Among that heavenly race
There dwelt two angel-sisters, nymphs divine,
The daughters of the Lord of gods and men,
Star-dowered, light-portioned, forms full realized
Of the Eternal Beauty.


Yet how unlike
Their nature, and their loveliness; in one
A soul of lofty clearness, like a night
Of stars, wherein the memory of the day
Seems trembling through the meditative air—
In whose proud eye, one fixed and arklike thought
Held only sway; that thought a mystery;—
In one, a golden aspect like the dawn—
Beaming perennial in the Heavenly east—
Of paly light; she ever brightening looked
As with the boundless promise unfulfilled
Of some supreme perfection; in her heart
That promise aye predestinate, alway sure,
Her breast with joy suffusing, and so wrought,
Her sigh seemed happier than her sister's smile:
Yet patient she and humble.


Of this twain
The elder my betrothed was, to me
In antemundane ages, by my sire,
As of like royal issue with myself,
And seed divine reserved; yet so disposed
Of this bright orb the triple herison,
That ere the elder entered on the whole,
The younger should the fair domain enjoy
Of her own chosen portion and delight.
Such the decree forestablished from of old.
Who shall gainsay the will supreme of God?
For both He loved right well, but for my sake
The first the best, with whom was most secured
The bliss of all.


The younger now had reigned
In meekest wise for many a moonlike age
O'er her select dominion; and delight
Leapt up its highest, when the news made known
By Wisdom, their high governante, spread abroad
Of nuptials nearing celebration. Vast
And rich in festive splendour were commenced
The sacred preparations: every heart
Impatient for the high propitious hour
When the Bride Queen of their own angel race
With me enthroned should sit, and rule with me.

Midst all this, suddenly a stranger star
Swordlike in shape, as waved by hand unseen
Far off in space appeared; eclipsing swift
All lesser, nearer lights which nature shewed.
So rapidly from end to end it flew
Of Heaven's horizon—even as though it scorned
The quiet skies of that extatic sphere,
I spake of—that the third night it had vanished
Into the unknown infinite below;
When to their wondering eyes the morrow morn,
Waked out of darkness into daily light,
A marvel mightier than the sworded star—
Which I alone perceived the Evil one
Had there unsheathed in Heaven where late it flamed—
Behold, was present.


Bands of angels—whence
Was known not—thronged the groves and palaces,
Which decked our paradisal world, in air
And aspect, fair yet foreign, and distinct
Their every action with a shining grace
Which like a lodestar chained, unfelt, the eye;
And made their loveliness, exceeding far
The holy beauty of the original tribes—
Erstwhile so happy—fatal. For these first
The heart divided, once entirely God's,
Whole and without a flaw; first tuned their lyres
To angel-love alone, but half divine;
First taught to separate self from Deity.
Yet seemed they not to teach but rather fled
All serious converse and instruction, soon
Curtailing worship and prolonging rest;
As though true worship were not union high
With the Great Lord and universal Good,
Worthy of worship ceaseless and by all.

These after mingling, as by chance or choice
In holy celebrations, when first asked
Their rank to name, and order, made reply
They were the youngest offspring of the Heavens,
Children of bliss and knowledge, richly dowered
With singular joys and rare immunities;—
That they were spirits of freedom and their suit
And servage voluntary, whence alone
Budded what little merit they possessed;
As otherwise their gracious Lord, they said,
Were mocked with forced compliance; that all good
Sprang from the natural impulse of their souls
And the proud pleasure of pure liberty;
That they the measure of the skies fulfilled
The complement of all extremes of light;
Of all celestial essence they the sum,
And after them was nothing;—which to preach
Of their own selves was their sole business there
Wandering where'er to wander pleased them best.

Like, but unequal, as the eye to Heaven,
Errors the shape of truths put on; as clouds
The forms of isles and continents assume,
From whence they sprang, suspended in the skies.

With such like words, so falsely seeming true,
And ofttimes urged, were many led aside
To question—doubt—deny—at last, cast off
The holy law ordained of Deity
Which makes His love sustaining Spirit alone
The cause and reason of all righteousness
All peace all bliss; freewill the synonyme
Of selfish nature as opposed to God,
Blown up with self conceived deserts, and proud
To prove its own an independent power
Held, in duality, with Him on high.
Vain, foolish, impious thought for aye begone;
With all things false and foul for ever cease!—