended: now, despairIncites him on. In what calamities,Alas! shall soon the proud Archangel plungeHis followers? Now may he nevermoreIn joy appear on high unless God shallIn His compassion this prevent. Oh! come,Ye Heavenly choristers, and breathe your prayers.It may be that your supplications, rising,May yet avert this dire, impending blow:Oft prayer can break a heart of adamant.

CHORUS OF ANGELS. RAFAEL.

Chorus:

O Father, who no incense, gold,Or hymnal praise dost dearer holdThan the tranquil trust and soul-reposingCalmness of him who humbly heedsThy word, and where Thy spirit leadsDoth leave himself in Thy disposing:Thou seest. O Author of us all,Our Spirit-Chief his banners tall'Gainst Thee so wickedly unfurling;And how, 'mid roar of trump and drum,On battle-chariot he doth come,So blind, and fierce defiance hurling!Ah! heed not their wild blasphemy,And save from endless miseryThe thousand thousand ones deluded,Who, weak, and woefully misledBy their proud and rebellious head,Are 'mong his legions now included.

Rafael:

Spare in Thy mercy, spare, ah! spareThe Stadtholder, who now would wearThy crown of crowns, who, deifyingHimself, would triumph over all:From such foul stain, oh! where else shallThe cleansing come, him purifying?

Chorus:

Oh! suffer not that soul to die.The fairest e'er seen by Thine eyeOh I keep the Archangel e'er in Heaven;Let him atone this impious deed.And still retain his rank, we pleadLet not his guilt be unforgiven.

ACT V

RAFAEL. URIEL.

Rafael:

The whole of Heaven, from base to topmost crownOf her chief palaces, resounds with joy,As Michael's trumpets blow and banners wave.The field is won. Our shields shine splendidly,Shaping new suns. From every shield-sun streamsA day triumphant forth. Lo! from the fight,See, Uriel proud, the armor-bearer, comes;And waves the flaming, keen, two-edged sword,That, whet with Heaven's wrath and vengeance, flashed,Amid the fray, through shield and mail and helmOf diamond, left and right, through all that daredOppose the all-piercing Power, Omnipotence.O armor-bearer, most austere, who artThe executioner on high, and dostWith one strong, righteous stroke compose the WrongThat would rebel against eternal Right,Blest be thy sword and arm, that thus maintainAnd guard the honor of our Angel Realm.What praise reserved for thee by MajestySupreme! Oh! pray relate to us the strife:Unfold to us the management of this,The first campaign in Heaven. We listen, then,In expectation rapt.

Uriel:

Your wish inflamesMy spirit to begin, this fearful frayIn calmness to describe, with sequence just,Success the army crowns that fights with God.The Field-marshal, great Michael (being warnedBy the envoy of Heaven, who from aboveFlew downward, downward swifter than a starThat shoots athwart the sky, with the tidings how,Against the high decree proud LuciferHimself so openly opposed, preparedTo lead his incense-swinging worshippers—All who his standard and his morning-starHad sworn their bold allegiance), quickly donned,At Gabriel's report—that Herald true—His scaly coat of mail, and with firm voiceHe forthwith then gave charge to all his chiefs,His captains, lords, and officers to place,In the name of God, the troops in battle rank,That, with united forces and with allTheir strength, they might sweep from the airy vastOf purest crystalline this perjured scum:To cast in darkness all those Spirits vile,Ere unawares they us surprise. UponThis charge the legions rapidly deployedThemselves in battle-line, as speedilyAs flies the nimble arrow from the bow.We saw there countless throngs together swarmIn bright array and glowing martial pomp,Until they formed, in serried rank, one firmTrilateral host that, like a triangle,Thrust out its edges sharp upon the eye.We saw a solid mass, like one dense light,Three-pointed, polished mirror-smooth, even likeTo diamond, and a battle-front advanceBy God more than by Spirit understood.The Field-marshal towered in the army's heart,Full-faced before God's banner, with the glowOf lurid lightnings in his lifted hand.Who courage would preserve.—would victoryAnd triumph e'er attain.—should first have careTo make sure of and then to gain the heart.

Rafael:

But where the host accursed that us would storm?

Uriel:

It came into the field of daring fullWith all its primal faith, obedience,Honor, and oath, and what besides, forgotIn this base and presumptuous attempt'Gainst God, despite our prayers. It swiftly waxed.And pointed like a crescent moon its ends.It sharpened both its points, and these, even likeTwo horns, closed in upon us, as amidThe Zodiac the Bull doth threaten withHis golden horns the other animalsCelestial and the monsters that revolveAround. Upon the right horn there advancedPrince Belzebub, whose purpose was to clipOur spreading wings, and also to keep guard.The left horn to Prince Belial was assigned.Thus both stood there in shining panoply,Vying in splendors grand. The Stadtholder,Now Field-marshal 'gainst God, the centre heldOf this array, that he might guard the key,—The point strategic of the legions there.The lofty standard, from whose morning-starThe day did seem to stream, ApollionBehind him bore, as bravely as he could,In his full glory seated high to view.

Rafael:

Alas! what dares—what dares the great ArchangelAttempt? Oh! if I only could in timeHave brought him to desist. However, nowDescribe to me the aspect of their march,And with what show the Prince his legions led.

Uriel:

Surrounded by his staff and retinueIn green, he, wickedly impelled by hateIrreconcilable, in golden mail,That brightly shone upon his martial vestOf glowing purple, mounted then his car,Whose golden wheels with rubies were emblazed.The lion and the dragon fell, preparedFor speedy flight, with backs sown full of starsAnd to the chariot joined by pearly traces,Panted for strife, and for destruction flamed.Within his hand a battle-axe he bore,And from his left arm hung a glimmering shield,Wherein his morning-star was artfullyEmbossed: thus stood he poised to venture all.

Rafael:

O Lucifer, thou shalt this pride repent.Thou phoenix 'mongst God's worshippers on high.How grand thou dost appear amid thy legions,With helm, head, neck, and shoulders eminent!How gloriously thine armor thee becomes,As if by nature fitted to thy form!Oh! Chief of Spirits, no farther go; turn back.

Uriel:

Confronted thus they stood embattled, troopBy troop, each in his air and station placed,All ranked by files 'neath their respective chiefs,Both sides arrayed with fairest pomp to view.When furious drum and clarion trumpet sound,Their medley resonance nerves every armAnd sharpens every sword; and mounts on highInto the firmament of the holy LightSupreme, a din whereat a pregnant cloudOf darts doth burst with pealing thunder-showersOf fiery hail, a storm and tempest fierce,That makes afraid the very Heaven and shakesThe pillars of its palaces. The starsAnd spheres, perplexed, from their appointed pathsAnd orbits err, or on their circled watchBewildered stand, not knowing where to turn:Or East or West, or upwards or below.All that is seen is lightning flash and flame;All that is heard is thunder. What remainsIn its primeval place? That which was onceThe highest now becomes the thing most low.The squadrons, when the deep-vibrating shockOf their artillery's first volleyed roarHas died away, now struggle hand to handWith halberd, sabre, dagger, club, and spear.All stab and slash, that can. All formed by natureFor fell destruction and for greedy spoilNow haste to strike the violating blow.All thoughts of kin and brotherhood have ceased;Nor knoweth any one his fellow more.Above are whirling, like a cloud of dust,Proud crests of pearl with curlèd locks of hair,And plumes and wings refulgent with a gleamDrawn from the singeing lightning's glow. Behold!In rich confusion mingled, blue turquoise,With gold and diamond, necklaces of pearl,And all that can adorn the hair or head.Wings lopped in twain, and broken arrows, whirlAthwart the sky. A horrid battle-cryRises from out the cohorts clad in green:Their regiments, in danger, are compelledBy our hot onset to retreat. Three timesThe maddened Lucifer the fight renews,And proudly stays his faltering followers,Even as a rock beats back the ocean surgeThat, wave on wave, with foaming rage assailsIn vain attempt.

Rafael:

Indeed, 'tis something this:To fight, armed by despair.

Uriel:

Then straightway causedThe valiant Michael all the trumps to sound:"Glory to God!" His legions, thus made boldBy this their watchword, and by his command,Begin by circling wheels to soar aloft,To gain the wind-side of their battling foe,Who also rises, but with heavier sail,And finally to leeward slowly drifts:As if one heavenward a falcon saw,Mounting with pinions bold into the sky.Ere that the drowsing herons are aware.Who in a wood, hard by a pleasant mead,Tremble with fright, when from their lofty nestThey see their dreaded foe. The heron cries,And, fearful of the falcon's direful claw,Awaits him on his beak, thus to impaleHis enemy's soft breast from there beneath,When swoops the falcon with unerring wingsUpon his prey.

Rafael:

O Lucifer, for theeWhat remedy? It seems most terrible!Now art thou in the open field, where portNor wall defend. A horrid whirlwind soonShall suddenly swoop down and bury theeDeep in some gulf and bottomless abyss.

Uriel:

What fair perspective it was, thus to viewA hemisphere or crescent moon beneath,And up above a point trilateral:To see the legions, that upon the wordOf their commanding chiefs close in their ranks,Or them deploy, in their battalions standAs firm as walls of iron, as if they,With all their ordnance, dumb artillery,And martial engines, there in equipoiseWere placed, full-weighted 'gainst the balanced air!They hang suspended like a silent cloud,A cloud whereon the sun doth pour his beams,And which he paints with shade and varied hueAnd airy rainbows. So then, steeply flownAloft, the bold celestial eagle seesGod's foe, the hawk, circling his flight beneath.He strikes his wings together valiantly;But brooks awhile the hawk's wild wheeling there,And vain defiance, while he flames ere longTo swoop upon his feathered back and pluckHis glossy plumes: when, in the aery vast,"With curvèd beak and talons he shall seizeHis prey, or drive it, with the wind behind,Far from his eyes. Thus they precipitateThemselves, and stream down from their place on high.Even like some inland lake, or waterfall.In some far, Northern wild, that from the cliffsDashes with thundering resonance that frightsThe beasts and monsters in deep-hidden dells;Where from the precipice, rocks, loosened, fall,With massive torrents and uprooted treesIn countless numbers, that in their fierce plungeCrush and destroy all that the violenceOf stream and stone and wood cannot withstand.The point of the advancing column strikesThe crescent's centre with assault most fellOf brimstone, red and blue, and flames, with strokeOn stroke and quick-succeeding thunderboltsA piercing cry ascends. Their army's heart,Endangered, now begins, by slow degrees,To fail support of the accursèd one.The half-moon's bow, beneath the strain, beginsTo crack and break (for the ends together curve);So that they who the centre hold, must yieldBefore that onset fierce, and flee, if soonDeliverance be not brought from their distress.Prince Lucifer, swift-driven here and there,Approaches at this cry, and fearlesslyHimself exposes on his car, to showHis valor in this crisis dire. This givesNew heart unto the faltering ones. Then, fromThe foaming bit of his now furious team.He wards the feilest blows and fiercest strokes.The lion and the dragon blue, enraged,Leap forward at his word with fearful strides:One bellows, bites, and rends, while poison shootsOut from the other's forkèd tongue, who thusA pest provokes, and, raving, fills the airWith smoke blown from his nostrils far and wide.

Rafael: