"Ho, ho, thou
angel of peace," exclaimed Lucifer, "hast thou come? Keep him safe,
guards, at your peril!" Before we had gone far, the Rogue and the
Slanderer appeared, chained between forty devils, and whispering to one
another. "Most noble Lucifer," began the Rogue, "I am very sorry there
is so much disturbance in your kingdom; but if I may be heard, I will
teach you a better method. Under the pretence of holding a Parliament,
you can cite all the damned into the burning Evildom, and then bid the
devils hurl them headlong to bottomless perdition, and lock them up in
its vortex, to trouble you no more." "But the Common Meddler is still
missing," said Lucifer, frowning most darkly at the Rogue. When we
reached once more the entrance of the infernal court, who should come
straight to meet the King but the Busybody. "Ah, your majesty, I have a
word with you." "And I have one or two with you, peradventure," said the
Evil One. "I have been over the half of Hell," said he, "to see how your
affairs went. You have many officers in the East who are remiss, and
take their ease instead of attending to the torturing of their prisoners
and to their safe keeping; it was this that gave rise to the great
rebellion.
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