of Hell_, _and
ruler of the Deep_, _to our natural son_, _the most mighty and
terrible king Death_, _greeting_, _pre-eminence_, _and eternal spoil_.

"For as much as we have been informed by some of our nimble
messengers, who are constantly abroad to obtain information, that
seven prisoners, of the seven most villainous and dangerous species in
the world, have arrived lately at your royal palace, and that it is
your intention to hurl them over the cliff into my kingdom. I hereby
counsel you to try every possible means, to let them loose back again
upon the world; they will do you there more service in sending you
food, and sending me better company, for I would rather want than have
them; we have had but too much plague with their companions for a long
time, and my dominion is still disturbed by them. Therefore turn them
back, or keep them with you. For, by the infernal crown, if you send
them here, I will undermine the foundations of your kingdom, until it
falls down into my own immense dominion.

"_From the burning hall of assembly_, _at our royal palace in the pit
of Hell_, _in the year of our reign_, 5425."

King Death, hereupon, stood for some time with his visage green and pale,
in great perplexity of mind. But whilst he was meditating, behold
_Fate_, turned upon him such an iron-black scowl, as made him tremble.
"Sirrah," said he, "look to what you do. It is not in my power to send
any one back, through the boundary of eternity, the irrepassable wall,
nor in yours to harbour them here; therefore forward them to their
destruction, in spite of the Arch Fiend. He has been able hitherto, in a
minute to allot his proper place to every individual, in a drove of a
thousand, nay, even of ten thousand captured souls; and what difficulty
can he have with seven, however dangerous they may be. But though these
seven should turn the infernal government topsy-turvy, do you drive them
thither instantly, for fear I should receive commands to annihilate you
before your time. As for _his_ threats, they are only lies; for although
thy end, and that of the old man yonder, (looking at Time,) are nigh at
hand, being written only a few pages further on, in my unerring volume,
yet you have no cause to be afraid of sinking to Lucifer; though every
one in the abyss would be glad to obtain thee, yet they never, never
shall. For the rocks of steel and eternal adamant, which form t