Lucifer had barely pronounced their sentence—­that they should be driven to the great glacier in the land of eternal ice, a doom that set their teeth a-gnashing, even before they saw their prison, when suddenly, hell again most marvellously resounded with the crash of terrible bolts, with loud-rolling thunder, and with every noise of war.  Lucifer loured and grew pale; in a moment, there flew in a wry-footed imp, panting and trembling.  “What is the matter?” cried Lucifer.  “A matter fraught with the greatest peril for you since hell is hell,” said the dwarf, “all the ends of the kingdom of darkness have risen up against you and against each other, especially those between whom there was longstanding enmity, who are already locked together fang to fang, so that it is impossible to pull them apart.  Soldiers have attacked the doctors for taking away their trade of slaughter; a myriad userers have fallen upon the lawyers, for claiming a share in the business of robbery; the busybodies and the swindlers are tearing the gentlemen, limb-meal, for unnecessary swearing and cursing, whereby they gained their living.  Harlots and their minions, and a million other old friends and former comrades have fallen out with one another irreconcilably.  But worst of all is the fray raging between the misers and their own offspring, for wasting the goods and money which, the old pinchfists aver, ’cost us much pain on earth, and here endless anguish.’  Their sons, on the other hand, cursing and rending them outrageously, call for eternal ruin upon their heads for leaving overmuch wealth to madden them with pride and riotous living, when a little, under the blessing of heaven, would have rendered them happy in both worlds.”  “Enough, enough,” cried Lucifer, “there is more need of arms than words.  Return, sirrah, and play the spy in every watch to find the where and why of this great negligence, for there’s some treachery in the air we wot not of as yet.”  The imp departed at his bidding, and in the meantime Lucifer and his compeers arose in terror and exceeding fear, and ordered the levying of the bravest armies of the black angels; and having disposed them, he himself started foremost to quell the rebellion, his chieftains and their hosts going other ways.  The royal army, like shafts of lightning across the hideous gloom, advanced (and we in their rear); ere long the uproar falls upon their ears; a fiendish bellower cries, “Silence, in the King’s name!” to no purpose, it would be an easier task to hale apart old beavers than one of these.  But when Lucifer’s veterans dashed into their midst, the growls, and blows, and battering lessened.  “Silence in Lucifer’s name!” roared the devil a second time.  “What is this,” demanded the King, “and who are these?” “Nothing, sire, but that in the general confusion, the drovers came across the cuckolds, and set a-butting to prove whose horns were the harder; it might have turned out seriously, had not your horned giants joined in the affray.”  “Well,” said Lucifer, “since ye are all so ready with your arms, come with me to trounce the other rebels.”  But when the rumour reached these that Lucifer was approaching with three horned armies, everyone made for his lair.