“Love! love;” he murmured. “Hallelujah to the Lord of love! Let the full choirs9 of heaven chant forth10 the immortal11 theme; proclaim, proclaim Him Love! Earth! air! ocean! shout with your hundred tongues, send up your echo to the voice of heaven! Man, art thou insensible?—Hearest thou not these living tones?—Can doubt be thine, as I have heard whispered in the celestial12 courts? Created by Love—placed in a world of Love—distant as thou art, yet cherished and beloved by Love, destined13 for immortal union with the Love that gave thee being!—canst thou be faithless, canst thou be senseless?—when above, below, around, within, soundeth the deep eternal voice of Love! Oh, insensates, if such things be! Immortal glory, bliss14 unfading, can it be for ye!”
Awhile he paused. A slight shadow passed athwart the brilliant rays with which he was encircled. He folded his wings around him, and laid his brow upon them.
“My thought has been rebuked,” he said; “I have done ill. Enough for me the consciousness of love. Wherefore should I condemn15, as yet unworthy to look on man? Let the hallelujahs sound forth again. Glory to the Eternal!—His works are wisdom, His thoughts are love!”
He swept his hand across his harp—the shadow had departed from his wings;—his chaplet shot forth again its living light. Celestial music flowed forth from his voice and hand:—the spirit smiled once more. Suddenly the hallelujahs ceased. To the eye of man twilight16 had descended17; the stars began to light up the dark blue heavens. Mortal vision might trace the semblance18 of a falling meteor of unwonted brilliance19, dropping into space. The purified orbs20 of the seraph21 crowd knew that one of the highest class of angels was departing from his resplendent seat, and winging his flight towards them. Instantly they rose up from their several resting-places, forming in files of unutterable brilliance. Increased happiness shed a new lustre22 on their brows, and heightened the glowing iris23 of their wings. One alone felt penetrated24 with an awe25, which slightly lessened26 the feelings of joy which the visit of an angel ever caused. He feared it was to him the celestial mission came: that his condemnation27 of beings, whose nature and whose trials he knew not, had exposed him to censure28, perhaps to a longer banishment29 from the higher spheres of glory; and while his brother spirits thronged30 round the favoured minister, to bask31 in the resplendent brightness of his smiles, to list to the words of melody flowing from his lips, to gaze on the mild yet thrilling softness of his celestial features, Zephon stood aloof32, for the first time shrinking from the glance and voice he loved. He saw not that the glittering helm and dazzling sword were laid aside, that his brow was wreathed with the softly gleaming pearl, his shining wings glistening33 through silvery radiance, bespeaking34 tenderness and mercy, and not now the wrath35 and chastisement36 of which, at his Maker’s will, he was at times the minister.
His voice, melodious37 and thrilling as the silver trumpets38 of the empyreal heavens, sounded through space, as it called “Zephon!” The seraph paused not a moment, but darting39 through the incensed40 air, prostrated41 himself at the archangel’s feet.
“Arise! and fear not, youthful brother,” spake the messenger of the Eternal, departing not from the grave majesty42 of his demeanour, but smiling with such ineffable43 sweetness, the seraph felt its reviving influence, and spread forth his silken pinions44 rejoicingly again. “I come, the harbinger of peace and love. Thine impassioned zeal45 was checked ere it became a fault—checked ere it led thee to desire forbidden knowledge. Charged with a message of love and mercy from the Most High, I have besought46 and obtained permission to take thee as my companion. To thine imperfect vision it seemeth strange that man, so especially the beloved, the cherished of the Eternal, framed to display, to uphold His stupendous power, to proclaim His might—His love—should ever fail either in obedience47 or adoration48. Thou hast heard that such has been; for where sin hath so fearfully prevailed that an immortal spirit has been excluded from these glorious realms, a dim shadow hath spread over Heaven’s resplendent courts, and the celestial spirits of every rank have prostrated themselves before the invisible yet terrible Presence, adoring justice, while they supplicated49 mercy. Zephon! not yet may be revealed to thee the glorious mystery of the Eternal’s secret ways. Thou mayst gaze with me on the earthly beings I have charge to tend; but it is forbidden thee to ask or seek the wherefore of what thou seest. Thou wilt50 behold51, even in this limited glance, enough to prove, that even if the human heart refuseth to send up its thrilling echo to the theme of Love, which thy zeal demandeth, the unfathomable love of its benignant Creator will receive and bless its faintest sigh; for to Him, and to Him alone is known the extent of its trial—the bitterness of its grief—the difficulty of its belief in an ever-acting love. Zephon! if still thou wilt, thou shalt look on the human heart: yet pause awhile;—is thy love sufficiently52 strong to uphold thee in the contemplation of decrees, whose motives53 thou art not yet permitted to conceive? In thy blissful dwelling54, thou hast no need of Faith; thou knowest not even its name; but if with me thou goest, Faith must be thy safeguard. Here thine eye seeth, thine ear heareth nought55 but love; there it may be darkly hidden from thee. Yet if thy faith or thy love should fail, if thou demandest the wherefore of what thou seest, it is of our Father’s will, that thou shalt be banished56 unto earth—banished from this glorious abode57, condemned58 to struggle with the ills and sorrows of mortality, till pure and perfect faith shine forth, and fit thee once again for heaven. Speak then, my brother; wilt thou depart with me, or still linger here? The choice is now thine own.”
Awhile the seraph paused; the face of the archangel beamed on him with compassionating59 tenderness and redoubled love. The looks of his brother spirits, the soft fluttering of their wings, seemed to woo him to remain, to entreat60 him not to tempt61 the fate threatened if his love should fail, and therefore did he pause.
“No, no! wherefore should I fear?” he cried; “I will go with thee, minister of love. I will look upon my Father’s dearest work, and despite of mystery and gloom—of sorrow—of pain, I will love and bless Him still!”
A fuller, richer burst of melody filled the realms of air; thousands and thousands of voices swelled62 forth in triumphant63 harmony. A starry64 cloud descended, and, folded in its spangled robe, the departing spirits vanished into space.
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1
reposing
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的现在分词 ) | |
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2
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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3
wafting
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的现在分词 ) | |
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tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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harp
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| n.竖琴；天琴座 | |
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choirs
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| n.教堂的唱诗班( choir的名词复数 )；唱诗队；公开表演的合唱团；（教堂）唱经楼 | |
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10
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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celestial
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| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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15
condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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16
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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17
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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19
brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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20
orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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21
seraph
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| n.六翼天使 | |
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lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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iris
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| n.虹膜，彩虹 | |
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24
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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25
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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26
lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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condemnation
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| n.谴责; 定罪 | |
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censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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banishment
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| n.放逐，驱逐 | |
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30
thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
bask
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| vt.取暖，晒太阳，沐浴于 | |
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32
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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33
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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34
bespeaking
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| v.预定( bespeak的现在分词 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求 | |
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35
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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36
chastisement
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| n.惩罚 | |
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37
melodious
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| adj.旋律美妙的，调子优美的，音乐性的 | |
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38
trumpets
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| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 | |
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39
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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40
incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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41
prostrated
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| v.使俯伏，使拜倒( prostrate的过去式和过去分词 )；（指疾病、天气等）使某人无能为力 | |
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42
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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43
ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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44
pinions
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的第三人称单数 ) | |
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45
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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46
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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47
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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48
adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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49
supplicated
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| v.祈求，哀求，恳求( supplicate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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51
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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52
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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53
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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54
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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55
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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56
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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58
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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59
compassionating
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| v.同情（compassionate的现在分词形式） | |
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60
entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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61
tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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62
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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63
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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64
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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