Part II: The Lord God Holds Audience

(Entereth the LORD GOD, to whom the ANGELS minister.
He taketh His seat upon the throne.)
The Lord God. Thank ye, My servants all.
Thank ye, good Seraphim. To all and several,
Sons of the House, God's blessing (aside) who ne'er gave God pain.
Impeccable white Spirits, tell Me once again
How goeth it with the World, My ordered Universe,
My Powers and Dominations ? Michael, thou, rehearse
The glory of the Heavens. Tell Me, star and star,
Do they still sing together in their spheres afar ?
Have they their speech, their language ? Are their voices heard ?

Michael. All's well with the World. Each morn, as bird to answering bird,

The Stars shout in Thy glory praise unchanged yet new.
They magnify Thy name.
The Lord God. Truth's self were else untrue.
Time needs be optimist nor foul its own abode.
Else were Creation mocked (aside) and haply I not God.
In sooth all's well with the World. And thou My Raphael,
How fare the Spirit hosts ? Say, is thy world, too, well ?

Raphael. All's well with the World. We stand, as aye,
' obedient.
We have no thought but Thee, no asking, no intent
More than to laud and worship, O most merciful,
Being of those that wait.
Satan (aside). The contemplative rule
Out-ministers the active. These have right to boast,
Who stand aye in His presence, beyond the Angel host.
The Lord God. And none of ye grow weary ?
Raphael. Nay in truth.
The Lord God. Not one ?
Satan (aside). God is a jealous God. He doubteth them.
Raphael. Nay, none.
We are not as the Angels.
The Lord God. These have their devoirs,
The search, the novelty. Ye drowse here in your choirs,
Sleep-walkers all, — while these, glad messengers, go forth
Upon new joyous errands, Earthwards, South and North,
To visit men and cities. What is strange as Man ?
What fair as his green Globe in all Creation's plan ?
What ordered as his march of life, of mind, of will ?
What subtle as his conscience set at grips with ill ?
Their service needs no sleep who guide Man's destinies !
(After a pause). Speak, Gabriel, thou the last. Is Man grown grand and wise ?

Hath he his place on Earth, prince of Time's fashionings,
Noblest and fairest found, the roof and crown of things ?
Is the World joyful all in his most perfect joy ?
Hath the good triumphed, tell, o'er pain and Time's annoy,
Since Our Son died, who taught the way of perfect peace ?
Thou knowest it how I love these dear Humanities.
Is all quite well with Man ?

Gabriel. All's well with the World, ay well.

All's well enough with Man.

Satan (aside). Alas, poor Gabriel.

The Lord God. How meanest thou " enough " ? Man holdeth then Earth's seat,

Master of living things. He mild is and discreet,
Supreme in My Son's peace. The Earth is comforted
With its long rest from toil, nor goeth aught in dread,
Seeing all wars have ceased, the mad wars of old time.
The lion and the lamb lie down in every clime.
There is no strife for gold, for place, for dignities,
All holding My Son's creed ! The last fool hath grown wise.
He hath renounced his gods, the things of wood and stone !

Gabriel. The Christian name prevaileth. Its dominion
Groweth in all the lands. From Candia to Cathay
The fear of Christ is spread, and wide through Africa.
The Lord God. The fear ? And not the love ?
Gabriel. Who knoweth Man's heart ? All bow,
And all proclaim His. might. The manner and the how
It were less safe to argue, since some frailties be.
We take the outward act to prove conformity.
All's well enough with Man — most well with Christendom.
The Lord God. Again thou sayest " enough." How fareth it in Rome ?
Hath My vicegerent rest ?
Gabriel. He sitteth as of old
Enthroned in Peter's chair with glories manifold.
He sang a mass this morning and I heard his prayer.
The Lard God. For Peace ?
Gabriel. And Power on Earth.
The Lord God. For Power ? Hath he no care
Other than his temporal rule ?
Gabriel. He hath his pastime too.
He is Italian born and doeth as these do,
He is happy uccellando, deeming it no sin
In his own Vatican, its garden walls within,
Watching his fowling-nets. " I watch and pray," saith he :
" Vigilate et orate."
Satan (aside). O simplicity !
The Lord God. And are the Kings with him ? Do all pray with one breath ?
Gabriel. Some priests and poor I saw, —
Satan (aside). The poor he always hath.
Gabriel. His guards, his chamberlains.
The Lord God. The mighty ones, the proud,
Do they not kneel together daily in one crowd ?
Have they no common counsel ?
Gabriel. Kings have their own needs,
Demanding separate service.
Satan (aside). Ay, and their own creeds.
One cause alone combines them, and one service — mine.
The Lord God. Thou sayest ?
GabrieL Man still is Man.
The Lord God. We did redeem his line
And crown him with new worship. In the ancient days
His was a stubborn neck. But now he hath found grace,
Being born anew. His gods he hath renounced, sayest thou?
He worshippeth the Christ ? What more ?
Gabriel. Nay, 'tis enow.

He is justified by faith. He hath no fear of Hell
Since he hath won Thy grace. All's well with Man, — most well.
The Lord God. " All's well ! " The fair phrase wearieth.

It hath a new false ring.

Truce, Gabriel, to thy word-fence. Mark my questioning.
Or rather no — not thou, blest Angel of all good,
Herald of God's glad tidings to a world subdued,
Thou lover tried of Man. I will not question thee,
Lest I should tempt too sore and thou lie cravenly.
Is there no other here, no drudge, to do that task
And lay the secret bare, the face behind the mask ?
One with a soul less white, who loveth less, nay hates ;
One fit for a sad part, the Devil's advocate's ;
One who some wrong hath done, or hath been o'erborne of ill,

And so hath his tongue loosed ? O for a Soul with will !
O for one hour of Satan !

Satan. He is here, Lord God,
Ready to speak all truths to Thy face, even " Ichabod,
Thy glory is departed," were that truth.
The Lord God. Thou ? Here ?
Satan. A suppliant for Thy pardon, and in love, not fear,
One who Thou knowest doth love Thee, ay, and more than these.
The Lord God. That word was Peter's once.
Satan. I speak no flatteries ;
Nor shall I Thee deny for this man nor that maid,
Nor for the cock that crew.
The Lord God. Thou shalt not be gainsaid.
I grant thee audience. Speak.
Satan. Alone ?
The Lord God. 'Twere best alone.
Angels, ye are dismissed. (The Angels depart.) Good
Satan, now say on.
Satan (alone with THE LORD GOD). Omnipotent Lord

God ! Thou knowest all. I speak
Only as Thy poor echo, faltering with words weak,
A far-off broken sound, yet haply not unheard.
Thou knowest the Worlds Thou madest, and Thine own high word

Declaring they were good. Good were they in all sooth
The mighty Globes Thou mouldedst in the World's fair youth,
Launched silent through the void, evolving force and light.
Thou gatheredst in Thy hand's grasp shards of the Infinite
And churnedst them to Matter ; Space concentrated,
Great, glorious, everlasting. The Stars leaped and fled,
As hounds, in their young strength. Yet might they not withdraw
From Thy hand's leash and bond. Thou chainedst them with law.

They did not sin, those Stars, change face, wax proud, rebel.
Nay, they were slaves to Thee, things incorruptible.
I might not tempt them from Thee.
The Lord God. And the reason ?
Satan. Hear.
Thou gavest them no Mind, no sensual atmosphere,
Who wert Thyself their Soul. Though thou should drowse for aye,
They should not swerve, nor flout Thee, nor abjure Thy way,
Not by a hair's breadth, Lord.
The Lord God. Thou witnessest for good.
Satan. I testify for truth. In all that solitude
Of spheres involved with spheres, of prodigal force set free,
There hath been no voice untrue, no tongue to disagree,
No traitor thought to wound with less than perfect word.
Such was Thy first Creation. I am Thy witness, Lord.
'Twas worthy of Thyself.

The Lord God. And of the second ?

Satan. Stop.

How shall I speak of it unless Thou give me hope ;
I who its child once was, though daring to rebel ;
I who Thine outcast am, the banished thief of Hell,
Thy too long reprobate ? Thou didst create to Thee
A world of happy Spirits for Thy company,
For Thy delight and solace, as being too weary grown
Of Thy sole loneliness. 'Twas ill to be alone.
And Thou didst make us pure, as Thou Thyself art pure.
Yet was there seed of ill. What Spirit may endure
The friction of the Spirit ? Where two are, Strife is.
Thou gavest us Mind, Thought, Will ; all snares to happiness.

The Lord God. Unhappy blinded one! How sinnedst thou ? Reveal.

Satan. Lord, through my too great love, through my excess of zeal.
Listen. Thy third Creation. . . .
The Lord God. Ha ! The Earth ? Speak plain.

Now will I half forgive thee. What of the Earth, of men ?
Was that not then the best, the noblest of the three ?

Satan. Ah, glorious Lord God ! Thou hadst Infinity
From which to choose Thy plan. This plan, no less than those,

Was noble in conception, when its vision rose
Before Thee in Thy dreams. Thou deemedst to endow
Time with a great new wonder, wonderful as Thou,
Matter made sensitive, informed with Life, with Soul.
It grieved Thee the Stars knew not. Thou couldst not cajole
Their music into tears, their beauty to full praise.
Thou askedst one made conscious of Thy works and ways,
One dowered with sense and passion, which should feel and move

And weep with Thee and laugh, one that, alas, should love.
Thus didst Thou mould the Earth. We Spirits, wondering, eyed

Thy new-born fleshly things, Thy Matter deified.
We saw the sea take life, its myriad forms all fair.
We saw the creeping things, the dragons of the air,
The birds, the four-foot beasts, all beautiful, all strong,
All brimming o'er with joyance, new green woods among,
Twice glorious in their lives. And we, who were but spirit,
Envied their lusty lot, their duplicated merit,
Their feet, their eyes, their wings, their physical desires,
The anger of their voices, the fierce sexual fires
Which lit their sentient limbs and joined them heart to heart,

Their power to act, to feel, all that corporeal part
Which is the truth of love and giveth the breathing thing
The wonder of its beauty incarnate in Spring.
What was there, Lord, in Heaven comparable with this,
The mother beast with her young ? Not even Thy happiness,

Lord of the Universe ! What beautiful, what bold,
What passionate as she ? She doth not chide nor scold
When at her dugs he mumbleth. Nay, the milk she giveth
Is as a Sacrament, the power by which he liveth
A double life with hers. And they two in one day
Know more of perfect joy than we, poor Spirits, may
In our eternity of sober loneliness.

This was the thing we saw, and praised Thee and did bless.
The Lord God. Where then did the fault lie ? Thou witnessest again.
Was it because of Death, Life's complement, — or Pain,
That thou didst loose thy pride to question of My will ?
Satan. Nay, Lord, Thou knowest the truth. These evils are not ill.

They do but prove Thy wisdom. All that lives must perish,
Else were the life at charge, the bodily fires they cherish,
Accumulating ills. The creatures Thou didst make
Sink when their day is done. They slough time like the snake

How many hundred sunsets ? Yet night comes for rest,
And they awake no more, — and sleep, — and it is best.
What, Lord, would I not give to shift my cares and lie
Enfolded in Time's arms, stone-dead, eternally ?
No. 'Twas not Death, nor Pain ; Pain the true salt of pleasure,

The condiment that stings and teaches each his measure,
The limit of his strength, joy's value in his hand.
It was not these we feared. We bowed to Thy command,
Even to that stern decree which bade the lion spring
Upon the weakling steer, the falcon bend her wing
To reive the laggard fowl, the monster of the deep
Devour and be devoured. He who hath sown shall reap.
And we beheld the Earth by that mute law controlled,
Grow ever young and new, Time's necklace of pure gold
Set on Creation's neck. We gazed, and we applauded
The splendour of Thy might, Thy incarnated Godhead.
And yet (Lord God, forgive. Nay, hear me) Thou wert not

Content with this fair world in its first glorious thought :
Thou needs must make thee Man. Ah, there Thy wisdom strayed.

Thou wantedst one to know Thee, no mere servile jade,
But a brave upright form to walk the Earth and be
Thy lieutenant with all and teach integrity,
One to aspire, adorn, to stand the roof and crown
Of thy Creation's house in full dominion,
The fairest, noblest, best of Thy created things ;
One Thou shouldst call Thy rose of all Time's blossomings.
And Thou evolvedst Man ! — There were a thousand forms,
All glorious, all sublime, the riders of Thy storms,
The battlers of Thy seas, the four-foot Lords of Earth,
From which to choose Thy stem and get Thee a new birth.
There were forms painted, proud, bright birds with plumes of heaven

And songs more sweet than angels' heard on the hills at even,
Frail flashing butterflies, free fishes of such hue
As rainbows hardly have, sleek serpents which renew
Their glittering coats like gems, grave brindle-hided kine,
Large-hearted elephants, the horse how near divine,
The whale, the mastodon, the mighty Behemoth,
Leviathan's self awake and glorious in his wrath.
All these Thou hadst for choice, competitors with Thee
For Thy new gift and prize, Thy co-divinity.
Yet didst Thou choose, Lord God, the one comedian shape
In Thy Creation's range, the lewd bare-buttocked ape,
And calledst him, in scorn of all that brave parade,
King of Thy living things, in Thine own likeness made !
Where, Lord, was then Thy wisdom ? We, who watched

Thee, saw

More than Thyself didst see. We recognised the flaw,
The certainty of fault, and I in zeal spake plain.

The Lord God. Thou didst, rebellious Spirit, and thy zeal was vain.
Thou spakest in thy blindness. Was it hard for God,
Thinkest thou, to choose His graft, to wring from the worst clod
His noblest fruiting ? Nay. Man's baseness was the test,
The text of His all-power, its proof made manifest.
There was nought hard for God.
Satan. Except to win Man's heart.

Lord, hear me to the end. Thy Will found counterpart
Only in Man's un-Will. Thy Truth in his un-Truth,
Thy Beauty in his Baseness, Kuth in his un-Ruth,
Order in his dis- Order. See, Lord, what hath been
To Thy fair Earth through him, the fount and origin
Of all its temporal woes. How was it ere he came
In his high arrogance, sad creature without shame ?
Thou dost remember, Lord, the glorious World it was,
The beauty, the abundance, the unbroken face
Of undulent forest spread without or rent or seam
From mountain foot to mountain, one embroidered hem
Fringing the mighty plains through which Thy rivers strayed,
Thy lakes, Thy floods, Thy marshes, tameless, unbetrayed,
All virgin of the spoiler, all inviolate,
In beauty undeflowered, where fear was not nor hate.
Thou knowest, Lord of all, how that sanct solitude
Was crowded with brave life, a thousand forms of good
Enjoying Thy sweet air, some strong, some weak, yet none
Oppressor of the rest more than Thy writ might run.
Armed were they, yet restrained. Not even the lion slew
His prey in wantonness, nor claimed beyond his due.
He thinned their ranks, — -yet, lo, the Spring brought back their joy.

Short was his anger, Lord. He raged not to destroy.
Oh, noble was the World, its balance held by Thee,
Timely its fruits for all, 'neath Thy sole sovereignty.
But he ! he, the unclean ! The fault, Lord God, was Thine.
Behold him in Thy place, a presence saturnine,
In stealth among the rest, equipped as none of these
With Thy mind's attributes, low crouched beneath the trees,
Betraying all and each. The wit Thou gavest him
He useth to undo, to bend them to his whim.
His bodily strength is little, slow of foot is he,
Of stature base, unclad in mail or panoply.
His heart hath a poor courage. He hath beauty none.
Bare to the buttocks he of all that might atone.
Without Thy favour, Lord, what power had he for ill ?
Without Thy prompting voice his violence had scant skill.
The snare, the sling, the lime, who taught him these but

Thou?

The World was lost through Thee who fashioned him his bow.
And Thou hast clean forgot the fair great beasts of yore,
The mammoth,, aurochs, elk, sea-lion, cave-bear, boar,
Which fell before his hand, each one of them than he
Nobler and mightier far, undone by treachery.
He spared them not, old, young, calf, cow. With pitfall hid
In their mid path they fell, by his guile harvested,
And with them the World's truth. Henceforth all walked in fear,

Knowing that one there was turned traitor, haply near.
This was the wild man's crime.

The Lord God. He erred in ignorance.
As yet he was not Man. Naught but his form was Man's.
Satan. Well had he so remained. Lord God, Thou thoughtest then

To perfect him by grace, among the sons of men
To choose a worthiest man. " If he should know," saidst

Thou

" The evil from the good, the thing We do allow
From that We do forbid ! If We should give him shame,
The consciousness of wrong, the red blush under blame !
If he should walk in light beholding truth as We ! "
Thou gavest him Conscience, Creed, Responsibility,
The power to worship Thee. Thou showedst him Thy way.
Thou didst reveal Thyself. Thou spakest, as one should say
Conversing mouth to mouth. Old Adam and his Eve
Thou didst array in aprons Thy own hands did weave.
Enoch was taken up. To Noah Thou didst send
Salvation in Thine ark. Lord Abraham was Thy friend.
These are the facts recorded, facts (say fables) yet
Impressed with the large truth of a new value set
Upon Man's race and kind by Thy too favouring will.
Man had become a Soul, informed for good and ill
With Thy best attributes, Earth's moral arbiter,
Tyrant and priest and judge. Woe and alas for her !
Think of the deeds of Man ! the sins ! No wilding now,
But set in cities proud, yet marked upon his brow
With label of all crime.
The Lord God. The men before the Flood ?

We did destroy them all.

Satan. Save Noah and his brood.

In what were these more worthy ? Did they love Thee more,

The men of the new lineage ? Was their sin less sore,
Their service of more zeal ? Nay. Earth was hardly dry
Ere their corruption stank and their sin sulphurously
Rose as a smoke to Heaven, Ur, Babel, Nineveh,
The Cities of the Plain. Bethink Thee, Lord, to-day
What their debasement was, who did defile Thy face
And flout Thee in derision, dogs in shamelessness !

The Lord God. Nay, but there loved Me one.

Satan. The son of Terah ?

The Lord God. He.
Satan. I give Thee Thy one friend. Nay, more, I give
Thee three —
Moses, Melchisedec.
The Lord God. And Job.