The Loves Of The Angels: "It is only to the happy that tears are a luxury."

By Thomas Moore

Thomas Moore was born on 28th May in 1779 in Dublin. He was the eldest as well as being the only son to Catholic parents. His father was a prosperous grocer, his mother an intelligent, creative woman that fostered and encouraged his artistic ability. Together they gave Thomas a confidence and a good education at private schools in England. At that time Catholics were denied equal rights, with no vote and certainly were not allowed to attend the best schools in Ireland. However, Thomas' talent was recognised early with the publication of his first poem in a Dublin newspaper at the age of 14. By 1794 Catholics had obtained more rights and this meant that Thomas was able to attend the reputable Trinity College Dublin where his parents wanted him to study to become a lawyer. Although his Catholicism meant he was denied a scholarship, he was clearly ahead of his peers at University and developed a reputation not only in poetry and the performing arts but for being a champion of freedom for all in Ireland. Moore was an important figure in his lifetime and in British Romanticism which resulted in a close friendship with Byron of whom he later wrote a biography of. Thomas was a prolific writer of verse with his Irish Melodies enjoying huge popularity and his poem "Lalla Rookh", being credited as the most translated poem of its time. He is to Ireland what Burns is to Scotland and still now his songs are sung up and down the country. Thomas Moore died 25th February 1852 and is commemorated in several places including statues at Trinity College Dublin and Central Park, New York.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Copyright Group
• Release date: Mar 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781783943258

Book preview

The Loves Of The Angels by Thomas Moore

Thomas Moore was born on 28th May in 1779 in Dublin.  He was the eldest as well as being the only son to Catholic parents.  His father was a prosperous grocer and mother an intelligent creative woman that fostered and encouraged his creative and artistic ability and together they gave Thomas a confidence and a good education at private schools in England.  At that time Catholics were denied equal rights, with no vote and certainly were not allowed to attend the best schools in Ireland.  However, Thomas' talent was recognised early with the publication of his first poem in a Dublin newspaper at the age of 14.  By 1794 Catholics had obtained more rights and this meant that Thomas was able to attend the reputable Trinity College Dublin where his parents wanted him to study to become a lawyer.  Although his Catholicism meant he was denied a scholarship, he was clearly ahead of his peers at University and developed a reputation not only in poetry and the performing arts but for being a champion of freedom for all in Ireland.

Moore was an important figure in his lifetime and in British Romanticism which resulted in a close friendship with Byron who he wrote a biography of.  He was a prolific writer of verse with his Irish Melodies enjoying huge popularity and his poem Lalla Rookh, being credited as the most translated poem of its time.  He is to Ireland what Burns is to Scotland and still now his songs are sung up and down the country.  He died 25th February 1852 and is commemorated in several places including statues at Trinity College Dublin and Central Park, New York.

Index Of Contents

Preface

The Loves Of The Angels

First Angel’s Story

Second Angel’s Story

Third Angel’s Story

Footnotes

PREFACE.

The Eastern story of the angels Harut and Marut and the Rabbinical fictions of the loves of Uzziel and Shámchazai are the only sources to which I need refer for the origin of the notion on which this Romance is founded. In addition to the fitness of the subject for poetry, it struck me also as capable of affording an allegorical medium through which might be shadowed out (as I have endeavored to do in the following stories) the fall of the Soul from its original purity[1] the loss of light and happiness which it suffers, in the pursuit of this world's perishable pleasures and the punishments both from conscience and Divine justice with which impurity, pride, and presumptuous inquiry into the awful secrets of Heaven are sure to be visited. The beautiful story of Cupid and Psyche owes its chief charm to this sort of veiled meaning, and it has been my wish (however I may have failed in the attempt) to communicate to the following pages the same moral interest.

Among the doctrines or notions derived by Plato from the East, one of the most natural and sublime is that which inculcates the pre-existence of the soul and its gradual descent into this dark material world from that region of spirit and light which it is supposed to have once inhabited and to which after a long lapse of purification and trial it will return. This belief under various symbolical forms may be traced through almost all the Oriental theologies. The Chaldeans represent the Soul as originally endowed with wings which fall away when it sinks from its native element and must be re-produced before it can hope to return. Some disciples of Zoroaster once inquired of him, How the wings of the Soul might be made to grow again?

By sprinkling them, he replied, with the Waters of Life.

But where are those Waters to be found? they asked.

In the Garden of God, replied Zoroaster.

The mythology of the Persians has allegorized the same doctrine, in the history of those genii of light who strayed from their dwellings in the stars and obscured their original nature by mixture with this material sphere; while the Egyptians connecting it with the descent and ascent of the sun in the zodiac considered Autumn as emblematic of the Soul's decline toward darkness and the re-appearance of Spring as its return to life and light.

Besides the chief spirits