Thou art, indeed, 250 Most zealous for the glory of God's name; Though truly without weighing well that God, The point wherein His majesty doth lie, Far better knows than we. Cease therefore now This inquisition. For when God as man Shall have become, He shall this book of His Own mysteries, now sealed with seven seals. Himself unseal. To taste the kern within Is not for thee; thou seest the shell alone. Then of this long concealment we shall learn 260 The cause and hidden reason, all the while Deep-gazing; in the unveiled Holy of Holies. It now behooves us ever to obey And to revere this rising dawn, to use Our light with thankfulness until the time When knowledge in her power shall drive all doubt Away, even as the sun the night. Now learn We gradually, with modest reverence, God's Wisdom to approach. And this to us Reveals, by slow degrees, the light of truth 270 And knowledge, and requires that, on his watch, Each shall submit himself to reason's rule, Lord Stadtholder, be calm. Be foremost, thou, Now to maintain the law. God sends me hence. I must away.
The Stadtholder now hears the meaning of This proclamation grave so proudly blown By Gabriel's trumpet bold. How well he showed Thee God's design! whose purpose thou may'st scent: Thus shall he clip the wings of thy great power. 280
[Illustration: "But here hardby comes Heaven's interpreter."]
But not so easily: Ah! nay, forsooth; I shall have care this purpose to prevent. Let not a power inferior thus dream To rule the Powers above.
He maketh threat Forthwith to crush Rebellion's head and crown.
Now swear I by my crown, upon this chance To venture all, to raise my seat amid The firmament, the spheres, the splendor of The stars above. The Heaven of Heavens shall then My palace be, the rainbow be my throne, 290 The starry vast, my court, while, down beneath, The Earth shall be my foot-stool and support. I shall, then swiftly drawn through air and light, High-seated on a chariot of cloud, With lightning stroke and thunder grind to dust Whate'er above, around, below, doth us Oppose, were it God's Marshal grand himself. Yea, e'er we yield, these empyrean vaults. Proud in their towering masonry, shall burst With all their airy arches and dissolve 300 Before our eyes: this huge and joint-racked Earth, Like a misshapen monster, lifeless lie; This wondrous universe to chaos fall. And to its primal desolation change. Who dares, who dares defy great Lucifer? We cite Apollion.