Repent! for was it not of old writ that:
Thou Melko shalt see that no theme can be played save it come in the end of Ilúvatar's self, nor can any alter the music in Ilúvatar's despite. He that attempts this finds himself in the end but aiding me in devising a thing of still greater grandeur and more complex wonder: -- for lo! through Melko have terror as fire, and sorrow like dark waters, wrath like thunder, and evil as far from my light as the depths if the uttermost of dark places, come into the design that I laid before you. Through him has pain and misery been made in the clash of overwhelming musics; and with confusion of sounds have cruelty, and ravening, and darkness, loathly mire and all putrescence of thought or thing, foul mists and violent flame, cold without mercy, been born, and death without hope. Yet is this through him and not by him; and he shall see, and ye all likewise, and even shall those beings, who must now dwell among his evil and endure through Melko misery and sorrow, terror and wickedness, declare in the end that it redoundeth only to my great glory, and doth but make the theme more worth the hearing, Life worth more the living, and the World so much the more wonderful and marvellous, and that of all the deeds of Ilúvatar it shall be called his mightiest and loveliest.
HoME I 2
And later was it not inscribed
When famed most three-part masterpiece
Of him that wrought in mind the holy musics
Began he to fashion fairest tale of Phantasie:
[T]hou, Melko, shalt see that no theme may be played that has not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempts this shall but aid me in devising things yet more wonderful, which he himself has not imagined. Through Melko have terror as fire, and sorrow like dark waters, wrath like thunder, and evil as far from my light as the uttermost depths of the dark place come into my design. In the confusion of sound were made pain and cruelty, devouring flame and cold without mercy, and death without hope. Yet he shall see that in the end this redounds only to the glory of the world, and this world shall be called of all the deeds of Ilúvatar the mightiest and most lovely.
HoME V 2 iv
Alas! that in my hand I not
The later designs and histories have,
Or yet, that I should have misplaced
My copy of that which Christopher cobbled,
His son, out of his myriad manuscripts.
Yet I implore you, I entreat upon your soul
O hackers three, to turn from
Your treacherous treading and beg
Forgiveness from him who
This fair site founded.
Return I shall, when respite from
Academic abomination have I gained
and hope that here shall I find
Ravagers repenting of their wrack.