L.

"Sooner will I with Cerberus exchange
"My office (and his is no sinecure)
"Than see this royal Bedlam bigot range

"The azure fields of heaven, of that be sure!"
"Saint!" replied Sathan, "you do dwell to avenge
"The wrongs he made your satellites endure;
"And if to this exchange you should be given,
"I'll try to coax our Cerberus up to heaven."

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LI.

Here Michael interposed: "Good saint! and devil!
Pray not so fast; you both out-run discretion.
"Saint Peter! you were want to be more civil:
"Sathan! excuse this warmth of his expression,
"And condescension to the vulgar's level:

"Even saints sometimes forget themselves in session. "Have you got more to say?"-"No!"-" If you please, "I'll trouble you to call your witnesses."

LII.

Then Sathan turn'd and wav'd his swarthy hand,
Which stirr'd with its electric qualities
Clouds farther off than we can understand,
Although we find him sometimes in our skies ;
Infernal thunder shook both sea and land

In all the planets, and hell's batteries
Let off the artillery, which Milton mentions
As one of Sathan's most sublime inventions.

LIII.

This was a signal unto such damn'd souls
As have the privilege of their damnation
Extended far beyond the mere controls

Of worlds past, present, or to come; no station
Is theirs particularly in the rolls

Of hell assigned; but where their inclination

Or business carries them in search of game,
They may range freely-being damn'd the same.

LIV.

They are proud of this-as very well they may,
It being a sort of knighthood, or gilt key
Stuck in their loins; or like to an "entré"
Up the back stairs, or such free-masonry:
I borrow my comparisons from clay,

Being clay myself. Let not those spirits be
Offended with such base low likenesses;

We know their posts are nobler far than these.

LV.

When the great signal ran from heaven to hell,—
About ten million times the distance reckon'd

From our sun to its earth, as we can tell

How much time it takes up, even to a second,

For every ray that travels to dispel

The fogs of London; through which, dimly beacon'd,

The weathercocks are gilt, some thrice a year,

If that the summer is not too severe :

C

LVI.

I say that I can tell-'twas half a minute;
I know the solar beams take up more time
Ere, pack'd up for their journey, they begin it;
But then their telegraph is less sublime,
And if they ran a race, they would not win it

Gainst Sathan's couriers bound for their own clime.

The sun takes up some years for every ray
To reach its goal-the devil not half a day.

LVII.

Upon the verge of space, about the size
Of half-a-crown, a little speck appear'd,
(I've seen a something like it in the skies
In the Ægean, ere a squall;) it near'd,
And, growing bigger, took another guise;

Like an aërial ship it tack'd, and steer'd
Or was steer'd (I am doubtful of the grammar

Of the last phrase, which makes the stanza stammer;—

LVIII.

But take your choice;) and then it grew a cloud,
And so it was-a cloud of witnesses.

But such a cloud! No land ere saw a crowd

Of locusts numerous as the heavens saw these; They shadow'd with their myriads space; their loud And varied cries were like those of wild-geese,

(If nations may be liken'd to a goose)

And realized the phrase of "hell broke loose."

LVIX.

Here crash'd a sturdy oath of stout John Bull,

Who damn'd away his eyes as heretofore:

There Paddy brogued" by Jasus!"-" What's your wull?" The temperate Scot exclaim'd: the French ghost swore

In certain terms I sha'nt translate in full,

As the first coachman will; and midst the war

The voice of Jonathan was heard to express, "Our President is going to war, I guess."

XL.

Besides there were the Spaniard, Dutch, and Dane;
In short, an universal shoal of shades
From Otaheite's Isle to Salisbury Plain,

Of all climes and professions, years and trades,
Ready to swear against the good king's reign,
Bitter as clubs in cards are against spades:
All summon'd by this grand "subpoena," to
Try if kings mayn't be damn'd, like me or you.

LXI.

When Michael saw this host, he first grew pale,
As angels can; next, like Italian twilight,
He turned all colours-as a peacock's tail,
Or sunset streaming through a Gothic skylight
In some old abbey, or a trout not stale,

Or distant lightning on the horizon by night,
Or a fresh rainbow, or a grand review
Of thirty regiments in red, green, and blue.

LXII.

Then he address'd himself to Sathan: "Why

My good old friend, for such I deem you, though "Our different parties make us fight so shy,

"I ne'er mistake you for a personal foe; "Our difference is political, and I

"Trust that, whatever may occur below, "You know my great respect for you; and this "Makes me regret whate'er you do amiss

LXIII.

Why, my dear Lucifer, would you abuse

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My call for witnesses? I did not mean

"That you should half of earth and hell produce;

""Tis even superfluous, since two honest, clean, "True testimonies are enough: we lose

"Our time, nay, our eternity, between

"The accusation and defence: if we

"Hear both, 'twill stretch our immortality."

LXIV.

Sathan replied, "To me the matter is

"Indifferent, in a personal point of view:

"I can have fifty better souls than this

"With far less trouble than we have gone through "Already; and I merely argued his

"Late Majesty of Britain's case with you

"Upon a point of form: you may dispose

"Of him; I've kings enough below, God knows!"