Part 17 (1/2)

Keys of the depths, abysses rending, Open up Earth's every pore!

100 Prince of Darkness never-ending, Show thy great works evermore!

Satan, wheresoe'er thou be, I conjure thee By the mighty dragons' breath 105 And the raging lions' roar And Jehoshaphat's vale of death.

By the smoke that issueth Poisonous from out thy chair, By the fire that none may slake, 110 By the torments of thy lake, From my heart right earnestly Satan, I conjure thee, Zezegot seluece soter, Unto thee my prayer I make, 115 Lucifer, listen to my prayer!

By the mists of liquid fire That thy regions drear distil, By the vipers, snakes that fill All its wells, abysses dire, 120 By the pangs relentlessly Given by thee To the prisoners of thy pit, By the shrieks of those in it That unceasing echo still, 125 Beelzebub, I thee invite By the blindness of the Jews Who the wrong in malice choose And thereby thy heart delight rezeegut Linteser 130 zamzorep tisal siroofee nafezeri.

_The devils Zebron and Danor come and Zebron says:_

_Z._ What's the matter, priest accursed?

_P._ Welcome, brothers, welcome first.

_D._ What now with us wouldst thou have?

135 _P._ That my bidding you should do.

_Z._ By Satan's altar, this thou'lt rue, Arrogant knave.

_D._ Come, I'll seize him by the hair And off with his ears at least, 140 For a robber is this priest.

_P._ Hurt me not, good brothers, cease, Comrades, cousins, friends, I pray.

_Z._ Not two figs for you we care.

_P._ How is Belial to-day?

145 And his court, is it at peace?

_D._ With a box o' the ear chastise him, Even so will we baptise him And we'll christen him a fool.

_P._ Come, let's speak more seriously: 150 Are you all quite well and cool?

_Z._ Villain, wineskin, Bacchus' tool, What has that to do with thee?

_P._ Nay, my powers I'll efface, Myself abase, 155 Only speak not thus to me.

_D._ Do you hold Landeira's see Or are you Cartaxo's vicar?

_Z._ He's priest of Lumear, I think, Mealhada's precentor he, 160 Archpriest of a pint of liquor Since he ceases not to drink.

_D._ And this chaplain of our town Is a good Englishman, for mark, This Ribatejo Patriarch 165 Will drink even a Frenchman down, And nothing think of it at all.

_Z._ Danor, say, is he Cardinal Of Arruda or Caparica?

_D._ He has nought left thin or thick 170 Save always his gla.s.s of liquor And a great Archbishopric, An honour given but to few Near the boundary stone, the same On which he sets his diadem, 175 This prelate, and his mitre too.

Dost thou know Seixal, thou thief, Almada and thereabouts?

Tojal packsaddler, of louts And of villain knaves the chief.

180 _P._ Devils, will you now in brief My bidding do Or must I take other ways with you?

_D._ Cursed robber, only say What you'd have and we'll obey.

185 _P._ I command you instantly By the power of the sky And the might of G.o.d on high, In whose service priest I am, I conjure you in His name 190 That you my behests obey Now straightway, On the earth and in the air, Here and there and everywhere.

_Z._ How are the t.i.thes, and--another matter-- 195 Is the fine elephant alive That went to Rome for the Pope to shrive?