he went, at the word, and in the meanwhile, Lucifer and his potentates arose in terror, and exceeding consternation, and caused the boldest bands of the black angels to be assembled. When these were marshalled, he put himself at the head of his own peculiar band, and marched forth to quell the insurrection, whilst the potentates went other ways with their legions.
Before the royal troop had gone any great distance, gleaming like the lightning of the black abodes, (and we behind them,) behold the hubbub advanced to meet them. “Silence, in the name of the king,” said a fiendish herald. There was no hearing; it was easier to tear the old crocodile from his prey than one of these.
But when the old tried soldiers of Lucifer broke into the midst of them, the buzzing, the butting, and the blows began to slacken. “Silence, in the name of Lucifer,” said the hoarse cryer again. “What is the matter?” said the king; “and who are these?” “There is nothing particularly the matter,” was the answer; “but the drovers, happening in the general commotion to come in contact with the cuckolds, they went mutually to butting, to try whose horns were hardest; and this butting might have gone on for ever, if your horned champions had not interfered.” “Well,” said Lucifer, “since you are all so ready with your arms, turn along with me to quell other rioters.” But when it was buzzed about among the other rebels, that Lucifer was coming with three horned legions against them, each slunk away to his lair.
Thus Lucifer advanced without opposition, along the wildernesses of Destruction, endeavouring to ascertain what was the commencement of the disturbance, but could obtain no information. After a little time, however, one of the spies
of the king returned, quite out of breath. “O most noble Lucifer!” said he, “prince Moloch has quieted part of the North and has scattered thousands over the sheets of ice; but three or four terrible evils are still out on the wind.” “Who are they?” said Lucifer. “Slanderer, and Meddler, and Litigious Pettifogger,” said he, “have broken their prisons and are at liberty.” “Then it would be no wonder,” said the Arch Fiend, “if there should be yet more disturbance.”
At this moment there came another, who had been on the look-out towards the South, with the information that the evil had begun to break out there; but that three had been taken, who had previously turned every thing topsy-turvy in the West, and these three were Madam Bouncer, Contriver, and Coxcomb. “Well,” said Satan, who was standing next but one to Lucifer, “since I tempted Adam from his garden, I have never yet seen from his seed, so many evils out upon one piece of business.
“Bouncer, Coxcomb, and Contriver on the one side,” he added, “and on the other Slanderer, Pettifogger, and Meddler are a compound, enough to make a thousand devils sweat their bowels out.” “It is no wonder,” said Lucifer, “that they are so detested by every body on earth, when they are able to cause us so much trouble here.” A little farther on, a great bouncing lady struck against the king, as she was moving backwards. “Ho! my aunt of the breeches,” said a hoarse devil, “good night to you.” “Yes, your aunt, indeed! on what side pray?” said she, very wrathful, because she was not called madam.
“A pretty king are you, sir Lucifer,” said she, “to keep such unmannerly blockheads; it is a sin that so large a kingdom should be under one so incompetent to govern them.
O that I were made deputy over it!” At this moment behold the Coxcomb, nodding his head in the dark, “Your servant, sir,” he would say to one over his shoulder.—“I hope you are quite well,” said he to another.—“Is there any service which I can render you,” to a third, smiling conceitedly.—“Your beauty ravishes my heart,” said he to the bouncing wench. “Oh! oh! away with this hell-dog,” said she; whilst every one cried, “away with this new tormentor! Hell upon Hell is he!” “Bind him and her head to tail,” said Lucifer.
After a little time, behold Courts Comprised held betwixt two devils. “O ho! angel of patience,” said Lucifer, “are you come? Hold him fast on your peril,” said he to the satellites. Before we had advanced far, there came the Contriver and the Slanderer bound betwixt forty devils, and whispering in each others ears. “O most mighty Lucifer!” said the Contriver, “I am exceedingly grieved to see so much disturbance in your dominions, but I will teach you a way to prevent such in future, if you will but grant me a hearing. You only need, under pretence of a general parliament, to summon all the damned to the glowing pandemonium, and then cause the devils to cast them headlong into the throat of Unknown, and the gulf to be closed over them, and then, I warrant you, they will give you no more trouble.” “See,” said Lucifer, frowning very horribly on the Contriver, “the universal Meddler is still behind.” On returning again to the porch of the infernal palace, who should come with the fairest face imaginable to meet the king but the Meddler. “O my liege,” said he, “I have a word for you.” “Perhaps I have one or two for you,” said the Fiend. “I have been,” continued the Meddler, “over half Destruction, to observe how your affairs are standing. You have many officers in the East doing