The author of Anglo-Saxon poem Genesis imagines the agonised speech of Lucifer to his fellow rebels against God. Thrust from heaven, they now must endure the extreme conditions of a land without God; but what rankles most that lowly Man will be given his seat in heaven, and he no longer has the power to prevent it by force.

Though force be unavailing, there must (says Lucifer) be some way to rob God of his hopes for Man: the best he can think of is to induce Man into a rebellion of his own, so that God will in bitter wrath banish his creature to hell, and the fallen angels will have lordship and servants to command after all.

119 words