How impotent they are! and yet on earth They have repute for wondrous power and skill; And books describe, how that the very face Of the Evil One, if seen, would have a force Even to freeze the blood, and choke the life Of him who saw it.
ANGEL
In thy trial-state Thou hadst a traitor nestling close at home, Connatural, who with the powers of hell 490 Was leagued, and of thy senses kept the keys, And to that deadliest foe unlocked thy heart. And therefore is it, in respect to man, Those fallen ones show so majestical. But, when some child of grace, angel or saint, Pure and upright in his integrity Of nature, meets the demons on their raid, They scud away as cowards from the fight. Nay, oft hath holy hermit in his cell, Not yet disburdened of mortality, 500 Mocked at their threats and warlike overtures; Or, dying, when they swarmed, like flies, around, Defied them, and departed to his Judge.
DEMONS
Virtue and vice, A knave's pretence. 'Tis all the same; Ha! ha! Dread of hell-fire, Of the venomous flame, A coward's plea. 510 Give him his price, Saint though he be, Ha! ha! From shrewd good sense He'll slave for hire; Ha! ha! And does but aspire To the heaven above With sordid aim, And not from love. 520 Ha! ha!
SOUL
I see not those false spirits; shall I see My dearest Master, when I reach His throne; Or hear, at least, His awful judgment-word With personal intonation, as I now Hear thee, not see thee, Angel? Hitherto All has been darkness since I left the earth; Shall I remain thus sight bereft all through My penance time? If so, how comes it then That I have hearing still, and taste, and touch, 530 Yet not a glimmer of that princely sense Which binds ideas in one, and makes them live?
ANGEL
Nor touch, nor taste, nor hearing hast thou now; Thou livest in a world of signs and types, The presentations of most holy truths, Living and strong, which now encompass thee. A disembodied soul, thou hast by right No converse with aught else beside thyself; But, lest so stern a solitude should load And break thy being, in mercy are vouchsafed 540 Some lower measures of perception, Which seem to thee, as though through channels brought, Through ear, or nerves, or palate, which are gone. And thou art wrapped and swathed around in dreams, Dreams that are true, yet enigmatical; For the belongings of thy present state, Save through such symbols, come not home to thee. And thus thou tell'st of space, and time, and size, Of fragrant, solid, bitter, musical, Of fire, and of refreshment after fire; 550 As (let me use similitude of earth, To aid thee in the knowledge thou dost ask)-- As ice which blisters may be said to burn. Nor hast thou now extension,[28] with its parts Correlative,--long habit cozens thee,-- Nor power to move thyself, nor limbs to move. Hast thou not heard of those, who, after loss Of hand or foot, still cried that they had pains In hand or foot, as though they had it still? So is it now with thee, who hast not lost 560 Thy hand or foot, but all which made up man; So will it be, until the joyous day Of resurrection, when thou wilt regain All thou hast lost, new-made and glorified. How, even now, the consummated Saints See God in heaven, I may not explicate. Meanwhile let it suffice thee to possess Such means of converse as are granted thee, Though, till that Beatific Vision thou art blind; For e'en thy purgatory, which comes like fire, 570 Is fire without its light.
SOUL
His will be done! I am not worthy e'er to see again The face of day; far less His countenance Who is the very sun. Nathless, in life, When I looked forward to my purgatory, It ever was my solace to believe, That, ere I plunged amid th' avenging flame, I had one sight of Him to strengthen me.
ANGEL
Nor rash nor vain is that presentiment; 580 Yes,--for one moment thou shalt see thy Lord. Thus will it be: what time thou art arraigned Before the dread tribunal, and thy lot Is cast for ever, should it be to sit On His right hand among His pure elect, Then sight, or that which to the soul is sight, As by a lightning-flash, will come to thee, And thou shalt see, amid the dark profound, Whom thy soul loveth, and would fain approach,-- One moment; but thou knowest not, my child, 590 What thou dost ask: that sight of the Most Fair Will gladden thee, but it will pierce thee too.
SOUL
Thou speakest darkly, Angel! and an awe Falls on me, and a fear lest I be rash.
ANGEL
There was a mortal, who is now above In the mid glory: he, when near to die, Was given communion with the Crucified,-- Such, that the Master's very wounds were stamped Upon his flesh;[29] and, from the agony 599 Which thrilled through body and soul in that embrace Learn that the flame of the Everlasting Love Doth burn ere it transform....
§5
... Hark to those sounds! They come of tender beings angelical, Least and most childlike of the sons of God.
FIRST CHOIR OF ANGELICALS
Praise to the Holiest in the height,[30] And in the depth be praise: In all His words most wonderful; Most sure in all His ways!
To us His elder race He gave 610 To battle and to win, Without the chastisement of pain, Without the soil of sin.
The younger son He willed to be A marvel in his birth: Spirit and flesh his parents were; His home was heaven and earth.
The Eternal blessed His child, and armed, And sent him hence afar, To serve as champion in the field 620 Of elemental war.
To be His Viceroy in the world Of matter, and of sense; Upon the frontier, towards the foe, A resolute defence.