Millennium Eve: a poem begun at Florence, in ... 1841

Book I. The Investment

l. Let others tell me, I am poor ; Of heavenly qualities Have none, to bear an interest : But One whose wisdom I adore, And friendship value more Than all their reveries, a Bids me invest. I put my savings in his store Of grace ; draw when I please, More trusted as I draw the more, And bless'd. 2. Look at him, Father, Look at thy Son : Think of him, Father ; Think of him again : Ah I well may they say, What things hath God done ! Great things hath he done for me. And what do I profess ? To load the Son with righteousness Through thy ability : Who doing therewith his pleasure, Will add it to thy treasure For me. J. P., 15, Blechynden Terrace, Southampton ; Nov. 14, 1842. Matt. vi. 19. ARGUMENT. Matter : an improved state of society by the mediation and direc tion of our Lord Christ, with the ministry of angels and men, and against the opposition of Samael, or the man of sin, and his adherents both spiritual and incarnate— under the notion of an holy war.

Per sons : the chiefs and helpers on either side hereafter designated. The Time — is anticipated by some years. The Scenes — are both celestial »nd terrestrial ; the latter varying in the East, and chiefly toward Je rusalem.

BOOK I. SAMAEL.

Not Abraham, Job, Isaiah, Paul and John Have seen through glass unseeingly alone ; Nor other some have drown'd their mortal sight In streams of glory stilling from the light That shines by night, by night ne'er apprehended, And shone ere planet was to star appended, Or star in its own nullibi suspended : This all degrees, with Abraham's only son, And Eden's bard ; and almost, I had done, b Ill 20 30 Rash youth. So let me sit in thy degree, Install'd a poet of the Lord with thee ; To sing in " somewhat like prophetic strain " Of old things pass'd, and new things to remain Referred on either side to God and man ; To One who ne'er knew evil, nor beginning ; And one begun in good, but lost in sinning, While he was bless'd by Heaven to th' extent Of all that's natural and innocent, And training to fulfil the first Commandment ; But that the evil being had design'd And taught fulfilment of another kind : Whereby, degraded, sunk, and mortified Beyond conception, man had surely died, Without the succour and encouragement That bore him up, and did his fate prevent So far as to his dissolution went ; But left him dying still in quality; Dying for ever, if he ne'er should die : Till One o'er death a victory achieve ; That man might die no more, but ever live Redeem'd from devil's bond and dying torment, To light and life by a new covenant. Of matters passing in a single sphere ; As hell, or earth, or heav'n, song might appear

BOOK I. SAMAF.

L. 5 More quaint and clear, more smooth to apprehension, Than between two; which rack and rend th' attention; Yet I now sing of three ; heaven, earth, and hell, Conjunctively ; with which I know full well My own capacity does ill accord : Be thou then my capacity, O Lord ; 40 Who fillest all with thy great Name and Word ! I not invoke the aid of heathen Muses, Whose specious talents oft to grosser uses Are shamefully applied ; but by thine aid, — Elijah's spirit, and the Song of David, With scroll and reed now writing peaceably, Evoke to Melon-Harem by the sea : As oft I do thy gracious providence In straits by sea and land with confidence. Except thou would'st the sweetness of thy John 50 Transfuse, and light from his prophetic song; That I may please thee more as I go on With mine, and feel thy blessing thereupon.

To me the spirit of that writer give ; Who ne'er can die while lit'rature shall live ; And who undying sure is to remain, At least in spirit, till thou come again. And let the business of my song commence With some allusion to its instruments ; Being such as these. And first the chief, our Lord ; Who wrought in all by his almighty Word 61 The deeds of worth that all have truly done, As now by the king priest, his Amumon ; With gifts like these, which bless us from above ; Immortal truth, and power, and light, and love. Not as sev'n churches, nor as seven men, Champions of Christendom ; but One in them, a Thereby producing gifts on gifts again, The most delightful issue upon earth ; Kindheartedness, and joy, and harmless mirth ; 70 With honour, loyalty, truth, equity, Politeness, order, due formality, And more of th' appetitive quality ; Also of the aversive two or three, — As courage, fortitude, humility : Which to adorn with justice would require Another verse than this, and quicker fire ; A verse adapted to the harp and lyre ; Like David's, with the spirit of his choir : While satire waited on th' opposing train, 80 Or these mistaken, in a graver strain ; To shew the seriousness of gifts abused ; Or gratulation for the same well used, * Matt. xiii. 12.

Were it in some fair counter-revolution ; And that's our case, an old case new begun : a Of evil growing to its worst, and fill'd With greater evil, only to be kill'd. An Hydra gross, like hog in pen, Long kept to ripen for the use of men : Though th' use of evil God alone may ken ; 90 Unless it be for contrast with the good, To shew, how now it stands, and lately stood. For lately sacred guardians of the truth Were seen among corruptors of our youth ; .And teachers laugh'd at truth, and thought most clever Who most did laugh, and was their chief deceiver ; Compelling likewise those of lower station To bear a part in such dissimulation : Now elder Christians watch over the rest . As mothers watch o'er infants at the breast. 100 Then infancy was taught irreverence, And blasphemy was thought a mark of sense : Age and high rank were then the but of scorn, And royal dignity not to be borne ; Nor polished priesthood of another sect By one that prided in its own neglect Of manners, decency, and due respect. * 2 Thess. ii. 7.

Now reverencing — first the Deity, And next from first to last all ranks which he Has constituted for society, 110 Is no unusual feeling e'en with those Who find no reverence, but cares and woes Enough. Who can to prelates, though not theirs. Allow sincerity where it appears ; And, shortly, worth to their superiors. Of late ; home policy was mere oppression, And international, nought but aggression ; An endless grasping by the rich and strong. Now nought than grasping can be more resisted, In Christian states, each state by oth'r assisted: 120 While arm'd persuasion crowns the heathen shore, And growls a refuge to the weak and poor. We read of men in y-outh, and boys in age ; Now men are more like men in ev'ry stage ; Launch'd from the cross, a pivot sure and even, On which turns all the good 'twixt earth and heaven. * And, as our Lord from heaven descended To earth and lower, for us again ascended ; So each one for himself is now commended : Leaving the body of death, that man of sin, 130 That representative of every crime, Eph. iv. 9, 10.

And all its members, messengers of ill, With all who 're " taken captive at his will," And will be ta'en because they like it well. All this is since the Vigil of Millennium Lately begun ; but I know not, how long. For earthly things in heaven are past and done Before they reach our earth ; as in the sun This blessed morning's light long since hath shone. Nor even here consider can we them 140 In their beginning, but their declaration. So of the perfect tide, or perfect day Men talk without considering how they Or come, or go ; and as these silent flow, So actions, changes, revolutions grow. Therefore, if any explanation ask, "Why in a contest purely spiritual The Lord avails himself of weapons temporal ? I say, as happ'ning in a temp'ral state ; Where all that solid seems does but relate 150 To that which it in manner of a vision : Truth is above ; on earth its skeleton.

There all that 's reed does happen ; here below All is mere acting, imitation, show : Unworthy copies, these ; as people know, Although they make confusion, riot, racket ; With fields of slaughter ; cities ta'en and sacked b 180 Like lightning gender'd by the heavenly fire ; Which glides about the earth, but kindles higher But I 'm to speak of times yet for to come ; And not of passing times, then pass'd and gone. How from improvement opposition grows ; And merit only serves t' incense our foes. The man of sin is troubled on his bed, Writhes his tall limbs, and lifts his evil head. This is no common rising, sure, he said : This — no still clamour, nor unheeded cry Of single foe to my authority : It is the sound of hosts that 's gone abroad ; Of hosts of kings, and martyrs to their God. The potent charm 's dissolved, the spell is broke By which all kings were subject to my yoke : So is the doctrine, that an evil man Might make a righteous king.

This lie began With me ; the doctrine 's mine ; and well I wot, No little empire by the same I got. But now I scent a turning in the tide Of public favour no more on my side ; To sink the royal dignity by scorn Fanatic, and just awe to licence turn. Subordination and its train begins No more with us, but with the King of Kings Who comes revealed in awful majesty This time, as late in virtuous poverty ; And comes not now, to rule by mere opinion ; But rule the nations with a rod of iron, Invincible. Yet thwart him while I can I will : I have some power still with man ; Whether his outward actions to control, Or lift within — the billows of his soul. 190 Here life-perverters, fondness and suspicion, Ungoverned lust, hypocrisy, ambition, Mark your advantage over charity, And faith ; and, what I hate, tranquillity.

Give room enough for trouble and deception, And loving most where 't has the worst reception. Dear troubling spirits, work you well within : Without — as bad your baleful work begin. Unfurl our flag ; let all our forces meet, And ev'ry mean be used, their numbers to complete. Let those pretended guardians of the truth, 201 False priests, who serve so well in pois'ning youth, Let either sex of every condition Or do their best or worst, to aid corruption. And call out Lucifer, my darling son, For ever foremost in strife and contention. A brevet likewise instantly make out, Including tools of either sex, throughout Our Demonarchy : regiments for promotion At least, you'll raise ; and churches for devotion 210 Less than for Jezebels, or female bishops. Aye, let them rule : they will not fail my hopes.

For well they know the myst'ry of misrule * From Eve transmitted, and to make a fool Of One it were their duty to obey. But rule 's their mania ; and what will not they, To gain this point, or sacrifice or pay ? Your way lies straight before you; object, clear; Means, all but certain. When there shall appear A reckless fool ripe for your work, the rear 220 May take him ; but a weightier character, Whether in maid or mistress, boy or man, Will take some courting ; and when they are won. Make your best soldiers, tutors, emissaries. Mind piety, and other necessaries ; As liberal'ty, and beneficence; To free the working slave, and teach young infants : But not alone to teach ; let mortals all By seeming to learn somewhat, learn to fall ; Each by his elder constantly seduced : 230 Chief means — appearance, ne'er to be excused.

Or, if you meet, and that you may perchance, With stubborn worth, and wit that will not dance * Par. Lost, xi. 515. To pipe of Folly, nor turn hypocrite, Nor yet be pleased to sin a little bit ; Tempt him with politics, or speculation, To make a rail-road, or to rule a nation ; That he may get secured in cachot, or in prison. But leave not one unbound ; your work complete For one unbound in sin will all defeat, i "When the great day of reckoning shall arrive Which to prevent, I toil, corrupt, contrive ; Seeing the pangs that me and all await, If we but miss that day. (Ah, wretched fate ! And must I rue my own avidity ; Which leaves behind such stubborn foes for me .\s are in Noah, Job, and Daniel, Abram, Melchizedek, and Samuel ? Or, what 's the same, some stubborn book behind To bear the pattern of a righteous mind, : A sampl' of piety and manly sense ; Like Job's for one, a that pet of Providence ?

But what of Job, when either Testament Stands in the way my working to prevent ? It was better with me when 1 had no court For ornament, for mischief or for sport Job, i. 9, &c. 280 As in the time of that same stubborn Job : When without home, or any fix'd abode, a I waited envious near the sons of God : But, thinking still to gain by new revolt A palace ; this I gained, this wretched hold ! Just like my dupes above ; who carelessly begin Their proud career, then adding sin to sin With compound guilt at every stage, in hell That which at first was almost venial Must needs abide with me or expiate, If so they are allow'd in torments great. For, as I by revolt in place descend, So greater torments still my bosom rend. From heav'n to earth ! that was a mighty fall : Then comes again this change to outer hell.

And now I hear, that b Tophet is prepared For me, with other great ones to be shared. Ah, fatal book ! coaM I but drive it hence : — And then, as if the care of Providence Was not enough to cover that defence, Yon meddling fool of mine, Hypocrisy, Must needs strike hands with Infidelity ; And go to work, by printing and translation, To raise new outworks : stupid combination ! ' Job, i. 6. b Isaiah, xxx. 33. How am I counteracted by my own ! Too true it is, that God rules every one : And not by thunder only, but by word. His word rules all, as I rule by the sword. Ah wretched empire, and precarious ; Ever changing, self-destroying, various ; Earn'd hardly, kept hardly, more brittle than glass. The fool must preach too ! plague upon his preaching; Where ill they dare not teach without good teaching !)

Hear ! mind two things ; the pulpit and the press : Which Providence set up ; but I 'd th' address 291 To win soon after by my emissaries, With SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES And now maintain by mere formality : As, if they 're ta'en again ; sincerity Will be my overthrow, prosperity Will gladden every quarter of the earth, With peace, and plenty, joy, and harmless mirth For now I fill the earth with gloom and evil ; 'Tis sad throughout, a and wicked as the devil. 300 Oh let not these two forts be e'er regain'd, Let them be kept, however they 're maintain'd, * 1 John, v. 19. mat 310 •'320 In my domain, too, some have no more wit, Than to disrobe the temples where I sit : Let them be readom'd, that I may shew As God. But no more preaching I allow ; Not e'en of those who aim at milk and water, Lest they should bruit by chance more serious ter.

The press too ; be that still'd, or set aside ; a For by this or by that, 'tis prophesied My empire upon earth shall be destroy'd. And clear it is, how this the two divide : The learned think nought of my pulpit pleaders The poor in spirit are but little readers ; So from the pulpit those I can't address, Nor these bewilder with my learned press : All I can say now is, they are quite harmless : But chief the last would seem my rival's care In ev'ry case of tutelage : for where He sends his spirit ; there — his providence Is ever present, running in advance. Else what sedition, slander, blasphemy, Profaneness, lying, nonsense, ribaldry, I 'd spread, — among the poor especially, Were I sole chief and soul, to animate ' 2 Thess. ii. 8.— Rev. ii. 16; xix. 15. 21.

BOOK I.

— SAMAEL. 17 The pulpit ! And I believe a pretty mess I 'd make, had I full ord'ring of the press ! My printing should be as material In meaning as in form ; mere matter, all ; Even on subjects the most spiritual, 330 When not more lying, or ephemeral. And if it only rested with the trade, That I coidd do ; so well we are agreed. But then we further want the people's aid, To keep it up, and thrive ; subscribers need : And they want spirit ; they will not be led, * To spend their money for what is not bread ; For mere illusions, humbug, trumpery ; And no rare spirit will be hired by me. My influence therefore on the other side 340 I choose to throw, requiring none to read As in old fashion'd controversial days ; When some believ'd, some wrote, and some what these Had written thought perhaps worth while to buy Or for the head, or for the library : But now I hope, this interest is o'er.

Starv'd be the press, and preaching be no more ! Down, down with press and pulpit ! let them starve : For long my ends I know they will not serve : ' Isaiah, lv. 2. They are too much like consecrated ground ; 350 Which may be weeded, but will not be bound By hedge, or ditch, or aught that I can find To keep them for my use and end design'd. See what the middle-aged divines are at : And let them more themselves insinuate With young girls, and the best intention'd, who Might marry else, and good example shew ; That they may folly learn, transgress and go To purgatory, or to hell below. So let them mind each other ; as before, 360 'Tis said ; if now they do not so mind more. No Melon-Harems suffer for restraint On such ; but house for each : let friends maintain it. Mind too the prisons, hospitals, asylums ; Which I regard as excellent inventions, When thoroughly perverted to my use, — For vanity in patrons, for abuse Of trust in officers, councils, directors ; For cozenage in guardians and protectors ; For vice and infamy in the protected ; 370 For guilt and violence in the directed ; For shame and misery in the neglected : For tut'ring those who serve me willingly, And those maintaining who will not serve any For bending subjects to my tyranny Who will not bend themselves, but stubbornly Adhere to what they call a sense of duty.

This as the serpent to his men address'd The wretched dotards throng'd around and press'd. A voice behind the curtain cried, Repent ! 380 Yet they, so frantic, heard it not ; but lent All their attention to the man of sin, With many a roar, and many a rueful grin. * God sends his voice, a mighty voice he sends : Before it flames divide, the lofty cedar bends In Kades ; ravines open, and the hinds Are seen in parturition : but such minds As sinners bear below a voice to rend Hell-flames and caverns may but hardly bend : And then it is the trembling and retired ; 390 Not daring souls with mad ambition fired, Like those now sped to earth from hell below ; All writhing still, and raving as they go. My chance without a struggle is not lost ; (The man of sin continues) cost what 't will cost. Fight well, ye fiends ; be brave, infernal host !

And thus, his court dismiss'd, th' infernal king, Of devils primate, charges those within, * Ps. lxviii. 33 ; xxix. 4, &c. No more to trouble him before the time Of his revealing, and of every crime 400 By him advis'd ; then gives one dismal groan ; Surveys his dreary hold, and lays him down ; — But not to rest. No denizens of hell Have rest ; nor pensioners on earth that dwell : It is, to toss, to groan, to rave, to roar, By partial peers begirt, and many more Who would enjoy his sufferings, if their own Permitted such abstraction. Yet alone To suffer, seems to him like suff'ring double.: He sends his chief adviser spiritual, 410 a The great false prophet, I may say, to call. And let that river now be dried, says he ; Euphrates, 'twixt us and the enemy : While there shall issue unclean spirits three Out of the mouths of Mammon, him, and me, In form of frogs at first ; to go between Kings of the earth, and all the world, unseen Their efforts, to divide, and them entice With miracles and many a fond device Unto that ancient boundary of states ; which past, 420 There comes the trial of strength, on earth our last.

On earth I triumph or am ever cast. ' Rev. xvi. 12, &c. For this cause am I now the man of sin ; The evil spirit naturally being, And root of each ; of evil men, and spirits. Of my oppressor's cause likewise the merits Will on the face of earth be soon decided, And his from mine eternally divided ; His earth-born children join his heavenly Son, My earth-born imps 1 lead to hell in person, 430 Should this great question chance to go against us. Such is our cause, its int'rest so momentous. Say that such triumph I cannot retain ; Yet this delicious purpose I may gain, Of dragging many wretches from above, To burn with me, and spite the God of love : While Fate must rule ; on Fate our prospects hinge, Be Fate for us, our freedom, and revenge ! MILLENNIUM EVE. BOOK MILLENNIUM EVE.

Book II. Amumon

Now" love grows cold, iniquity abounds ; Some war distracts, its rumour some confounds For such is the ubiquity of sin, Too soon establish'd where it can begin ; Slothful in habit, yet in operation, Alas ! too active when applied, like poison, By other means, and specially by pride. Thus sin comes on ; while on the other side Virtue takes words ; and thus by her Amumon Exhorts his splendid host to arms and union :- Brethren in arms, children in care and duty, In all relations, men ; my crown, my beauty ; Behold the long expected day at last ! A day of retribution for the past : ' Matt. xxiv. 12. A day in which I trust it may be said, aA rent has fall'n upon the rending head. Sin is your rival, discord his ally : Attack them both at once, and lustily ; Stand by each other, and on God rely. For born, as all are, subj'cts to sin; one brother, How dares he fondly measure faults with other : To say, my lonely fault ends where 't begins, No partner I, in other people's sins ; Thine gathering as it goes, by combination, Soon stamps its odious figure on a nation ; Infecting its own kind ; no kind of God, But children of the devil, shoots of his word : Which all dissolves by unions into anarchy, By twos into unpitying poliorchy ; Then spreading wide with many a sore and pang, Runs to a curing curse, as once in Jordan's plain So any ill report of fault like mine Is praise almost, to fame of fault like thine : 'Tis fact, not figure, forms th' amount of crime ; Its cast, — no voice of man, but voice divine.

We know that11 "all unrighteousness is sin," However named, howe'er it may begin. And loneliest faults are not always the least, If well defined ; which lurking in the breast, a Ps. vii. 17. f 1 John v. 17.

BOOK II. AMUMON.

27 Only expect an opportunity, 40 To stain the man with guilt of deepest dye. Let man name brutes : 't is God alone can name The rank and quality of every man ; Dividing 'twixt the crime and aggravation — Of wilful purpose, art, and system, And perseverance in iniquity ; But chief — seduction and debauchery Of others, to ensure their misery : Having determin'd, if they can to leave No soul untainted, not a soul to save ; . That sunk by them to an equality, All others might be damn'd as well as they ; Or else that Heav'n might be obliged perforce, For lack of subjects, to release its curse ; While "God from very stones, if he saw fit, Could raise up seed of Abraham, to sit In heavenly places for the seed condemn'd. b But if a man will ponder, and amend His ways in th' midst before they get confirm'd, As well he may ; of sacrifice perform'd, I And ransom paid by other, he shall reap Alike with those whom God is pleas'd to keep More blameless ; as more blameless there may be, And many more there should than we can see. 50 60 Matt iii. 9. b Ezek. xviii. 27.

Luke xv. 11, &c. c For all the force God ever made and gave To mortal was no more than he might have Enjoy'd in dignity and innocence, By grace now gain'd, with ev'ry grateful sense; Each nor accusing, nor excusing — other, But its support and counterpart, its brother ; 70 Had man's own will but wrought with his defence, Free from all self-deception and pretence ; And that is more than we can arrogate, In its extent at least, without debate. So, brethren, let 's forbear this foul distinction, Engag'd, as all are, to one cause and champion ; He, God in Christ ; the cause, our own redemption ; Which erst in opposition seemed to linger ; But gallops now, and can be hid no longer. Who is our champion, but the God of hosts ? 80 And one who owns his lead, his favour boasts, Must not be like a poltroon or a coward ; Though he might have a truly Christian heart.

For Christians have an heart professional, As well as that which should be general. The gen'ral heart of Christians ought to be Virtue itself, honour, sincerity, A single purpose, great humility ; The Christian soldier's, courage, sense of duty, Friendship, forbearance, caution, clemency :

BOOK II.

— AMUMON. 29 If of such matters he compound his practice, He will not often fail, nor do amiss ; Not certainly, if, through his several stations, He take with him these few considerations ; That men should never fight with men but for, — With evil principles maintain'd in them, As 't were within a fort or garrison ; Which therefore must be batter'd and beat down, Or scaled and taken, or watch'd and blockaded, As needs may be. a Orders to be obeyed 100 * Which through the powers below descend from God. b No man to trust, or in his sword, or bow ; But in the Lord of Hosts whose might we know. To fighters fight, to yielders mercy, shew : And mind our brother soldiers in distress As if they were a solid part of us. Think now of God in Christ, to flesh your weapon : E'en now the battle's joined, the fight's begun.

Strictures like these to men for battle primed Some few years since might not have been well timed: 110 Since then we've learned to look before we leap, And not to hold our fives so wondrous cheap, As if there was no after-tale intended ; No threat to parry, no fault to be 'mended. 1 Rom. xiii. " Psxliv. 7. The wiles of Satan have been since detected ; His lures are flat, his minions all suspected ; The myst'ry of iniquity smells old, The wicked secret has been fairly told ; The tree of knowledge is no longer hid, With fruits all shrivell'd, lonely leaves all shed : 120 The world looks simple, now its sin is known ; The sin of Babel, Sodom, Babylon : Panders and priests of Baal, then so high crested, Are now crestfall'n and gen'rally detested ; As erst the graphic art for pandering ill paid, To wicked sinners, any one who listed, So he were one of them, a worthy peer ; No real reformer, advocate sincere Of the world's weal ; who 'd sooner die than yield To their device, or cringe, or quit the field. 130 The press redeem'd had wrought a change : and then It was well to address soldiers like men Of intellect — with reason at the onslaught ; And not like fools, who never can be taught.