Vondel's Lucifer Part 37

Uriel:

It came into the field of daring full With all its primal faith, obedience, Honor, and oath, and what besides, forgot In this base and presumptuous attempt 'Gainst G.o.d, despite our prayers. It swiftly waxed.

And pointed like a crescent moon its ends. 70 It sharpened both its points, and these, even like Two horns, closed in upon us, as amid The Zodiac the Bull doth threaten with His golden horns the other animals Celestial and the monsters that revolve Around. Upon the right horn there advanced Prince Belzebub, whose purpose was to clip Our spreading wings, and also to keep guard.

The left horn to Prince Belial was a.s.signed.

Thus both stood there in shining panoply, 80 Vying in splendors grand. The Stadtholder, Now Field-marshal 'gainst G.o.d, the centre held Of this array, that he might guard the key,-- The point strategic of the legions there.

The lofty standard, from whose morning-star The day did seem to stream, Apollion Behind him bore, as bravely as he could, In his full glory seated high to view.

Rafael:

Alas! what dares--what dares the great Archangel Attempt? Oh! if I only could in time 90 Have brought him to desist. However, now Describe to me the aspect of their march, And with what show the Prince his legions led.

Uriel:

Surrounded by his staff and retinue In green, he, wickedly impelled by hate Irreconcilable, in golden mail, That brightly shone upon his martial vest Of glowing purple, mounted then his car, Whose golden wheels with rubies were emblazed.

The lion and the dragon fell, prepared 100 For speedy flight, with backs sown full of stars And 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 artfully Embossed: thus stood he poised to venture all.

Rafael:

O Lucifer, thou shalt this pride repent.

Thou phoenix 'mongst G.o.d's worshippers on high.

How grand thou dost appear amid thy legions, 110 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, troop By 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 arm 120 And sharpens every sword; and mounts on high Into the firmament of the holy Light Supreme, a din whereat a pregnant cloud Of darts doth burst with pealing thunder-showers Of fiery hail, a storm and tempest fierce, That makes afraid the very Heaven and shakes The pillars of its palaces. The stars And spheres, perplexed, from their appointed paths And orbits err, or on their circled watch Bewildered stand, not knowing where to turn: 130 Or East or West, or upwards or below.

All that is seen is lightning flash and flame; All that is heard is thunder. What remains In its primeval place? That which was once The highest now becomes the thing most low.

The squadrons, when the deep-vibrating shock Of their artillery's first volleyed roar Has died away, now struggle hand to hand With halberd, sabre, dagger, club, and spear.

All stab and slash, that can. All formed by nature 140 For fell destruction and for greedy spoil Now 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 curled locks of hair, And plumes and wings refulgent with a gleam Drawn from the singeing lightning's glow. Behold!

In rich confusion mingled, blue turquoise, With gold and diamond, necklaces of pearl, 150 And all that can adorn the hair or head.

Wings lopped in twain, and broken arrows, whirl Athwart the sky. A horrid battle-cry Rises from out the cohorts clad in green: Their regiments, in danger, are compelled By our hot onset to retreat. Three times The maddened Lucifer the fight renews, And proudly stays his faltering followers, Even as a rock beats back the ocean surge That, wave on wave, with foaming rage a.s.sails 160 In vain attempt.

Rafael:

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

Uriel:

Then straightway caused The valiant Michael all the trumps to sound: "Glory to G.o.d!" His legions, thus made bold By 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, 170 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 nest They see their dreaded foe. The heron cries, And, fearful of the falcon's direful claw, Awaits him on his beak, thus to impale His enemy's soft breast from there beneath, When swoops the falcon with unerring wings Upon his prey.

Rafael:

O Lucifer, for thee 180 What remedy? It seems most terrible!

Now art thou in the open field, where port Nor wall defend. A horrid whirlwind soon Shall suddenly swoop down and bury thee Deep in some gulf and bottomless abyss.

Uriel:

What fair perspective it was, thus to view A hemisphere or crescent moon beneath, And up above a point trilateral: To see the legions, that upon the word Of their commanding chiefs close in their ranks, 190 Or them deploy, in their battalions stand As firm as walls of iron, as if they, With all their ordnance, dumb artillery, And martial engines, there in equipoise Were 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 hue And airy rainbows. So then, steeply flown Aloft, the bold celestial eagle sees 200 G.o.d'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 long To swoop upon his feathered back and pluck His glossy plumes: when, in the aery vast, "With curved beak and talons he shall seize His prey, or drive it, with the wind behind, Far from his eyes. Thus they precipitate Themselves, and stream down from their place on high. 210 Even like some inland lake, or waterfall.

In some far, Northern wild, that from the cliffs Dashes with thundering resonance that frights The beasts and monsters in deep-hidden dells; Where from the precipice, rocks, loosened, fall, With ma.s.sive torrents and uprooted trees In countless numbers, that in their fierce plunge Crush and destroy all that the violence Of stream and stone and wood cannot withstand.

The point of the advancing column strikes 220 The crescent's centre with a.s.sault most fell Of brimstone, red and blue, and flames, with stroke On stroke and quick-succeeding thunderbolts A piercing cry ascends. Their army's heart, Endangered, now begins, by slow degrees, To fail support of the accursed one.

The half-moon's bow, beneath the strain, begins To crack and break (for the ends together curve); So that they who the centre hold, must yield Before that onset fierce, and flee, if soon 230 Deliverance be not brought from their distress.

Prince Lucifer, swift-driven here and there, Approaches at this cry, and fearlessly Himself exposes on his car, to show His valor in this crisis dire. This gives New heart unto the faltering ones. Then, from The 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: 240 One bellows, bites, and rends, while poison shoots Out from the other's forked tongue, who thus A pest provokes, and, raving, fills the air With smoke blown from his nostrils far and wide.

Rafael:

Now will the burning strike him from on high?

Uriel:

He waves his battle-axe aloft to fell G.o.d's banner, that, descending, darts the beams And fairer radiance of G.o.d's name into His glowing face. Oh! think what envy then Him filled, to see this portent on our side. 250 With battle-axe in hand, now here, now there, He parries every stroke, or breaks their force Upon his shield, till Michael comes before Him, clad in glittering armor, like a G.o.d Amid a ring of suns: "Cease, Lucifer; Give G.o.d the victory. Lay down your arms And standard; yield to G.o.d. Come, lead away This wicked crew, this impious horde. Or else, Beware thy head!" Thus shouts he from on high.

The Grand Foe of G.o.d's name, stiff-necked, unmoved, 260 And more defiant at these words, renews The fight with haste precipitate, and thrice With war-axe strives to cleave the diamond shield Where glowed G.o.d's holy name. But who provokes The Deity shall feel His wrath. The axe The holy diamond strikes, but lo! rebounds, And shivers into fragments. Then aloft His right hand Michael lifts, and through the helm And head of that rebellious one he smites, Helped by the great Omnipotent, his lightnings, 270 Cleaving unto his eyes with violence So great that he falls backward, and is hurled Down from his chariot, that forthwith follows Him, whirling round and round in its descent; Thus lion, dragon, driver, all plunge down.

The standard of the Star doth cease to shine, When feels Apollion my flaming sword.

Whereon his banner, straightway, he doth leave As plunder in my hands; while in fierce swarms Tumultuous their warring myriads 280 Attempt, in vain, to stay the falling Chief Of all the hosts infernal, and to save Him from this fate and great calamity.

Here fights Prince Belzebub, and there opposed Stands Belial. Thus their squadrons are confused: And with the Stadtholder's important fall The crescent's bow soon into shivers breaks.

Then comes Apollion into the field, With all the monsters from the firmament.

The giant Orion shrieks, until the sound 290 The very air makes faint; then with his club He strives to crush the head of our a.s.sault, That, heedless of Orion or his club, Moves grandly on. The Northern Bears rear back Upon their haunches, that their brutish strength May blindly us oppose. The Hydra gapes With fifty throats, that vomit poison forth.

I view a gallery of battle-scenes, All happening in the fray, as far as eye Can see.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Thus lion, dragon, driver, all plunge down."]

Rafael:

Praise be to G.o.d! Upon your knees 300 Fall down and worship Him! O Lucifer, Ah! where now is that fickle confidence?

In what strange shape shall I, alas! behold Thee soon? Where now are thy proud splendors, that All other pomp so easily outshone?

Uriel:

Even as bright day to gloomy night is changed, Whene'er the sun forgets his golden glow, So in his downward fall his beauty turned To something monstrous and most horrible: Into a brutish snout his face, that shone 310 So glorious; his teeth into large fangs, Sharpened for gnawing steel; his hands and feet Into four various claws; into a hide Of black that shining skin of pearl; while from His bristled back two dragon wings did sprout.

Alas! the proud Archangel, whom but now All Angels honored here, hath changed his shape into a hideous medley of seven beasts, As outwardly appears: A lion proud; A greedy, gluttonous swine; a slothful a.s.s; 320 A fierce rhinoceros, with rage inflamed; An ape, in every part obscene and vile, By nature lewd and most lascivious; A dragon, full of envy; and a wolf Of sordid avarice. His beauteous form Is now a monster execrable, by G.o.d And Spirit and man e'er to be cursed. That beast Doth shrink to view its own deformity, And veils with darkling mists its Gorgon face.

Rafael:

Thus shall Ambition learn how vain to tilt 330 For G.o.d's own crown. Where stayed Apollion?

Uriel: