THE KING'S MIRROR 263 



fered a horrible change of countenance in the loss of 

 their beauty. Thereupon they sought out the places that 

 were assigned to them and were scattered about in all 

 the caves of hell, each appointed to a separate service. 

 In this way darkness was separated from light. 



But when God had made man and had given him a 

 blissful life in Paradise, Lucifer said to his companions : 

 "It is evidently God's intention to give this one the 

 dominion from which He drove me out, unless he shall 

 act counter to God's will. Even if God should appoint 

 other angels in our stead, we could never allow it, if we 

 could do anything to prevent it; but our disgrace would 

 be too great, if a man formed of clay or the filthy dust 

 of the earth were to enter into the eternal happiness 

 from which we were expelled. Therefore we must fight 

 incessantly against everyone who has such ambitions 

 and revenge our injuries with fierce hatred upon all 

 those whom we can overcome. Now I shall try to gain 

 a victory over the first man that God has created, so 

 that my companions may be able to overcome those 

 who come later." Then he armed himself with seven 

 wiles from which he expected great aid: the first was 

 venomous envy; the second, burning hatred; the third, 

 false cunning; the fourth, specious deception; the fifth, 

 haughty arrogance; the sixth, covetous self-seeking; the 

 seventh, lustful desire. Then he said to himself: " Inas- 

 much as I am now an invisible spirit, I cannot visibly 

 come to have speech with physical man, unless I adorn 

 m y ugly countenance with a certain corporeal beauty. 

 I shall therefore enter this serpent which God has cre- 

 ated with the face of a maiden and which most resembles 





