Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, ho, ho, ho! Death! Death! Death! Thou dearest death! Bring thou me heaps of dead--the endless slain! Breed winged and forked things, horrors all! Bring thou me shames, despairs, disasters, with which to torture and slay! Go forth! Go forth! Sweep thou with Hate, with Rage, with Despair, with Fear! Breed me vast powers of evil, and still vaster! Rank thou me them rank on rank--file by file! (_He thinks on tortured forms._) Make me armies of horrors, of woes, of immedicable griefs! (_As he thinks, from his brain leap forth, many-headed, forked, winged, the first six Powers of Darkness, and after them, clawed and winged forces of ravening aspect and disaster._) BEAUTY (_Sadly, in a thin voice._) Lord, am I forgotten? (_He makes no answer._) LOVE (_In a thin voice._) Lord, canst thou no longer think on me? (_He makes no answer._) HOPE (_Weakly._) Lord, am I no more to thee? (_No answer._) PITY Canst thou not remember me, Lord? (_No answer._) REASON Lord, am I as nothing to thee now? (_No answer._) AMBITION (_To the clouds of darkness behind him as the first of the six great Powers leap forth._) Join them thou! Forth! FIRST POWER OF DARKNESS (_Hundred-headed, winged and fanged, leaping from the brain of the Creator at illimitable speed._) Hail! I go to harry! To slay! SECOND POWER OF DARKNESS (_Hundred-headed, winged and fanged, rushing forth at illimitable speed._) Hail! I go to rack, to torture! THIRD POWER OF DARKNESS (_Hundred-headed, winged and fanged, rushing forth at illimitable speed._) Hail! I go to ravage! To gall! To flay! FOURTH POWER OF DARKNESS (_Hundred-headed, winged and fanged, rushing forth at illimitable speed._) Hail! Where Sorrow is not, I carry it! FIFTH POWER OF DARKNESS (_Hundred-headed, winged and fanged, rushing forth at illimitable speed._) Hail! Where Happiness is, I destroy it! SIXTH POWER OF DARKNESS (_Hundred-headed, seven-horned, winged and fanged, rushing forth at illimitable speed._) Hail! Hail! Where Peace is, and Love, I make them as not! (_They speed to his right hand and to his left, above and beneath him, before and behind him._) THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE Forth! Forth! Fury upon fury! Bring me masses of destruction! Undo! Undo! Undo! I would have change! Death! Woe! Tears--bring me tears, tears, tears! Wipe out all dreams! Make ashes of fancies! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Let all be of horror, of death, of sorrow, of pain! Make of life an ending in misery! Mad! Mad! I am mad! Oh, ho, ho, ho! (_He bellows in insane rage._) AMBITION (_Raveningly, to the clouds of Darkness behind._) Join thou these! Forth! Forth! Out upon his glistering thoughts! Undo! Undo! He is sick of pity, of peace! Harry thou with these! Destroy! Make dust of suns! Breed distempers in all flesh! Reduce, level, macerate, decay! Make of everything nothing! Forth! Forth! THE LEGIONS OF DARKNESS (_Rumbling in anticipation._) Hail! (_They speed outward._) THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE