Poems (David)/The Fall of Lucifer
THE FALL OF LUCIFER.
Rev. xii., 3, 7, 8, 9, 12.
LOST in the past;—though vague tradition's tongueIn broken numbers hath its record sung—A sacred story, faint and dread it seemsLike the dim shadow'd outline seen in dreams—Faint as the distant and half-blended formOf the surf beaten cliff in wint'ry storm,That melts in softn'd shadows mid the rimeAnd cold,—so thro' the iron hand of timeComes back that wild and airy dream of yore!A mystic history, that evermoreMust linger but half solved;—and to human brainStill must that feeble light unread remain;There was a time when highest heaven did swearTheir Mighty Ruler should no longer bearThe sway unrivall'd o'er the new made earth,— What! the great angel host to meaner birthMust yield; the new born being, man, must claimThe partial homage to the dust again,And bow submissive to their Master's will!God's holy angels, whose voices low and sweet,Faint as the winds at eve, whose whisper'd sighSoft, tremulously wavering 'ere it die,Falls as some crested wave on sandy shore,In nature's murmuring music, fades evermore!Thus pass'd away from heaven's glittering throng,The angels' shout the cherubs' hallowed song.A haughty host, with proud unfearing eye,They stand their Maker to, alas! defy.Rebellious to that Master's holy will!But One, far nobler and more beauteous still,The leader in their wild unhallow'd war,Stood proudly lone;—his dazzling ether carGlorious as sunset in some tropic clime,Fair as the sinless earth, in golden harvest time.Unruffled there with swanlike wings he stay'd,Emboldened by the cherubs' proffered aid.Bright Lucifer reflected from the orient shoreOf heaven's glassy sea, as dauntless still he boreThe bright, undimmed, and flashing sword of fire,Spake, and fixed, all kindled with his ire,His daring eyes on God's eternal throne!— And fiercely faced the Mighty Lord, whose homeHe should have served, not turned aside.As rang that haughty voice thus far and wide,Thro' heaven's vaulted arch, there passed a breath,As though the cold pale angel lip of deathForsaw that hour the seed the day would bear,And formed that moment all his fatal snare.The new earth trembled, wither'd then the leavesCame quivering down, as thro' the silent eve,Vague as waking dream, yet creeping near:First came to earth, the fatal feeling, fear!Yet e'er he spoke, the future fiend survey'dHis angel army proudly thus array'd.—The rebel cherubim, whose woe or wealHis turn of fortune should to them reveal!"Oh! Mighty Being!—who from fiery flameDid'st as Thy ministers the angel frame.Hast Thou not a new and beauteous careE'en in all this fresh formed earth can bear?Thou bid'st us serve, the stranger being manBown down before.—Hold, all Thy mighty planShall be as the vain crumbling clay and dust;In which so bravely Thou dost surely trust!Behold my army, fear'st Thou not indeed,When all the powers of Thy realms are freed?And as the mountain torrent from the steep Bears down the living granite 'neath its sweep,Break their allegiance and thus together standA bold, and ready, though a rebel band!—I will rule o'er Thee, and my mightier mind,Thy limbs, proud Master, to the earth will bindAs shatter'd pine, which 'neath the ruthless handOf the wing'd whirlwind no more doth standA tip toe o'er the abyss' yawning brink,As though it fear'd to break the loosening linkThat binds its shatter'd roots around the rock;—Which nourish'd yet, before the fatal shockOf heaven's war it bends, and parting from the brinkAs some storm weaken'd swimmers in mid ocean sink."Lo!—from the rainbow'd throne, a voice arose,Roll'd back the haze of glory, to discloseThe Power Supreme! and from His eyesThe Living Light, His angel host defies.Hoary the hair that crowns His lofty brow,Grasped in His hand a sword of fire now.Loud rose the voice, as water murmuring on,Still, soft, and gently, then, alas! was gone.Unangered the voice arose aloneIn calm entreaty's earnest quiet tone."Thou bright Lucifer, so fall'n and thus farI give to ye dominion o'er the starOf morning bright, the first whose gentle beam O'er the new made ocean threw its trembling gleam.Still then o'er ocean came thy modest ray,Bright herald of the fifth succeeding day.Soft as the gentle breath that wakes to lifeThe sinless child, e'er dream of care or strife,Shall clouded by thy black wing'd presence come,Drifts its deathless soul, from heaven's hallow'd home.Oh! urge me not, lest in my wrath I flingThee and thy rebel host from heaven, and bringDestruction on thee—Curb thy ambition then;Turn from My presence, and no more offend!There is forgiveness e'en for thou, misguided one.Desist,—for mercy waits, thy plot's undone.Pride cometh, angel, ere some grievous fall!"There was a solemn pause—then trembling allStood hush'd; and silence deep alone there reign'dAs though untimed eternity againRuled with its nameless laws and mystic sway,Ere broke on man, the vague mysterious day!Proud Lucifer, with brow as midnight storm,Defiant still, his bright dilated form—'Neath his proud feet, the eclipsed sun he press'd,As he unawed his Sovereign Lord address'd,All his fellow angels towering o'erA rebel band, alas! for evermore. One 'midst that angel host stood silent by,His sad down cast mien, and streaming eye,Bent to the star paved heavenly ground,And long fair hair in starry chaplet bound."Oh! Raphael, thou weep'st well, for one whose prideFor ever from My throne, alas! his thoughts divide,I know the tender hopes in thy sad soul,That to wither only e'en thou didst unfold.I bless ye Raphael! second shalt thou beOf all the heavenly host, the chief are yeOf those who rule the erring souls of men,Guardian art thou:—thy humble soul shall blend,Weaving its gentleness within their human breast,Where sharp pain or sorrow e'en find their rest!The time will come when My pure earth ne'er moreCan wear a sinless robe!—her triumph o'er.Darkly My curse must sadly on her come,When man shall sinning quit his Eden home!Thou, Lucifer, shall never, never moreTread with thy scoffing host My heavenly floor,Hence! till heaven and earth shall pass away;In utter darkness shalt thou chained lay!Chang'd shalt thou be, a dragon's horn'd form,Of scarlet dye, by thee for ever borne.Oh! Prince of Evil.—once thou had'st a hope, As fair and buoyant, till ye sought to copeWith thy great Almighty Master—then thy starDid set for ever!l—and now too late must barThy path midst endless bliss;—thy doom receive,Nor o'er thy well earned sorrow dare to grieve."Thus spake the mighty God, as from His eye,The forked living light'nings flashing fly,Bright as the intense glow that ever comesAthwart the fiery west, lighting the radiant homeOf the down sinking sun, when twilight leavesIn darkening silence gentle dewy eve!Nor gaze upon the face of Him thy God;Till as a captive bending 'neath the rod,Thou, and thy rebel band, in fallen stateShall meet once more their well earned doom and fate.Then uprose Michael, and with flaming swordStood forth to battle in the guilty war;All heaven's faithful hosts his noble form surround,And at his mail'd back behold there boundThe fiery chariots and steeds of heavenly flame!To proudly battle, and yet not in vain,For the great Mighty Master who had claimedThe angel host for service, yet who deignedTo fashion man in glorious form divine,For him alone didst cause to purely shine The undimmed lamp, which God and reason giveTo guide his varied road, and teach to live!Fierce waged the war, from heaven's highest gate—Cast out the rebel angels, alas! their fate—There shot one fiery meteor, from the sky,Trembled, gleamed, then slowly paled and died.'Twas daring Lucifer, the once fair star of morn,That bow'd, and fell, before the awful storm!