St. Caedmon the Melodist on the Lament of the Fallen Angels

The old one [Satan] crieth out of hell, with horrible voice
uttereth words accursed: “Whither is fled the glory of the
angels, which we should have in heaven? This is a home of
darkness, terribly bound with fettering bonds of fire. The floor
of hell is ablaze, and flaming with poison. The end is now not
far when we must suffer torment, pain, and woe, no whit
possessing bliss in heavenly glory, nor joy, in her high halls.
Lo! once we knew great bliss before the face of God, and songs
of praise in heaven in happier hours, where now stand noble
spirits round about Eternal God in His high hall, worshipping the
Lord with words and works. And here in torment I must needs
abide in bonds, nor ever hope for any better home, because of my
insolent pride.”

Then answered the foul fiends, black and sinful,
chained in torment: “Thou with thy lies didst teach us not to
serve the Saviour! To thee alone it seemed that thou hadst power
of all things in heaven and earth, that thou wert Holy God, even
the Creator. Now thou art bound. thou wretched fiend, with bonds
of flame. In thy splendour thou didst think the world was thine,
and power of all things, and we, the angels, with thee.
Loathsome is thy face! Sorely have we suffered for thy lies!
Thou saidest that thy son was Lord of men. Now is thy woe the
greater.”

So with bitter words and moaning voices the sinful
spirits spake unto their lord. Christ had cast them out, and
banished them from joy. They had lost the radiant light of God
in heaven through overweening pride. For all their joy they had
the floors of hell and burning pain. Pale, their beauty marred,
the fallen angels, miserable wretches, wandered through that
loathsome pit, because of the presumptuous deeds which formerly
they wrought.

Then once more spake the leader of the fiends; he was
chastened anew, and racked with pangs of torment. Black with
fire and poison, he began to speak; no pleasant joy was this as
he poured forth his words in pain:

“I was once a holv angel, dear unto God in heaven,
and knew great joy before the face of the Lord God, likewise this
multitude. But I resolved in my heart to overthrow the Lord of
glory, the Son of God, and have myself the power to rule the
world, and all this wretched host which I have led unto a home in
hell. Bethink ye of the token and the curse, that I was
banished, deep below the earth, in the bottomless abyss. I have
led you all from out your native home unto a house of bondage.

“Here is no glory of the blessed, neither wine-halls
of the proud, nor worldly joys nor angel throngs, nor may we have
possession of high heaven. This loathsome dwelling burns with
fire. I am God’s foe. Dragons dwell ever at the gates of hell,
inflamed and furious; they may not help us! This woeful house is
filled with torment. In this deep darkness there is yet no place
to shelter us, that we may hide therein. Here is the adder’s
hiss; here serpents dwell. Firmly the bonds of torment are
fastened upon us. Fierce are the fiends, swarthy and black.
Here never gleameth day in the gloom of hell-shadows, nor the
radiant light of God.

“Once I had power and glory, before I earned God’s
judgment on my sin in this loathsome realm, upon the floor of
hell. Now I have come, and brought a host of fiends, unto this
home of darkness. But, flying forth from hell from time to time,
I needs must visit every land, and others of you also, who had
part in our presumptuous deeds. We need not hope the King of
glory will ever grant us a home and dwelling, as He did of old,
and everlasting power. For the Son of God hath power of all
things, of glory and affliction. Wherefore, downcast and
wretched, I must wander far, an exile journey, stripped of glory,
shorn of virtue, bereft of joy in heaven among the angels,
because I said of old that I was King of glory and Lord of all.”