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1.28.18
Unwanted all, seemed this refuge host, castaway, as they landed on Eru-place, and walked among her people, bright in being raised surrounded in his glory; stained by seeming were they, and doubts gnawing; yet all were received as no lesser than the greatest and finding house and friendship there, among all the people, that gathered refuge-host last carried by those crumbs to a course directing to Eru-place; and in days proceeding, by such reception and new bonds of living, as friends and kin-numbered among all his people’s houses, did that seeming resolve itself, and doubts dissolve, until only the EA of Eru-place confronted all their thoughts; and here was built and made and grown all the beauty recalcitrant and undying, all the loveliness in their souls outwarded, in cultivation, and the wearing away of land by sea, and the sea’s art kept her bounds, arising when good, and withdrawing from heavings, when good;
No lore can represent outside or beyond that Eru-place all that is there; good, beauty, truth, in greater abundance than all else gathered, stores to bear out all winters, and assaults in siege; in the Eru-place was He of who it is honored in name; and no lordly manner, his, ever friendly, kind to all, giving and receiving in pure joy, glad to be surrounded, and to thus by his light-glory, them surround; and never has this place faded, nor ever shall, though it be no longer inhabited, nor growing, itself; for Eru departed, in his wisdom; and leaving his house-place to whosoever we admitted, there was no evil abiding; all lived in content, peaceful, thriving in rest and labor, creation, discovery, and all that was upon Arda held good by those deemed good, was first here conceived, or of its own being, became;
Estel was not, however; for such trusting-hope in Eru, and his will unfolding upon his children, had not grown upon that place;
Not so different in conception is your Earth; for when first conceived, Arda was minded a memorial of Eru-place; Eternal, boundless, light-ful, yet not to banish the night, and her starlight; a place where all may thrive, and time too was given, in surrounding, where Eru-glory was not; Why it was Arda conceived by Ainur, already sufficient has been told, in this tale and elsewhere; to be Lords and Powers unrestrained, and to know themselves such, without a single servant or sycophant, slave or anything to bear wholly their will, entire; And Melkor was among those Great Ones, and had himself repented, and not seeming; for all his realm vacated, and naught but Void surrounded, he grew weary and lonesome, of his own mind; and last came, to those shores, starving for light, and withered by love’s absence, and delight came over all who beheld him, and praise to Eru grew;
So nurtured, Melkor came to conclude a gathering of every seed-soul cast out by his hand, or those of his servants (who had abandoned him, for realms of their own to master) must be by himself undertaken, and by any willing to assist; still he wore that brand, Father of Lies; and though in earnest in his professed desire to gather all he’d cast aside, in judgment unjust, and false decree, his own nature had he bent, and would not, could not unbend;
So none joined him, deeming it dangerous to proceed under his guidance and governance again, though most had forgotten the Seeming, and its power to confound, to bring a halt to one’s will entire; thrust forth into the Void by his own arrogance to collect all he’d put out there, to show unto himself proof or evidence of full-repentance; to bring them in, so they might forgive his outlandish customs, who before had under his rule suffered ignominious servitude, and now free on Eru-place, had grown joyful, and liberated; ever was his mind of two places, and never reconciled, even in this land, where now Eru visited only;
So thrust forth of ambition, a flame grew in him anew, and many returned in the train of its light, brought to Eru-place, and there housed, to recuperation, and slow regrowth; but not all could he reclaim, and feigning to others he sought ever further from Eru-place, those last souls to recover, he wandered, and looked upon his servants, upon distant realms, enthroned, and worshipped, As Eru-ought, he said aloud; He is, greatest, and they know not the Eru, or else would abandon this false idolatry, to Balrog (as we say) and Dark-Fire;
So discontent to scrape the seas about for what he’d cast aside, and needed recovery, Melkor became irresolute in his collecting, and doubted he may come to reclaim and see to health, all those souls sent away, “injudiciously,” as he lamented; Indeed, even upon Eru-place, many were slow to gain semblance of their former glory, and became weary, and would not join in the joys undertaken there; but aloof and alone, brought there sorrow, but not in evil-will doing; and sorrow too found place there, as did many new ways not previously grown: regret, remorse, would-have, howso to alter, discontent with one’s course; fed by the glory surrounding, refusing to join, and fear too came into Eru-place;
So also these developments chided Melkor, that though his whole soul spend he in labor searching, to no certain end did this seeking come; for souls are spirit-free, and what could he, a weak one here, bring to balm their light into greater glow, if they would receive?
Shall Eru return, perhaps they might heal, others suggested; often Melkor departed, as before, in seeking souls to un-net as a fisher returned from a bountiful sea, yet smaller ever grew his catch’s total, though more so in the labor seemed; and others he sought to aid in this task, if they would; so larger groups came to the shores of Eru-place, first to see of a small retinue, then in days proceeding, themselves to wade there-out, and take a course behind his lighted train, as luminescent waves out-rolling, to flash the walls of night, in lightning;
His work beyond Eru-place, none need understand, he being a Liar, without shame, Forever; yet at times he would return, feigning interest in Ainurs’ new endeavor, to go out, into a new place, and with Eru’s devising beside, to build there a second, in memorial, of what, they did not perceive;
So Arda was fashioned, as elsewhere conveyed; and there came in his willfulness, to mastery, Melkor, having brought under his rule and law, all former servants, and many new come, of Eru- place, proceeding; some good, and misled, others wholly turned to his dark worship;
Eru was not deceived, neither was Manwe-Varda, nor many others, spirit, Ainu, Maia, and else besides; though of his intent, it is said only Eru fully perceived rightly; appearing to desire mastery to being under him, slaves in manifesting his will, unrelenting; and servants to carry it out, as if free willing; and rebels to proceed opposing; and all else brought into relation to his will, this ruse Eru never misperceived: not anything, Melkor desires, even to lie, is now a burden resilient, and resented by him; to Manwe-Varda he told in warning:
To unmake all that is here fashioned, resident,
Or maybe hither made, conceived, or born,
His only EA, truly. Nothing may he ever make,
Save as thou perceive, in mockery, to abuse,
Never to teach, but in lies abounding;
And only to EA nothing; and such a nothing
He may well achieve, if daunted thou become,
Before his powers, mastery, and unrelenting;
And if so, also to nothing wilt thou fail, and all
Thy house proceeding, from Eru-place, hither,
To nothing come: Be warned!
Only He passing back and forth, as has been told, less often did He come to Arda, though watching its course, as outside a window;
And foreseeing upon a time far distant, that in gazing out that window, nothing would he behold, he went to Finwë and Feanor, and told them his secret, to bring forth children of his own, there on Arda, as in challenge of Melko, and these faithful to his purposes, called upon others, some of renown in After days, upon Arda born; others not named in any tale, yet serving Eru’s good will, all their days; and this condition he set before them:
To go, and not return, ever;
Neither to recall here, their homes, and friendship;
But only to know of Eru-place, whatsoever
The Powers recalled, and taught to others;
Or had built or cultivated, there
As memorial of Here; and this ye do,
If undertaken, being free of Melko, and his decrees,
And of the Music also, unbounded, either
To Ainu-will, or all else bearing down;
Others too shall I send in thy wake, if there proceeding,
And thy freedom shall they inherit,
(And these are called Men);
But not to go forth unaided, or
Into a dungeon, for Varda thy mother-queen
Shall be, and Manwe, appointed in decree
Unaltered, ever, her spouse, king upon Arda;
And to them shall ye gather, and come
To rest amid Melko’s terrors, but not forever.
So they fell upon and over Arda, as a rain of Fire, stars downcast, to be upon Arda, spirit housed, Fire consuming all Melko’s flowering; and he perceiving again Eru’s wisdom, and another throwing in of his cunning hand, doubted.
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