Lord Stadtholder, of all the Spirits brave. Retreat and refuge sure, we hope that thou Shalt ne'er, as Michael, doom the neck of the Angels To be thrust 'neath the feet of Adam's brood, And then, as he, go gild and bloom this shame And insult with the show of equity; 510 And with thy might sustain the bold ascent Of man, this gross and Earth-born race. To God, By him so seldom seen, what incense brings he? Why stand we charged to serve a worm so base, To bear him on our hands, to heed his voice? Made God the boundless Heavens and Angels then For him alone? 'Twere better far had we Never been made, sooth, had we never been. Oh! pity, Lucifer, do not permit Our Order now so low to be abased, 520 And, guiltless, to decline, while man, thus made The Chief of Angels, e'er shall shine and glow Amid the splendor inaccessible, Before which Seraphim as shadows fade, With dreadful trembling. If thou'lt condescend So great injustice in this Realm to quell, And shalt maintain our Rights, we swear together E'er to support thy mighty arm. Then grasp This battle-axe. Help us our Rights to ward. We swear, by force, in majesty undimmed, 530 To set thee on the Throne for Adam made. We swear with one accord support. Then grasp This battle-axe. Help us our Rights to ward.
My sons, upon whose faith and loyalty No stain of treason lies, all that God wills, All He demands of us, is right: I know No other law; and stay, as Stadtholder Of God, His late decree and His resolve With all my might. This sceptre which I bear, To my right hand the great Omnipotent 540 Gave, as a mark of mercy and a sign Of His love and affection for us all. Doth now His mind and heart to Adam turn, And doth it please Him now to set mankind In full dominion us above--them over Both you and me to crown, though in our charge We ne'er grew weary, yet what remedy? Who will oppose such resolution here? Had He to Adam given an equal rank, A nature like unto the Angel world, 550 It were supportable for all the sons Of Heaven, sprung from God's lineage; now let Them be displeased, if such displeasure be On high not counted as a stain. However, There is a danger on each side--to yield Through fearfulness, or boldly to oppose. I wish that your resentment He forgive.