... . He is not now, as when on Jordan's sand The joyful people thronged to see him land, Covering the beach, and blackening all the strand; But, like the Prince of Angels, from his height, Comes tumbling downward with diminished light (ll. 262-274) There is a great deal of irony in this, warning of Achitophel's deceptive persuasion. Hoping to convince Absalom of ... of biblical history, that ethic obviously contradicts the moral codes and world order implied by God's written law. The end of Achitophel's description is the simile "like the Prince of Angels," used to epitomize David's decline...

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• Approx Pages: 6