Uriel monologue (Act 3) — Vondel's Lucifer

Even as bright day to gloomy night is changed, Whene'er the sun forgets his golden glow, So in his downward fall his beauty turned To something monstrous and most horrible: Into a brutish snout his face, that shone 310 So glorious; his teeth into large fangs, Sharpened for gnawing steel; his hands and feet Into four various claws; into a hide Of black that shining skin of pearl; while from His bristled back two dragon wings did sprout. Alas! the proud Archangel, whom but now All Angels honored here, hath changed his shape into a hideous medley of seven beasts, As outwardly appears: A lion proud; A greedy, gluttonous swine; a slothful ass; 320 A fierce rhinoceros, with rage inflamed; An ape, in every part obscene and vile, By nature lewd and most lascivious; A dragon, full of envy; and a wolf Of sordid avarice. His beauteous form Is now a monster execrable, by God And Spirit and man e'er to be cursed. That beast Doth shrink to view its own deformity, And veils with darkling mists its Gorgon face.