REDEMPTION. 53
By force or guile, to circumvent its guards;
And, though its Empress be as seraph pure,
Pollute, and lay her abject at our feet.
And Him, who from her seed ordain'd shall rise,
By like device, prostrate as low; perchance,
Through her unworthiness, defeat his birth,
And with one stroke abort Heav'n's best laid plans.
The rest, assign'd has each his sev'ral part;
Some, with surreption to possess mankind;
Others to agitate, obsess, besiege,
And hellward all their thoughts obdure incline.
These, omens, augurs, presages, mislead;
Those, wonders, signs, false counsels, next divert.
Arm all the pageantry of hell; let witch,
Let wizard, cheat with portents, charms and craft,
While necromancy opes, or seeming opes,
The roll of doubtful fates, though each prove false.
Familiars give to some, to some weird arts,
But chief with gafty oracles delude;
In these concentre all your vafrous skill,
Nor let one voice be dumb; not Tenedos,
Not Delphi, nor Patara, fanes renown'd.
Far as the Pythian name and voice extend,
Or where the Sibyls hurl their vagi-ant verse,
Infuse each note, inspire every theme.
Prophet, or Pythoness, or priest, or seer,
Alike delude, that each may turn oblique
From truthful vision, and but error see;
Deem error truth, and truth e'er brand as false.
Think nothing small, that to this point may tend,
And that, though small, which most effects, deem great.
To counsel here give ear The fame that tells
I
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