before Almighty God, the King of heaven.

(ll. 666-683) "I can behold where in the south and east He who
shaped the world sits veiled in splendour. I see the angels
circling round His throne, in winged flight, unnumbered myriads,
clothed in beauty. Who could give me such discernment, except it
be sent straight from God, the Lord of heaven? Widely may I hear
and widely see through all the world across the broad creation.
I hear the hymns of rapture from on high. Radiance blazes on my
soul without and within since first I tasted of the fruit. Lo!
my good lord! I bring thee in my hand this fruit, and give thee
freely of it. I do believe that it is come from God, and brought
by His command, as this messenger declared in words of truth. It
is not like aught else on earth except, as this herald saith, it
cometh straight from God."


XIII

(ll. 684-703) Long she pled, and urged him all the day to that
dark deed, to disobey their Lord's command. Close stood the evil
fiend, inflaming with desire, luring with wiles, and boldly
tempting him. The fiend stood near at hand who on that fatal
mission had come a long, long way. He planned to hurl men down
to utter death, mislead them and deceive them, that they might
lose the gift of God, His favour and their heavenly realm. Lo!
well the hell-fiend knew they must endure God's anger and the
pains of hell, suffer grim misery and woe, since they had broken
God's commandment, when with his lying words he tricked the
beauteous maid, fairest of women, unto that deed of folly, so