# Jerusalem. The Emanation of the Giant Albion/Chapter III

Written and etched 1804-1820. Source: Blake: The Complete Poetry & Prose (David. V. Erdman) In the internet: www.blakearchive.org

## Jerusalem. The Emanation of the Giant Albion. Chapter III

* PLATE 53
* Jerusalem
* Chap 3.
* But Los, who is the Vehicular Form of strong Urthona
* Wept vehemently over Albion where Thames currents spring
* From the rivers of Beulah; pleasant river! soft, mild, parent stream
* And the roots of Albions Tree enterd the Soul of Los
* 5 As he sat before his Furnaces clothed in sackcloth of hair
* In gnawing pain dividing him from his Emanation;
* Inclosing all the Children of Los time after time.
* Their Giant forms condensing into Nations & Peoples & Tongues
* Translucent the Furnaces, of Beryll & Emerald immortal:
* 10And Seven-fold each within other: incomprehensible
* To the Vegetated Mortal Eye's perverted & single vision
* The Bellows are the Animal Lungs. the hammers, the Animal Heart
* The Furnaces, the Stomach for Digestion; terrible their fury
* Like seven burning heavens rang'd from South to North
* 15Here on the banks of the Thames, Los builded Golgonooza,
* Outside of the Gates of the Human Heart, beneath Beulah
* In the midst of the rocks of the Altars of Albion. In fears
* He builded it, in rage & in fury. It is the Spiritual Fourfold
* London: continually building & continually decaying desolate!
* 20In eternal labours: loud the Furnaces & loud the Anvils
* Of Death thunder incessant around the flaming Couches of
* The Twentyfour Friends of Albion and round the awful Four
* For the protection of the Twelve Emanations of Albions Sons
* The Mystic Union of the Emanation in the Lord; Because
* 25Man divided from his Emanation is a dark Spectre
* His Emanation is an ever-weeping melancholy Shadow
* But she is made receptive of Generation thro' mercy
* In the Potters Furnace, among the Funeral Urns of Beulah
* From Surrey hills, thro' Italy and Greece, to Hinnoms vale.
* PLATE 54
* In Great Eternity, every particular Form gives forth or Emanates
* Its own peculiar Light, & the Form is the Divine Vision
* And the Light is his Garment This is Jerusalem in every Man
* A Tent & Tabernacle of Mutual Forgiveness Male & Female Clothings.
* 5And Jerusalem is called Liberty among the Children of Albion
* But Albion fell down a Rocky fragment from Eternity hurld
* By his own Spectre, who is the Reasoning Power in every Man
* Into his own Chaos which is the Memory between Man & Man
* The silent broodings of deadly revenge springing from the
* 10All powerful parental affection, fills Albion from head to foot
* Seeing his Sons assimilate with Luvah, bound in the bonds
* Of spiritual Hate, from which springs Sexual Love as iron chains:
* He tosses like a Cloud outstretchd among Jerusalems Ruins
* Which overspread all the Earth, he groans among his ruind porches
* Reason / Pity Wrath/This World/ Desire
* 15But the Spectre like a hoar frost & a Mildew rose over Albion
* Saying, I am God O Sons of Men! I am your Rational Power!
* Am I not Bacon & Newton & Locke who teach Humility to Man!
* Who teach Doubt & Experiment & my two Wings Voltaire: Rousseau.
* Where is that Friend of Sinners! that Rebel against my Laws!
* 20Who teaches Belief to the Nations, & an unknown Eternal Life
* Come hither into the Desart & turn these stones to bread.
* Vain foolish Man! wilt thou believe without Experiment?
* And build a World of Phantasy upon my Great Abyss!
* A World of Shapes in craving Lust & devouring appetite
* 25So spoke the hard cold constrictive Spectre he is named Arthur
* Constricting into Druid Rocks round Canaan Agag & Aram & Pharoh
* Then Albion drew England into his bosom in groans & tears
* But she stretchd out her starry Night in Spaces against him. like
* A long Serpent, in the Abyss of the Spectre which augmented
* 30The Night with Dragon wings coverd with stars & in the Wings
* Jerusalem & Vala appeard: & above between the Wings magnificent
* The Divine Vision dimly appeard in clouds of blood weeping.
* PLATE 55
* When those who disregard all Mortal Things, saw a Mighty-One
* Among the Flowers of Beulah still retain his awful strength
* They wonderd; checking their wild flames & Many gathering
* Together into an Assembly; they said, let us go down
* 5And see these changes! Others said, If you do so prepare
* For being drived from our fields, what have we to do with the Dead?
* To be their inferiors or superiors we equally abhor;
* Superior, none we know: inferior none: all equal share
* Divine Benevolence & joy, for the Eternal Man
* 10Walketh among us, calling us his Brothers & his Friends:
* Forbidding us that Veil which Satan puts between Eve & Adam
* By which the Princes of the Dead enslave their Votaries
* Teaching them to form the Serpent of precious stones & gold
* To sieze the Sons of Jerusalem & plant them in One Mans Loins
* 15To make One Family of Contraries: that Joseph may be sold
* Into Egypt: for Negation; a Veil the Saviour born & dying rends.
* But others said: Let us to him who only Is, & who
* Walketh among us, give decision. bring forth all your fires!
* So saying, an eternal deed was done: in fiery flames
* 20The Universal Conc[l]ave raged, such thunderous sounds as never
* Were sounded from a mortal cloud, nor on Mount Sinai old
* Nor in Havilah where the Cherub rolld his redounding flame.
* Loud! loud! the Mountains lifted up their voices, loud the Forests
* Rivers thunderd against their banks, loud Winds furious fought
* 25Cities & Nations contended in fires & clouds & tempests.
* The Seas raisd up their voices & lifted their hands on high
* The Stars in their courses fought. the Sun! Moon! Heaven! Earth.
* Contending for Albion & for Jerusalem his Emanation
* And for Shiloh, the Emanation of France & for lovely Vala.
* 30Then far the greatest number were about to make a Separation
* And they Elected Seven, calld the Seven Eyes of God;
* Lucifer, Molech, Elohim, Shaddai, Pahad, Jehovah, Jesus.
* They namd the Eighth. he came not, he hid in Albions Forests
* But first they said: (& their Words stood in Chariots in array
* 35Curbing their Tygers with golden bits & bridles of silver & ivory)
* Let the Human Organs be kept in their perfect Integrity
* At will Contracting into Worms, or Expanding into Gods
* And then behold! what are these Ulro Visions of Chastity[!]
* Then as the moss upon the tree: or dust upon the plow:
* 40Or as the sweat upon the labouring shoulder: or as the chaff
* Of the wheat-floor or as the dregs of the sweet wine-press
* Such are these Ulro Visions, for tho we sit down within
* The plowed furrow, listning to the weeping clods till we
* Contract or Expand Space at will: or if we raise ourselves
* 45Upon the chariots of the morning. Contracting or Expanding Time!
* Every one knows, we are One Family! One Man blessed for ever
* Silence remaind & every one resumd his Human Majesty
* And many conversed on these things as they labourd at the furrow
* Saying: It is better to prevent misery, than to release from misery
* 50It is better to prevent error, than to forgive the criminal:
* Labour well the Minute Particulars, attend to the Little-ones:
* And those who are in misery cannot remain so long
* If we do but our duty: labour well the teeming Earth.
* They Plow'd in tears, the trumpets sounded before the golden Plow
* 55 And the voices of the Living Creatures were heard in the clouds of heaven
* Crying: Compell the Reasoner to Demonstrate with unhewn Demonstrations
* Let the Indefinite be explored. and let every Man be judged
* By his own Works, Let all Indefinites be thrown into Demonstrations
* To be pounded to dust & melted in the Furnaces of Affliction:
* 60 He who would do good to another, must do it in Minute Particulars
* General Good is the plea of the scoundrel hypocrite & flatterer:
* For Art & Science cannot exist but in minutely organized Particulars
* And not in generalizing Demonstrations of the Rational Power.
* The Infinite alone resides in Definite & Determinate Identity
* 65 Establishment of Truth depends on destruction of Falshood continually
* On Circumcision: not on Virginity, O Reasoners of Albion
* So cried they at the Plow. Albions Rock frowned above
* And the Great Voice of Eternity rolled above terrible in clouds
* Saying Who will go forth for us! & Who shall we send before our face?
* PLATE 56
* Then Los heaved his thund'ring Bellows on the Valley of Middlesex
* And thus he chaunted his Song: the Daughters of Albion reply.
* What may Man be? who can tell! But what may Woman be?
* To have power over Man from Cradle to corruptible Grave.
* 5He who is an Infant, and whose Cradle is a Manger
* Knoweth the Infant sorrow: whence it came, and where it goeth:
* And who weave it a Cradle of the grass that withereth away.
* This World is all a Cradle for the erred wandering Phantom:
* Rock'd by Year, Month, Day & Hour; and every two Moments
* 10Between, dwells a Daughter of Beulah, to feed the Human Vegetable
* Entune: Daughters of Albion. your hymning Chorus mildly!
* Cord of affection thrilling extatic on the iron Reel:
* To the golden Loom of Love! to the moth-labourd Woof
* A Garment and Cradle weaving for the infantine Terror:
* 15For fear; at entering the gate into our World of cruel
* Lamentation: it flee back & hide in Non-Entitys dark wild
* Where dwells the Spectre of Albion: destroyer of Definite Form.
* The Sun shall be a Scythed Chariot of Britain: the Moon; a Ship
* In the British Ocean! Created by Los's Hammer; measured out
* 20Into Days & Nights & Years & Months. to travel with my feet
* Over these desolate rocks of Albion: O daughters of despair!
* Rock the Cradle, and in mild melodies tell me where found
* What you have enwoven with so much tears & care? so much
* Tender artifice: to laugh: to weep: to learn: to know;
* 25Remember! recollect what dark befel in wintry days
* O it was lost for ever! and we found it not: it came
* And wept at our wintry Door: Look! look! behold! Gwendolen
* Is become a Clod of Clay! Merlin is a Worm of the Valley!
* Then Los uttered with Hammer & Anvil: Chaunt! revoice!
* 30I mind not your laugh: and your frown I not fear! and
* You must my dictate obey from your gold-beam'd Looms; trill
* Gentle to Albions Watchman, on Albions mountains; reeccho
* And rock the Cradle while! Ah me! Of that Eternal Man
* And of the cradled Infancy in his bowels of compassion:
* 35Who fell beneath his instruments of husbandry & became
* Subservient to the clods of the furrow! the cattle and even
* The emmet and earth-Worm are his superiors & his lords.
* Then the response came warbling from trilling Looms in Albion
* We Women tremble at the light therefore: hiding fearful
* 40The Divine Vision with Curtain & Veil & fleshly Tabernacle
* Los utter'd: swift as the rattling thunder upon the mountains[:]
* Look back into the Church Paul! Look! Three Women around
* The Cross! O Albion why didst thou a Female Will Create?
* PLATE 57
* And the voices of Bath & Canterbury & York & Edinburgh. Cry
* Over the Plow of Nations in the strong hand of Albion thundering along
* Among the Fires of the Druid & the deep black rethundering Waters
* Of the Atlantic which poured in impetuous loud loud. louder & louder.
* 5And the Great Voice of the Atlantic howled over the Druid Altars:
* Weeping over his Children in Stone-henge in Maiden & Colchester.
* Round the Rocky Peak of Derbyshire London Stone & Rosamonds Bower
* What is a Wife & what is a Harlot? What is a Church? & What
* Is a Theatre? are they Two & not One? can they Exist Separate?
* 10Are not Religion & Politics the Same Thing? Brotherhood is Religion
* O Demonstrations of Reason Dividing Families in Cruelty & Pride!
* But Albion fled from the Divine Vision, with the Plow of Nations enflaming
* The Living Creatures maddend and Albion fell into the Furrow, and
* The Plow went over him & the Living was Plowed in among the Dead
* 15But his Spectre rose over the starry Plow. Albion fled beneath the Plow
* Till he came to the Rock of Ages. & he took his Seat upon the Rock.
* Wonder siezd all in Eternity! to behold the Divine Vision. open
* The Center into an Expanse, & the Center rolled out into an Expanse.
* PLATE 58
* In beauty the Daughters of Albion divide & unite at will
* Naked & drunk with blood Gwendolen dancing to the timbrel
* Of War: reeling up the Street of London she divides in twain
* Among the Inhabitants of Albion. the People fall around.
* 5 The Daughters of Albion. divide & unite in jealousy & cruelty
* The Inhabitants of Albion at the Harvest & the Vintage
* Feel their Brain cut round beneath the temples shrieking
* Bonifying into a Scull, the Marrow exuding in dismal pain
* They flee over the rocks bonifying: Horses: Oxen: feel the knife.
* 10 And while the Sons of Albion by severe War & Judgment, bonify
* The Hermaphroditic Condensations are divided by the Knife
* The obdurate Forms are cut asunder by jealousy & Pity.
* Rational Philosophy and Mathematic Demonstration
* Is divided in the intoxications of pleasure & affection
* 15 Two Contraries War against each other in fury & blood,
* And Los fixes them on his Anvil, incessant his blows:
* He fixes them with strong blows. placing the stones & timbers.
* To Create a World of Generation from the World of Death:
* Dividing the Masculine & Feminine: for the comingling
* 20 Of Albions & Luvahs Spectres was Hermaphroditic
* Urizen wrathful strode above directing the awful Building:
* As a Mighty Temple; delivering Form out of confusion[.]
* Jordan sprang beneath its threshold bubbling from beneath
* Its pillars: Euphrates ran under its arches: white sails
* 25 And silver oars reflect on its pillars, & sound on its ecchoing
* Pavements: where walk the Sons of Jerusalem who remain Ungenerate
* But the revolving Sun and Moon pass thro its porticoes,
* Day & night, in sublime majesty & silence they revolve
* And shine glorious within! Hand & Koban archd over the Sun
* 30 In the hot noon, as he traveld thro his journey; Hyle & Skofield
* Archd over the Moon at midnight & Los Fixd them there,
* With his thunderous Hammer; terrified the Spectres rage & flee
* Canaan is his portico; Jordan is a fountain in his porch;
* A fountain of milk & wine to relieve the traveller:
* 35 Egypt is the eight steps within. Ethiopia supports his pillars;
* Lybia & the Lands unknown. are the ascent without;
* Within is Asia & Greece, ornamented with exquisite art:
* Persia & Media are his halls: his inmost hall is Great Tartary.
* China & India & Siberia are his temples for entertainment
* 40 Poland & Russia & Sweden, his soft retired chambers
* France & Spain & Italy & Denmark & Holland & Germany
* Are the temples among his pillars. Britain is Los's Forge;
* America North & South are his baths of living waters.
* Such is the Ancient World of Urizen in the Satanic Void
* 45 Created from the Valley of Middlesex by Londons River
* From Stone-henge and from London Stone, from Cornwall to Cathnes
* The Four Zoa's rush around on all sides in dire ruin
* Furious in pride of Selfhood the terrible Spectres of Albion
* Rear their dark Rocks among the Stars of God: stupendous
* 50 Works! A World of Generation continually Creating; out of
* The Hermaphroditic Satanic World of rocky destiny.
* PLATE 59
* And formed into Four precious stones. for enterance from Beulah
* For the Veil of Vala which Albion cast into the Atlantic Deep
* To catch the Souls of the Dead: began to Vegetate & Petrify
* Around the Earth of Albion. among the Roots of his Tree
* 5 This Los formed into the Gates & mighty Wall, between the Oak
* Of Weeping & the Palm of Suffering beneath Albions Tomb,
* Thus in process of time it became the beautiful Mundane Shell,
* The Habitation of the Spectres of the Dead & the Place
* Of Redemption & of awaking again into Eternity
* 10 For Four Universes round the Mundane Egg remain Chaotic
* One to the North; Urthona: One to the South; Urizen:
* One to the East: Luvah: One to the West, Tharmas;
* They are the Four Zoas that stood around the Throne Divine
* Verulam: London: York & Edinburgh: their English names
* 15 But when Luvah assumed the World of Urizen Southward
* And Albion was slain upon his Mountains & in his Tent.
* All fell towards the Center, sinking downwards in dire ruin,
* In the South remains a burning Fire: in the East. a Void
* In the West, a World of raging Waters: in the North; solid Darkness
* 20 Unfathomable without end: but in the midst of these
* Is Built eternally the sublime Universe of Los & Enitharmon
* And in the North Gate, in the West of the North. toward Beulah
* Cathedrons Looms are builded. and Los's Furnaces in the South
* A wondrous golden Building immense with ornaments sublime
* 25 Is bright Cathedrons golden Hall, its Courts Towers & Pinnacles
* And one Daughter of Los sat at the fiery Reel & another
* Sat at the shining Loom with her Sisters attending round
* Terrible their distress & their sorrow cannot be utterd
* And another Daughter of Los sat at the Spinning Wheel
* 30 Endless their labour, with bitter food. void of sleep,
* Tho hungry they labour: they rouze themselves anxious
* Hour after hour labouring at the whirling Wheel
* Many Wheels & as many lovely Daughters sit weeping
* Yet the intoxicating delight that they take in their work
* 35 Obliterates every other evil; none pities their tears
* Yet they regard not pity & they expect no one to pity
* For they labour for life & love, regardless of any one
* But the poor Spectres that they work for, always incessantly
* They are mockd, by every one that passes by. they regard not
* 40 They labour; & when their Wheels are broken by scorn & malice
* They mend them sorrowing with many tears & afflictions.
* Other Daughters Weave on the Cushion & Pillow, Network fine
* That Rahab & Tirzah may exist & live & breathe & love
* Ah, that it could be as the Daughters of Beulah wish!
* 45 Other Daughters of Los, labouring at Looms less fine
* Create the Silk-worm & the Spider & the Catterpiller
* To assist in their most grievous work of pity & compassion
* And others Create the wooly Lamb & the downy Fowl
* To assist in the work: the Lamb bleats: the Sea-fowl cries
* 50 Men understand not the distress & the labour & sorrow
* That in the Interior Worlds is carried on in fear & trembling
* Weaving the shuddring fears & loves of Albions Families
* Thunderous rage the Spindles of iron. & the iron Distaff
* Maddens in the fury of their hands, Weaving in bitter tears
* 55 The Veil of Goats-hair & Purple & Scarlet & fine twined Linen
* PLATE 60
* The clouds of Albions Druid Temples rage in the eastern heaven
* While Los sat terrified beholding Albions Spectre who is Luvah
* Spreading in bloody veins in torments over Europe & Asia;
* Not yet formed but a wretched torment unformed & abyssal
* 5 In flaming fire; within the Furnaces the Divine Vision appeard
* On Albions hills: often walking from the Furnaces in clouds
* And flames among the Druid Temples & the Starry Wheels
* Gatherd Jerusalems Children in his arms & bore them like
* A Shepherd in the night of Albion which overspread all the Earth
* 10 I gave thee liberty and life O lovely Jerusalem
* And thou hast bound me down upon the Stems of Vegetation
* I gave thee Sheep-walks upon the Spanish Mountains Jerusalem
* I gave thee Priams City and the Isles of Grecia lovely!
* I gave thee Hand & Scofield & the Counties of Albion:
* 15 They spread forth like a lovely root into the Garden of God:
* They were as Adam before me: united into One Man,
* They stood in innocence & their skiey tent reachd over Asia
* To Nimrods Tower to Ham & Canaan walking with Mizraim
* Upon the Egyptian Nile, with solemn songs to Grecia
* 20 And sweet Hesperia even to Great Chaldea & Tesshina
* Following thee as a Shepherd by the Four Rivers of Eden
* Why wilt thou rend thyself apart, Jerusalem?
* And build this Babylon & sacrifice in secret Groves,
* Among the Gods of Asia: among the fountains of pitch & nitre
* 25 Therefore thy Mountains are become barren Jerusalem!
* Thy Valleys, Plains of burning sand. thy Rivers: waters of death
* Thy Villages die of the Famine and thy Cities
* Beg bread from house to house, lovely Jerusalem
* Why wilt thou deface thy beauty & the beauty of thy little-ones
* 30 To please thy Idols, in the pretended chastities of Uncircumcision[?]
* Thy Sons are lovelier than Egypt or Assyria; wherefore
* Dost thou blacken their beauty by a Secluded place of rest.
* And a peculiar Tabernacle, to cut the integuments of beauty
* Into veils of tears and sorrows O lovely Jerusalem!
* 35 They have perswaded thee to this, therefore their end shall come
* And I will lead thee thro the Wilderness in shadow of my cloud
* And in my love I will lead thee, lovely Shadow of Sleeping Albion.
* This is the Song of the Lamb, sung by Slaves in evening time.
* But Jerusalem faintly saw him, closd in the Dungeons of Babylon
* 40 Her Form was held by Beulahs Daughters. but all within unseen
* She sat at the Mills, her hair unbound her feet naked
* Cut with the flints: her tears run down, her reason grows like
* The Wheel of Hand. incessant turning day & night without rest
* Insane she raves upon the winds hoarse, inarticulate:
* 45 All night Vala hears. she triumphs in pride of holiness
* To see Jerusalem deface her lineaments with bitter blows
* Of despair. while the Satanic Holiness triumphd in Vala
* In a Religion of Chastity & Uncircumcised Selfishness
* Both of the Head & Heart & Loins, closd up in Moral Pride.
* 50 But the Divine Lamb stood beside Jerusalem. oft she saw
* The lineaments Divine & oft the Voice heard, & oft she said:
* O Lord & Saviour, have the Gods of the Heathen pierced thee?
* Or hast thou been pierced in the House of thy Friends?
* Art thou alive! & livest thou for-evermore? or art thou
* 55 Not: but a delusive shadow, a thought that liveth not.
* Babel mocks saying, there is no God nor Son of God
* That thou O Human Imagination, O Divine Body art all
* A delusion. but I know thee O Lord when thou arisest upon
* My weary eyes even in this dungeon & this iron mill.
* 60 The Stars of Albion cruel rise; thou bindest to sweet influences:
* For thou also sufferest with me altho I behold thee not;
* And altho I sin & blaspheme thy holy name, thou pitiest me;
* Because thou knowest I am deluded by the turning mills.
* And by these visions of pity & love because of Albions death.
* 65 Thus spake Jerusalem, & thus the Divine Voice replied.
* Mild Shade of Man, pitiest thou these Visions of terror & woe!
* Give forth thy pity & love. fear not! lo I am with thee always.
* Only believe in me that I have power to raise from death
* Thy Brother who Sleepeth in Albion: fear not trembling Shade
* PLATE 61
* Behold: in the Visions of Elohim Jehovah, behold Joseph & Mary
* And be comforted O Jerusalem in the Visions of Jehovah Elohim
* She looked & saw Joseph the Carpenter in Nazareth & Mary
* His espoused Wife. And Mary said, If thou put me away from thee
* 5 Dost thou not murder me? Joseph spoke in anger & fury. Should I
* Marry a Harlot & an Adulteress? Mary answerd, Art thou more pure
* Than thy Maker who forgiveth Sins & calls again Her that is Lost
* Tho She hates. he calls her again in love. I love my dear Joseph
* But he driveth me away from his presence. yet I hear the voice of God
* 10 In the voice of my Husband. tho he is angry for a moment, he will not
* Utterly cast me away. if I were pure, never could I taste the sweets
* Of the Forgive[ne]ss of Sins! if I were holy! I never could behold the tears
* Of love! of him who loves me in the midst of his anger in furnace of fire.
* Ah my Mary: said Joseph: weeping over & embracing her closely in
* 15 His arms: Doth he forgive Jerusalem & not exact Purity from her who is
* Polluted. I heard his voice in my sleep O his Angel in my dream:
* Saying, Doth Jehovah Forgive a Debt only on condition that it shall
* Be Payed? Doth he Forgive Pollution only on conditions of Purity
* That Debt is not Forgiven! That Pollution is not Forgiven
* 20 Such is the Forgiveness of the Gods, the Moral Virtues of the
* Heathen, whose tender Mercies are Cruelty. But Jehovahs Salvation
* Is without Money & without Price, in the Continual Forgiveness of Sins
* In the Perpetual Mutual Sacrifice in Great Eternity! for behold!
* There is none that liveth & Sinneth not! And this is the Covenant
* 25 Of Jehovah: If you Forgive one-another, so shall Jehovah Forgive You:
* That He Himself may Dwell among You. Fear not then to take
* To thee Mary thy Wife, for she is with Child by the Holy Ghost
* Then Mary burst forth into a Song! she flowed like a River of
* Many Streams in the arms of Joseph & gave forth her tears of joy
* 30 Like many waters, and Emanating into gardens & palaces upon
* Euphrates & to forests & floods & animals wild & tame from
* Gihon to Hiddekel, & to corn fields & villages & inhabitants
* Upon Pison & Arnon & Jordan. And I heard the voice among
* The Reapers Saying, Am I Jerusalem the lost Adulteress? or am I
* 35 Babylon come up to Jerusalem? And another voice answerd Saying
* Does the voice of my Lord call me again? am I pure thro his Mercy
* And Pity. Am I become lovely as a Virgin in his sight who am
* Indeed a Harlot drunken with the Sacrifice of Idols does he
* Call her pure as he did in the days of her Infancy when She
* 40 Was cast out to the loathing of her person. The Chaldean took
* Me from my Cradle. The Amalekite stole me away upon his Camels
* Before I had ever beheld with love the Face of Jehovah; or known
* That there was a God of Mercy: O Mercy O Divine Humanity!
* O Forgiveness & Pity & Compassion! If I were Pure I should never
* 45 Have known Thee; If I were Unpolluted I should never have
* Glorified thy Holiness, or rejoiced in thy great Salvation.
* Mary leaned her side against Jerusalem, Jerusalem recieved
* The Infant into her hands in the Visions of Jehovah. Times passed on
* Jerusalem fainted over the Cross & Sepulcher She heard the voice
* 50 Wilt thou make Rome thy Patriarch Druid & the Kings of Europe his
* Horsemen? Man in the Resurrection changes his Sexual Garments at will
* Every Harlot was once a Virgin: every Criminal an Infant Love!
* PLATE 62
* Repose on me till the morning of the Grave. I am thy life.
* Jerusalem replied. I am an outcast: Albion is dead!
* I am left to the trampling foot & the spurning heel!
* A Harlot I am calld. I am sold from street to street!
* 5 I am defaced with blows & with the dirt of the Prison!
* And wilt thou become my Husband O my Lord & Saviour?
* Shall Vala bring thee forth! shall the Chaste be ashamed also?
* I see the Maternal Line, I behold the Seed of the Woman!
* Cainah, & Ada & Zillah & Naamah Wife of Noah.
* 10 Shuahs daughter & Tamar & Rahab the Canaanites:
* Ruth the Moabite & Bathsheba of the daughters of Heth
* Naamah the Ammonite, Zibeah the Philistine, & Mary
* These are the Daughters of Vala, Mother of the Body of death
* But I thy Magdalen behold thy Spiritual Risen Body
* 15 Shall Albion arise? I know he shall arise at the Last Day!
* I know that in my flesh I shall see God: but Emanations
* Are weak. they know not whence they are, nor whither tend.
* Jesus replied. I am the Resurrection & the Life.
* I Die & pass the limits of possibility, as it appears
* 20 To individual perception. Luvah must be Created
* And Vala; for I cannot leave them in the gnawing Grave.
* But will prepare a way for my banished-ones to return
* Come now with me into the villages. walk thro all the cities.
* Tho thou art taken to prison & judgment, starved in the streets
* 25 I will command the cloud to give thee food & the hard rock
* To flow with milk & wine, tho thou seest me not a season
* Even a long season & a hard journey & a howling wilderness!
* Tho Valas cloud hide thee & Luvahs fires follow thee!
* Only believe & trust in me, Lo. I am always with thee!
* 30 So spoke the Lamb of God while Luvahs Cloud reddening above
* Burst forth in streams of blood upon the heavens & dark night
* Involvd Jerusalem. & the Wheels of Albions Sons turnd hoarse
* Over the Mountains & the fires blaz'd on Druid Altars
* And the Sun set in Tyburns Brook where Victims howl & cry.
* 35 But Los beheld the Divine Vision among the flames of the Furnaces
* Therefore he lived & breathed in hope. but his tears fell incessant
* Because his Children were closd from him apart: & Enitharmon
* Dividing in fierce pain: also the Vision of God was closd in clouds
* Of Albions Spectres, that Los in despair oft sat, & often ponderd
* 40 On Death Eternal in fierce shudders upon the mountains of Albion
* Walking: & in the vales in howlings fierce, then to his Anvils
* Turning, anew began his labours, tho in terrible pains!
* PLATE 63
* Jehovah stood among the Druids in the Valley of Annandale
* When the Four Zoas of Albion, the Four Living Creatures, the Cherubim
* Of Albion tremble before the Spectre, in the starry likeness of the Plow
* Of Nations. And their Names are Urizen & Luvah & Tharmas & Urthona
* 5 Luvah slew Tharmas the Angel of the Tongue & Albion brought him
* To Justice in his own City of Paris, denying the Resurrection
* Then Vala the Wife of Albion, who is the Daughter of Luvah
* Took vengeance Twelve-fold among the Chaotic Rocks of the Druids
* Where the Human Victims howl to the Moon & Thor & Friga
* 10 Dance the dance of death contending with Jehovah among the Cherubim.
* The Chariot Wheels filled with Eyes rage along the howling Valley
* In the Dividing of Reuben & Benjamin bleeding from Chesters River
* The Giants & the Witches & the Ghosts of Albion dance with
* Thor & Friga, & the Fairies lead the Moon along the Valley of Cherubim
* 15 Bleeding in torrents from Mountain to Mountain, a lovely Victim
* And Jehovah stood in the Gates of the Victim, & he appeared
* A weeping Infant in the Gates of Birth in the midst of Heaven
* The Cities & Villages of Albion became Rock & Sand Unhumanized
* The Druid Sons of Albion & the Heavens a Void around unfathomable
* 20 No Human Form but Sexual & a little weeping Infant pale reflected
* Multitudinous in the Looking Glass of Enitharmon, on all sides
* Around in the clouds of the Female, on Albions Cliffs of the Dead
* Such the appearance in Cheviot: in the Divisions of Reuben
* When the Cherubim hid their heads under their wings in deep slumbers
* 25 When the Druids demanded Chastity from Woman & all was lost.
* How can the Female be Chaste O thou stupid Druid Cried Los
* Without the Forgiveness of Sins in the merciful clouds of Jehovah
* And without the Baptism of Repentance to wash away Calumnies. and
* The Accusations of Sin that each may be Pure in their Neighbours sight
* 30 O when shall Jehovah give us Victims from his Flocks & Herds
* Instead of Human Victims by the Daughters of Albion & Canaan
* Then laugh'd Gwendolen & her laughter shook the Nations & Familys of
* The Dead beneath Beulah from Tyburn to Golgotha, and from
* Ireland to Japan. furious her Lions & Tygers & Wolves sport before
* 35 Los on the Thames & Medway. London & Canterbury groan in pain
* Los knew not yet what was done: he thought it was all in Vision
* In Visions of the Dreams of Beulah among the Daughters of Albion
* Therefore the Murder was put apart in the Looking-Glass of Enitharmon
* He saw in Vala's hand the Druid Knife of Revenge & the Poison Cup
* 40 Of Jealousy, and thought it a Poetic Vision of the Atmospheres
* Till Canaan rolld apart from Albion across the Rhine: along the Danube
* And all the Land of Canaan suspended over the Valley of Cheviot
* From Bashan to Tyre & from Troy to Gaza of the Amalekite
* And Reuben fled with his head downwards among the Caverns
* PLATE 64
* Of the Mundane Shell which froze on all sides round Canaan on
* The vast Expanse: where the Daughters of Albion Weave the Web
* Of Ages & Generations, folding & unfolding it, like a Veil of Cherubim
* And sometimes it touches the Earths summits, & sometimes spreads
* 5 Abroad into the Indefinite Spectre, who is the Rational Power.
* Then All the Daughters of Albion became One before Los: even Vala!
* And she put forth her hand upon the Looms in dreadful howlings
* Till she vegetated into a hungry Stomach & a devouring Tongue.
* Her Hand is a Court of Justice, her Feet: two Armies in Battle
* 10 Storms & Pestilence: in her Locks: & in her Loins Earthquake.
* And Fire. & the Ruin of Cities & Nations & Families & Tongues
* She cries: The Human is but a Worm, & thou O Male: Thou art
* Thyself Female, a Male: a breeder of Seed: a Son & Husband: & Lo.
* The Human Divine is Womans Shadow, a Vapor in the summers heat
* 15 Go assume Papal dignity thou Spectre, thou Male Harlot! Arthur
* Divide into the Kings of Europe in times remote O Woman-born
* And Woman-nourishd & Woman-educated & Woman-scorn'd!
* Wherefore art thou living? said Los, & Man cannot live in thy presence
* Art thou Vala the Wife of Albion O thou lovely Daughter of Luvah
* 20 All Quarrels arise from Reasoning. the secret Murder, and
* The violent Man-slaughter. these are the Spectres double Cave
* The Sexual Death living on accusation of Sin & judgment
* To freeze Love & Innocence into the gold & silver of the Merchant
* Without Forgiveness of Sin Love is Itself Eternal Death
* 25 Then the Spectre drew Vala into his bosom magnificent terrific
* Glittering with precious stones & gold, with Garments of blood & fire
* He wept in deadly wrath of the Spectre, in self-contradicting agony
* Crimson with Wrath & green with jealousy dazling with Love
* And jealousy immingled & the purple of the violet darkend deep
* 30 Over the Plow of Nations thundring in the hand of Albions Spectre
* A dark Hermaphrodite they stood frowning upon Londons River
* And the Distaff & Spindle in the hands of Vala with the Flax of
* Human Miseries turnd fierce with the Lives of Men along the Valley
* As Reuben fled before the Daughters of Albion Taxing the Nations
* 35 Derby Peak yawnd a horrid Chasm at the Cries of Gwendolen, & at
* The stamping feet of Ragan upon the flaming Treddles of her Loom
* That drop with crimson gore with the Loves of Albion & Canaan
* Opening along the Valley of Rephaim, weaving over the Caves of Machpelah
* PLATE 65
* To decide Two Worlds with a great decision: a World of Mercy, and
* A World of justice: the World of Mercy for Salvation
* To cast Luvah into the Wrath, and Albion into the Pity
* In the Two Contraries of Humanity & in the Four Regions.
* 5 For in the depths of Albions bosom in the eastern heaven,
* They sound the clarions strong! they chain the howling Captives!
* They cast the lots into the helmet; they give the oath of blood in Lambeth
* They vote the death of Luvah, & they naild him to Albions Tree in Bath:
* They staind him with poisonous blue, they inwove him in cruel roots
* 10 To die a death of Six thousand years bound round with vegetation
* The sun was black & the moon rolld a useless globe thro Britain!
* Then left the Sons of Urizen the plow & harrow, the loom
* The hammer & the chisel, & the rule & compasses; from London fleeing
* They forg'd the sword on Cheviot, the chariot of war & the battle-ax,
* 15 The trumpet fitted to mortal battle, & the flute of summer in Annandale
* And all the Arts of Life. they changd into the Arts of Death in Albion.
* The hour-glass contemnd because its simple workmanship.
* Was like the workmanship of the plowman, & the water wheel,
* That raises water into cisterns: broken & burnd with fire:
* 20 Because its workmanship. was like the workmanship of the shepherd.
* And in their stead, intricate wheels invented, wheel without wheel:
* To perplex youth in their outgoings, & to bind to labours in Albion
* Of day & night the myriads of eternity that they may grind
* And polish brass & iron hour after hour laborious task!
* 25 Kept ignorant of its use, that they might spend the days of wisdom
* In sorrowful drudgery, to obtain a scanty pittance of bread:
* In ignorance to view a small portion & think that All,
* And call it Demonstration: blind to all the simple rules of life.
* Now: now the battle rages round thy tender limbs O Vala
* 30 Now smile among thy bitter tears: now put on all thy beauty
* Is not the wound of the sword sweet! & the broken bone delightful?
* Wilt thou now smile among the scythes when the wounded groan in the field[?]
* We were carried away in thousands from London; & in tens
* Of thousands from Westminster & Marybone in ships closd up:
* 35 Chaind hand & foot, compelld to fight under the iron whips
* Of our captains; fearing our officers more than the enemy.
* Lift up thy blue eyes Vala & put on thy sapphire shoes:
* O melancholy Magdalen behold the morning over Malden break;
* Gird on thy flaming zone, descend into the sepulcher of Canterbury.
* 40 Scatter the blood from thy golden brow, the tears from thy silver locks:
* Shake off the waters from thy wings! & the dust from thy white garments
* Remember all thy feigned terrors on the secret couch of Lambeths Vale
* When the sun rose in glowing morn, with arms of mighty hosts
* Marching to battle who was wont to rise with Urizens harps
* 45 Girt as a sower with his seed to scatter life abroad over Albion:
* Arise O Vala! bring the bow of Urizen: bring the swift arrows of light.
* How rag'd the golden horses of Urizen, compelld to the chariot of love!
* Compelld to leave the plow to the ox, to snuff up the winds of desolation
* To trample the corn fields in boastful neighings: this is no gentle harp
* 50 This is no warbling brook, nor shadow of a mirtle tree:
* But blood and wounds and dismal cries, and shadows of the oak:
* And hearts laid open to the light, by the broad grizly sword:
* And bowels hid in hammerd steel rip'd quivering on the ground.
* Call forth thy smiles of soft deceit: call forth thy cloudy tears:
* 55 We hear thy sighs in trumpets shrill when morn shall blood renew.
* So sang the Spectre Sons of Albion round Luvahs Stone of Trial:
* Mocking and deriding at the writhings of their Victim on Salisbury:
* Drinking his Emanation in intoxicating bliss rejoicing in Giant dance;
* For a Spectre has no Emanation but what he imbibes from decieving
* 60 A Victim! Then he becomes her Priest & she his Tabernacle.
* And his Oak Grove, till the Victim rend the, woven Veil.
* In the end of his sleep when Jesus calls him from his grave
* Howling the Victims on the Druid Altars yield their souls
* To the stern Warriors: lovely sport the Daughters round their Victims;
* 65 Drinking their lives in sweet intoxication. hence arose from Bath
* Soft deluding odours, in spiral volutions intricately winding
* Over Albions mountains, a feminine indefinite cruel delusion.
* Astonishd: terrified & in pain & torment. Sudden they behold
* Their own Parent the Emanation of their murderd Enemy
* 70 Become their Emanation and their Temple and Tabernacle
* They knew not. this Vala was their beloved Mother Vala Albions Wife.
* Terrified at the sight of the Victim: at his distorted sinews!
* The tremblings of Vala vibrate thro' the limbs of Albions Sons:
* While they rejoice over Luvah in mockery & bitter scorn:
* 75 Sudden they become like what they behold in howlings & deadly pain.
* Spasms smite their features, sinews & limbs: pale they look on one another.
* They turn, contorted: their iron necks bend unwilling towards
* Luvah: their lips tremble: their muscular fibres are crampd & smitten
* They become like what they behold! Yet immense in strength & power,
* PLATE 66
* In awful pomp & gold, in all the precious unhewn stones of Eden
* They build a stupendous Building on the Plain of Salisbury; with chains
* Of rocks round London Stone: of Reasonings: of unhewn Demonstrations
* In labyrinthine arches. (Mighty Urizen the Architect.) thro which
* 5 The Heavens might revolve & Eternity be bound in their chain.
* Labour unparallelld! a wondrous rocky World of cruel destiny
* Rocks piled on rocks reaching the stars: stretching from pole to pole.
* The Building is Natural Religion & its Altars Natural Morality
* A building of eternal death: whose proportions are eternal despair
* 10 Here Vala stood turning the iron Spindle of destruction
* From heaven to earth: howling! invisible! but not invisible
* Her Two Covering Cherubs afterwards named Voltaire & Rousseau:
* Two frowning Rocks: on each side of the Cove & Stone of Torture:
* Frozen Sons of the feminine Tabernacle of Bacon, Newton & Locke.
* 15 For Luvah is France: the Victim of the Spectres of Albion.
* Los beheld in terror: he pour 'd his loud storms on the Furnaces:
* The Daughters of Albion clothed in garments of needle work
* Strip them off from their shoulders and bosoms, they lay aside
* Their garments; they sit naked upon the Stone of trial.
* 20 The Knife of flint passes over the howling Victim: his blood
* Gushes & stains the fair side of the fair Daug[h]ters of Albion.
* They put aside his curls; they divide his seven locks upon
* His forehead: they bind his forehead with thorns of iron
* They put into his hand a reed, they mock: Saying: Behold
* 25 The King of Canaan whose are seven hundred chariots of iron!
* They take off his vesture whole with their Knives of flint:
* But they cut asunder his inner garments: searching with
* Their cruel fingers for his heart, & there they enter in pomp,
* In many tears; & there they erect a temple & an altar:
* 30 They pour cold water on his brain in front, to cause.
* Lids to grow over his eyes in veils of tears: and caverns
* To freeze over his nostrils, while they feed his tongue from cups
* And dishes of painted clay. Glowing with beauty & cruelty:
* They obscure the sun & the moon; no eye can look upon them.
* 35 Ah! alas! at the sight of the Victim, & at sight of those who are smitten,
* All who see. become what they behold. their eyes are coverd
* With veils of tears and their nostrils & tongues shrunk up
* Their ear bent outwards. as their Victim, so are they in the pangs
* Of unconquerable fear! amidst delights of revenge Earth-shaking!
* 40 And as their eye & ear shrunk, the heavens shrunk away
* The Divine Vision became First a burning flame, then a column
* Of fire, then an awful fiery wheel surrounding earth & heaven:
* And then a globe of blood wandering distant in all unknown night:
* Afar into the unknown night the mountains fled away:
* 45 Six months of mortality; a summer: & six months of mortality; a winter:
* The Human form began to be alterd by the Daughters of Albion
* And the perceptions to be dissipated into the Indefinite. Becoming
* A mighty Polypus nam'd Albions Tree: they tie the Veins
* And Nerves into two knots: & the Seed into a double knot:
* 50 They look forth: the Sun is shrunk: the Heavens are shrunk
* Away into the far remote: and the Trees & Mountains witherd
* Into indefinite cloudy shadows in darkness & separation.
* By Invisible hatreds adjoind, they seem remote and separate
* From each other; and yet are a Mighty Polypus in the Deep!
* 55 As the Misletoe grows on the Oak, so Albions Tree on Eternity: Lo!
* He who will not comingle in Love, must be adjoind by Hate
* They look forth from Stone-henge! from the Cove round London Stone
* They look on one another: the mountain calls out to the mountain:
* Plinlimmon shrunk away: Snowdon trembled: the mountains
* 60 Of Wales & Scotland beheld the descending War: the routed flying:
* Red run the streams of Albion: Thames is drunk with blood:
* As Gwendolen cast the shuttle of war: as Cambel returnd the beam.
* The Humber & the Severn: are drunk with the blood of the slain:
* London feels his brain cut round: Edinburghs heart is circumscribed!
* 65 York & Lincoln hide among the flocks, because of the griding Knife.
* Worcester & Hereford: Oxford & Cambridge reel & stagger,
* Overwearied with howling: Wales & Scotland alone sustain the fight!
* The inhabitants are sick to death: they labour to divide into Days
* And Nights, the uncertain Periods: and into Weeks & Months. In vain
* 70 They send the Dove & Raven: & in vain the Serpent over the mountains.
* And in vain the Eagle & Lion over the four-fold wilderness.
* They return not: but generate in rocky places desolate.
* They return not; but build a habitation separate from Man.
* The Sun forgets his course like a drunken man; he hesitates,
* 75 Upon the Cheselden hills, thinking to sleep on the Severn
* In vain: he is hurried afar into an unknown Night
* He bleeds in torrents of blood as he rolls thro heaven above
* He chokes up the paths of the sky; the Moon is leprous as snow:
* Trembling & descending down seeking to rest upon high Mona:
* 80 Scattering her leprous snows in flakes of disease over Albion.
* The Stars flee remote: the heaven is iron, the earth is sulphur,
* And all the mountains & hills shrink up like a withering gourd,
* As the Senses of Men shrink together under the Knife of flint,
* In the hands of Albions Daughters, among the Druid Temples.
* PLATE 67
* By those who drink their blood & the blood of their Covenant
* And the Twelve Daughters of Albion united in Rahab & Tirzah
* A Double Female: and they drew out from the Rocky Stones
* Fibres of Life to Weave[,] for every Female is a Golden Loom
* 5 The Rocks are opake hardnesses covering all Vegetated things
* And as they Wove & Cut from the Looms in various divisions
* Stretching over Europe & Asia from Ireland to Japan
* They divided into many lovely Daughters to be counterparts
* To those they Wove, for when they Wove a Male, they divided
* 10 Into a Female to the Woven Male. in opake hardness
* They cut the Fibres from the Rocks groaning in pain they Weave;
* Calling the Rocks Atomic Origins of Existence; denying Eternity
* By the Atheistical Epicurean Philosophy of Albions Tree
* Such are the Feminine & Masculine when separated from Man
* 15 They call the Rocks Parents of Men, & adore the frowning Chaos
* Dancing around in howling pain clothed in the bloody Veil.
* Hiding Albions Sons within the Veil, closing Jerusalems
* Sons without; to feed with their Souls the Spectres of Albion
* Ashamed to give Love openly to the piteous & merciful Man
* 20 Counting him an imbecile mockery: but the Warrior
* They adore: & his revenge cherish with the blood of the Innocent
* They drink up Dan & Gad, to feed with milk Skofeld & Kotope
* They strip off Josephs Coat & dip it in the blood of battle
* Tirzah sits weeping to hear the shrieks of the dying: her Knife
* 25 Of flint is in her hand: she passes it over the howling Victim
* The Daughters Weave their Work in loud cries over the Rock
* Of Horeb! still eyeing Albions Cliffs eagerly siezing & twisting
* The threads of Vala & Jerusalem running from mountain to mountain
* Over the whole Earth: loud the Warriors rage in Beth Peor
* 30 Beneath the iron whips of their Captains & consecrated banners
* Loud the Sun & Moon rage in the conflict: loud the Stars
* Shout in the night of battle & their spears grow to their hands
* With blood, weaving the deaths of the Mighty into a Tabernacle
* For Rahab & Tirzah; till the Great Polypus of Generation covered the Earth
* 35 In Verulam the Polypus's Head, winding around his bulk
* Thro Rochester, and Chichester, & Exeter & Salisbury,
* To Bristol: & his Heart beat strong on Salisbury Plain
* Shooting out Fibres round the Earth, thro Gaul & Italy
* And Greece, & along the Sea of Rephaim into Judea
* 40 To Sodom & Gomorrha: thence to India, China & Japan
* The Twelve Daughters in Rahab & Tirzah have circumscribd the Brain
* Beneath & pierced it thro the midst with a golden pin.
* Blood hath staind her fair side beneath her bosom.
* O thou poor Human Form! said she. O thou poor child of woe!
* 45 Why wilt thou wander away from Tirzah: why me compel to bind thee[!]
* If thou dost go away from me I shall consume upon these Rocks
* These fibres of thine eyes that used to beam in distant heavens
* Away from me: I have bound down with a hot iron.
* These nostrils that expanded with delight in morning skies
* 50 I have bent downward with lead melted in my roaring furnaces
* Of affliction; of love; of sweet despair; of torment unendurable
* My soul is seven furnaces, incessant roars the bellows
* Upon my terribly flaming heart, the molten metal runs
* In channels thro my fiery limbs: O love! O pity! O fear!
* 55 O pain! O the pangs, the bitter pangs of love forsaken
* Ephraim was a wilderness of joy where all my wild beasts ran
* The River Kanah wanderd by my sweet Manassehs side
* To see the boy spring into heavens sounding from my sight!
* Go Noah fetch the girdle of strong brass, heat it red-hot:
* 60 Press it around the loins of this ever expanding cruelty
* Shriek not so my only love! I refuse thy joys: I drink
* Thy shrieks because Hand & Hyle are cruel & obdurate to me
* PLATE 68
* O Skofield why art thou cruel? Lo Joseph is thine! to make
* You One: to weave you both in the same mantle of skin
* Bind him down Sisters bind him down on Ebal. Mount of cursing:
* Malah come forth from Lebanon: & Hoglah from Mount Sinai:
* 5 Come circumscribe this tongue of sweets & with a screw of iron
* Fasten this ear into the rock! Milcah the task is thine
* Weep not so Sisters! weep not so! our life depends on this
* Or mercy & truth are fled away from Shechem & Mount Gilead
* Unless my beloved is bound upon the Stems of Vegetation
* 10 And thus the Warriors cry, in the hot day of Victory, in Songs.
* Look: the beautiful Daughter of Albion sits naked upon the Stone
* Her panting Victim beside her: her heart is drunk with blood
* Tho her brain is not drunk with wine: she goes forth from Albion
* In pride of beauty: in cruelty of holiness: in the brightness
* 15 Of her tabernacle, & her ark & secret place, the beautiful Daughter
* Of Albion, delights the eyes of the Kings. their hearts & the
* Hearts of their Warriors glow hot before Thor & Friga. O Molech!
* O Chemosh! O Bacchus! O Venus! O Double God of Generation
* The Heavens are cut like a mantle around from the Cliffs of Albion
* 20 Across Europe; across Africa; in howlings & deadly War
* A sheet & veil & curtain of blood is let down from Heaven
* Across the hills of Ephraim & down Mount Olivet to
* The Valley of the Jebusite: Molech rejoices in heaven
* He sees the Twelve Daughters naked upon the Twelve Stones
* 25 Themselves condensing to rocks & into the Ribs of a Man
* Lo they shoot forth in tender Nerves across Europe & Asia
* Lo they rest upon the Tribes, where their panting Victims lie
* Molech rushes into the Kings in love to the beautiful Daughters
* But they frown & delight in cruelty, refusing all other joy
* 30 Bring your Offerings, your first begotten: pamperd with milk & blood
* Your first born of seven years old: be they Males or Females:
* To the beautiful Daughters of Albion! they sport before the Kings
* Clothed in the skin Of the Victim! blood! human blood! is the life
* And delightful food of the Warrior: the well fed Warriors flesh
* 35 Of him who is slain in War: fills the Valleys of Ephraim with
* Breeding Women walking in pride & bringing forth under green trees
* With pleasure, without pain, for their food is. blood of the Captive
* Molech rejoices thro the Land from Havilah to Shur: he rejoices
* In moral law & its severe penalties: loud Shaddai & Jehovah
* 40 Thunder above: when they see the Twelve panting Victims
* On the Twelve Stones of Power, & the beautiful Daughters of Albion
* If you dare rend their Veil with your Spear; you are healed of Love!
* From the Hills of Camberwell & Wimbledon: from the Valleys
* Of Walton & Esher: from Stone-henge & from Maldens Cove
* 45 Jerusalems Pillars fall in the rendings of fierce War
* Over France & Germany: upon the Rhine & Danube
* Reuben & Benjamin flee; they hide in the Valley of Rephaim
* Why trembles the Warriors limbs when he beholds thy beauty
* Spotted with Victims blood: by the fires of thy secret tabernacle
* 50 And thy ark & holy place: at thy frowns: at thy dire revenge
* Smitten as Uzzah of old: his armour is softend; his spear
* And sword faint in his hand, from Albion across Great Tartary
* O beautiful Daughter of Albion: cruelty is thy delight
* O Virgin of terrible eyes, who dwellest by Valleys of springs
* 55 Beneath the Mountains of Lebanon, in the City of Rehob in Hamath
* Taught to touch the harp: to dance in the Circle of Warriors
* Before the Kings of Canaan: to cut the flesh from the Victim
* To roast the flesh in fire: to examine the Infants limbs
* In cruelties of holiness: to refuse the joys of love: to bring
* 60 The Spies from Egypt, to raise jealousy in the bosoms of the Twelve
* Kings of Canaan: then to let the Spies depart to Meribah Kadesh
* To the place of the Amalekite; I am drunk with unsatiated love
* I must rush again to War: for the Virgin has frownd & refusd
* Sometimes I curse & sometimes bless thy fascinating beauty
* 65 Once Man was occupied in intellectual pleasures & energies
* But now my soul is harrowd with grief & fear & love & desire
* And now I hate & now I love & Intellect is no more:
* There is no time for any thing but the torments of love & desire
* The Feminine & Masculine Shadows soft, mild & ever varying
* 70 In beauty: are Shadows now no more, but Rocks in Horeb
* PLATE 69
* Then all the Males combined into One Male & every one
* Became a ravening eating Cancer growing in the Female
* A Polypus of Roots of Reasoning Doubt Despair & Death.
* Going forth & returning from Albions Rocks to Canaan:
* 5 Devouring Jerusalem from every Nation of the Earth.
* Envying stood the enormous Form at variance with Itself
* In all its Members: in eternal torment of love & jealousy:
* Drivn forth by Los time after time from Albions cliffy shore,
* Drawing the free loves of Jerusalem into infernal bondage;
* 10 That they might be born in Contentions of Chastity & in
* Deadly Hate between Leah & Rachel, Daughters of Deceit & Fraud
* Bearing the Images of various Species of Contention
* And Jealousy & Abhorrence & Revenge & deadly Murder.
* Till they refuse liberty to the male; & not like Beulah
* 15 Where every Female delights to give her maiden to her husband
* The Female searches sea & land for gratification to the
* Male Genius: who in return clothes her in gems & gold
* And feeds her with the food of Eden. hence all her beauty beams
* She Creates at her will a little moony night & silence
* 20 With Spaces of sweet gardens & a tent of elegant beauty:
* Closed in by a sandy desart & a night of stars shining.
* And a little tender moon & hovering angels on the wing.
* And the Male gives a Time & Revolution to her Space
* Till the time of love is passed in ever varying delights
* 25 For All Things Exist in the Human Imagination
* And thence in Beulah they are stolen by secret amorous theft,
* Till they have had Punishment enough to make them commit Crimes
* Hence rose the Tabernacle in the Wilderness & all its Offerings,
* From Male & Female Loves in Beulah & their Jealousies
* 30 But no one can consummate Female bliss in Los's World without
* Becoming a Generated Mortal, a Vegetating Death
* And now the Spectres of the Dead awake in Beulah: all
* The Jealousies become Murderous: uniting together in Rahab
* A Religion of Chastity, forming a Commerce to sell Loves
* 35 With Moral Law, an Equal Balance, not going down with decision
* Therefore the Male severe & cruel filld with stern Revenge:
* Mutual Hate returns & mutual Deceit & mutual Fear.
* Hence the Infernal Veil grows in the disobedient Female:
* Which Jesus rends & the whole Druid Law removes away
* 40 From the Inner Sanctuary: a False Holiness hid within the Center,
* For the Sanctuary of Eden. is in the Camp: in the Outline,
* In the Circumference: & every Minute Particular is Holy:
* Embraces are Cominglings: from the Head even to the Feet;
* And not a pompous High Priest entering by a Secret Place.
* 45 Jerusalem pined in her inmost soul over Wandering Reuben
* As she slept in Beulahs Night hid by the Daughters of Beulah
* PLATE 70
* And this the form of mighty Hand sitting on Albions cliffs
* Before the face of Albion, a mighty threatning Form.
* His bosom wide & shoulders huge overspreading wondrous
* Bear Three strong sinewy Necks & Three awful & terrible Heads
* 5 Three Brains in contradictory council brooding incessantly.
* Neither daring to put in act its councils, fearing each-other,
* Therefore rejecting Ideas as nothing & holding all Wisdom
* To consist. in the agreements & disagree[me]nts of Ideas.
* Plotting to devour Albions Body of Humanity & Love.
* 10 Such Form the aggregate of the Twelve Sons of Albion took; & such
* Their appearance when combind: but often by birth-pangs & loud groans
* They divide to Twelve: the key-bones & the chest dividing in pain
* Disclose a hideous orifice; thence issuing the Giant-brood
* Arise as the smoke of the furnace, shaking the rocks from sea to sea.
* 15 And there they combine into Three Forms, named Bacon & Newton & Locke,
* In the Oak Groves of Albion which overspread all the Earth.
* Imputing Sin & Righteousness to Individuals; Rahab
* Sat deep within him hid: his Feminine Power unreveal'd
* Brooding Abstract Philosophy. to destroy Imagination, the Divine-
* 20 -Humanity A Three-fold Wonder: feminine: most beautiful: Three-fold
* Each within other. On her white marble & even Neck, her Heart
* Inorb'd and bonified: with locks of shadowing modesty, shining
* Over her beautiful Female features, soft flourishing in beauty
* Beams mild, all love and all perfection, that when the lips
* 25 Recieve a kiss from Gods or Men, a threefold kiss returns
* From the pressd loveliness: so her whole immortal form three-fold
* Three-fold embrace returns: consuming lives of Gods & Men
* In fires of beauty melting them as gold & silver in the furnace
* Her Brain enlabyrinths the whole heaven of her bosom & loins
* 30 To put in act what her Heart wills; O who can withstand her power
* Her name is Vala in Eternity: in Time her name is Rahab
* The Starry Heavens all were fled from the mighty limbs of Albion
* PLATE 71
* And above Albions Land was seen the Heavenly Canaan
* As the Substance is to the Shadow: and above Albions Twelve Sons
* Were seen Jerusalems Sons: and all the Twelve Tribes spreading
* Over Albion. As the Soul is to the Body, so Jerusalems Sons,
* 5 Are to the Sons of Albion: and Jerusalem is Albions Emanation
* What is Above is Within, for every-thing in Eternity is translucent:
* The Circumference is Within: Without, is formed the Selfish Center
* And the Circumference still expands going forward to Eternity.
* And the Center has Eternal States! these States we now explore.
* 10 And these the Names of Albions Twelve Sons, & of his Twelve Daughters
* With their Districts. Hand dwelt in Selsey & had Sussex & Surrey
* And Kent & Middlesex: all their Rivers & their Hills, of flocks & herds:
* Their Villages Towns Cities Sea-Ports Temples sublime Cathedrals;
* All were his Friends & their Sons & Daughters intermarry in Beulah
* 15 For all are Men in Eternity. Rivers Mountains Cities Villages,
* All are Human & when you enter into their Bosoms you walk
* In Heavens & Earths; as in your own Bosom you bear your Heaven
* And Earth, & all you behold, tho it appears Without it is Within
* In your Imagination of which this World of Mortality is but a Shadow.
* 20 Hyle dwelt in Winchester comprehending Hants Dorset Devon Cornwall.
* Their Villages Cities SeaPorts, their Corn fields & Gardens spacious
* Palaces, Rivers & Mountains, and between Hand & Hyle arose
* Gwendolen & Cambel who is Boadicea: they go abroad & return
* Like lovely beams of light from the mingled affections of the Brothers
* 25 The Inhabitants of the whole Earth rejoice in their beautiful light.
* Coban dwelt in Bath. Somerset Wiltshire Gloucestershire,
* Obeyd his awful voice Ignoge is his lovely Emanation;
* She adjoind with Gwantokes Children, soon lovely Cordella arose.
* Gwantoke forgave & joyd over South Wales & all its Mountains.
* 30 Peachey had North Wales Shropshire Cheshire & the Isle of Man.
* His Emanation is Mehetabel terrible & lovely upon the Mountains
* Brertun had Yorkshire Durham Westmoreland & his Emanation
* Is Ragan, she adjoind to Slade, & produced Gonorill far beaming.
* Slade had Lincoln Stafford Derby Nottingham & his lovely
* 35 Emanation Gonorill rejoices over hills & rocks & woods & rivers.
* Huttn had Warwick Northampton Bedford Buckingham
* Leicester & Berkshire: & his Emanation is Gwinefred beautiful
* Skofeld had Ely Rutland Cambridge Huntingdon Norfolk
* Suffolk Hartford & Essex: & his Emanation is Gwinevera
* 40 Beautiful, she beams towards the east, all kinds of precious stones
* And pearl, with instruments Of music in holy Jerusalem
* Kox had Oxford Warwick Wilts: his Emanation is Estrild:
* Joind with Cordella she shines southward over the Atlantic.
* Kotope had Hereford Stafford Worcester, & his Emanation
* 45 Is Sabrina joind with Mehetabel she shines west over America
* Bowen had all Scotland, the Isles, Northumberland & Cumberland
* His Emanation is Conwenna, she shines a triple form
* Over the north with pearly beams gorgeous & terrible
* Jerusalem & Vala rejoice in Bowen & Conwenna.
* 50 But the Four Sons of Jerusalem that never were Generated
* Are Rintrah and Palamabron and Theotormon and Bromion. They
* Dwell over the Four Provinces of Ireland in heavenly light
* The Four Universities of Scotland, & in Oxford & Cambridge & Winchester
* But now Albion is darkened & Jerusalem lies in ruins:
* 55 Above the Mountains of Albion, above the head of Los.
* And Los shouted with ceaseless shoutings & his tears poured down
* His immortal cheeks, rearing his hands to heaven for aid Divine!
* But he spoke not to Albion: fearing lest Albion should turn his Back
* Against the Divine Vision: & fall over the Precipice of Eternal Death.
* 60 But he receded before Albion & before Vala weaving the Veil
* With the iron shuttle of War among the rooted Oaks of Albion;
* Weeping & shouting to the Lord day & night; and his Children
* Wept round him as a flock silent Seven Days of Eternity
* PLATE 72
* And the Thirty-two Counties of the Four Provinces of Ireland
* Are thus divided: The Four Counties are in the Four Camps
* Munster South in Reubens Gate, Connaut West in Josephs Gate
* Ulster North in Dans Gate, Leinster East in Judahs Gate
* 5 For Albion in Eternity has Sixteen Gates among his Pillars
* But the Four towards the West were Walled up & the Twelve
* That front the Four other Points were turned Four Square
* By Los for Jerusalems sake & called the Gates of Jerusalem
* Because Twelve Sons of Jerusalem fled successive thro the Gates
* 10 But the Four Sons of Jerusalem who fled not but remaind
* Are Rintrah & Palamabron & Theotormon & Bromion
* The Four that remain with Los to guard the Western Wall
* And these Four remain to guard the Four Walls of Jerusalem
* Whose foundations remain in the Thirty-two Counties of Ireland
* 15 And in Twelve Counties of Wales, & in the Forty Counties
* Of England & in the Thirty-six Counties of Scotland
* And the names of the Thirty-two Counties of Ireland are these
* Under Judah & Issachar & Zebulun are Lowth Longford
* Eastmeath Westmeath Dublin Kildare Kings County
* 20 Queens County Wicklow Catherloh Wexford Kilkenny
* And those under Reuben & Simeon & Levi are these
* Waterford Tipperary Cork Limerick Kerry Clare
* And those under Ephraim Manasseh & Benjamin are these
* Galway Roscommon Mayo Sligo Leitrim
* 25 And those under Dan Asher & Napthali are these
* Donnegal Antrim Tyrone Fermanagh Armagh Londonderry
* Down Managhan Cavan. These are the Land of Erin
* All these Center in London & in Golgonooza. from whence
* They are Created continually East & West & North & South
* 30 And from them are Created all the Nations of the Earth
* Europe & Asia & Africa & America, in fury Fourfold!
* Continually Building. Continually Decaying because of Love & Jealousy
* And Thirty-two the Nations: to dwell in Jerusalems Gates
* O Come ye Nations Come ye People Come up to Jerusalem
* Return Jerusalem & dwell together as of old! Return
* 35 Return! O Albion let Jerusalem overspread all Nations
* As in the times of old! O Albion awake! Reuben wanders
* The Nations wait for Jerusalem. they look up for the Bride
* France Spain Italy Germany Poland Russia Sweden Turkey
* Arabia Palestine Persia Hindostan China Tartary Siberia
* 40 Egypt Lybia Ethiopia Guinea Caffraria Negroland Morocco
* Congo Zaara Canada Greenland Carolina Mexico
* Peru Patagonia Amazonia Brazil. Thirty-two Nations
* And under these Thirty-two Classes of Islands in the Ocean
* All the Nations Peoples & Tongues throughout all the Earth
* 45 And the Four Gates of Los surround the Universe Within and
* Without; & whatever is visible in the Vegetable Earth, the same
* Is visible in the Mundane Shell; reversd in mountain & vale
* And a Son of Eden was set over each Daughter of Beulah to guard
* In Albions Tomb the wondrous Creation: & the Four-fold Gate
* 50 Towards Beulah is to the South[.] Fenelon, Guion, Teresa,
* Whitefield & Hervey, guard that Gate; with all the gentle Souls
* Who guide the great Wine-press of Love; Four precious stones that Gate:
* Women the comforters of Men become the Tormentors & Punishers
* PLATE 73
* Such are Cathedrons golden Halls: in the City of Golgonooza
* And Los's Furnaces howl loud; living: self-moving: lamenting
* With fury & despair, & they stretch from South to North
* Thro all the Four Points: Lo! the Labourers at the Furnaces
* 5 Rintrah & Palamabron, Theotormon & Bromion, loud labring
* With the innumerable multitudes of Golgonooza, round the Anvils
* Of Death. But how they came forth from the Furnaces & how long
* Vast & severe the anguish eer they knew their Father; were
* Long to tell & of the iron rollers, golden axle-trees & yokes
* 10 Of brass, iron chains & braces & the gold, silver & brass
* Mingled or separate: for swords; arrows; cannons; mortars
* The terrible ball: the wedge: the loud sounding hammer of destruction
* The sounding flail to thresh: the winnow: to winnow kingdoms
* The water wheel & mill of many innumerable wheels resistless
* 15 Over the Four fold Monarchy from Earth to the Mundane Shell.
* Perusing Albions Tomb in the starry characters of Og & Anak:
* To Create the lion & wolf the bear: the tyger & ounce:
* To Create the wooly lamb & downy fowl & scaly serpent
* The summer & winter: day & night: the sun & moon & stars
* 20 The tree: the plant: the flower: the rock: the stone: the metal:
* Of Vegetative Nature: by their hard restricting condensations.
* Where Luvahs World of Opakeness grew to a period: It
* Became a Limit, a Rocky hardness without form & void
* Accumulating without end: here Los. who is of the Elohim
* 25 Opens the Furnaces of affliction in the Emanation
* Fixing The Sexual into an ever-prolific Generation
* Naming the Limit of Opakeness Satan & the Limit of Contraction
* Adam, who is Peleg & Joktan: & Esau & Jacob: & Saul & David
* Voltaire insinuates that these Limits are the cruel work of God
* 30 Mocking the Remover of Limits & the Resurrection of the Dead
* Setting up Kings in wrath: in holiness of Natural Religion
* Which Los with his mighty Hammer demolishes time on time
* In miracles & wonders in the Four-fold Desart of Albion
* Permanently Creating to be in Time Reveald & Demolishd
* 35 Satan Cain Tubal Nimrod Pharoh Priam Bladud Belin
* Arthur Alfred the Norman Conqueror Richard John
* [Edward Henry Elizabeth James Charles William George]
* And all the Kings & Nobles of the Earth & all their Glories
* These are Created by Rahab & Tirzah in Ulro: but around
* These, to preserve them from Eternal Death Los Creates
* 40 Adam Noah Abraham Moses Samuel David Ezekiel
* [Pythagoras Socrates Euripedes Virgil Dante Milton ]
* Dissipating the rocky forms of Death, by his thunderous Hammer
* As the Pilgrim passes while the Country permanent remains
* So Men pass on: but States remain permanent for ever
* The Spectres of the Dead howl round the porches of Los
* 45 In the terrible Family feuds of Albions cities & villages
* To devour the Body of Albion, hungring & thirsting & ravning
* The Sons of Los clothe them & feed, & provide houses & gardens
* And every Human Vegetated Form in its inward recesses
* Is a house of ple[as]antness & a garden of delight Built by the
* 50Sons & Daughters of Los in Bowlahoola & in Cathedron
* From London to York & Edinburgh the Furnaces rage terrible
* Primrose Hill is the mouth of the Furnace & the Iron Door;
* PLATE 74
* The Four Zoa's clouded rage; Urizen stood by Albion
* With Rintrah and Palamabron and Theotormon and Bromion
* These Four are Verulam & London & York & Edinburgh
* And the Four Zoa's are Urizen & Luvah & Tharmas & Urthona
* 5In opposition deadly, and their Wheels in poisonous
* And deadly stupor turn'd against each other loud & fierce
* Entering into the Reasoning Power, forsaking Imagination
* They became Spectres; & their Human Bodies were reposed
* In Beulah, by the Daughters of Beulah with tears & lamentations
* 10The Spectre is the Reasoning Power in Man; & when separated
* From Imagination, and closing itself as in steel, in a Ratio
* Of the Things of Memory. It thence frames Laws & Moralities
* To destroy Imagination! the Divine Body, by Martyrdoms & Wars
* Teach me O Holy Spirit the Testimony of Jesus! let me
* 15Comprehend wonderous things out of the Divine Law
* I behold Babylon in the opening Street of London, I behold
* Jerusalem in ruins wandering about from house to house
* This I behold the shudderings of death attend my steps
* I walk up and down in Six Thousand Years: their Events are present before me
* 20To tell how Los in grief & anger, whirling round his Hammer on high
* Drave the Sons & Daughters of Albion from their ancient mountains
* They became the Twelve Gods of Asia Opposing the Divine Vision
* The Sons of Albion are Twelve: the Sons of Jerusalem Sixteen
* I tell how Albions Sons by Harmonies of Concords & Discords
* 25Opposed to Melody, and by Lights & Shades, opposed to Outline
* And by Abstraction opposed to the Visions of Imagination
* By cruel Laws divided Sixteen into Twelve Divisions
* How Hyle roofd Los in Albions Cliffs by the Affections rent
* Asunder & opposed to Thought, to draw Jerusalems Sons
* 30Into the Vortex of his Wheels. therefore Hyle is called Gog
* Age after age drawing them away towards Babylon
* Babylon, the Rational Morality deluding to death the little ones
* In strong temptations of stolen beauty; I tell how Reuben slept
* On London Stone & the Daughters of Albion ran around admiring
* 35His awful beauty: with Moral Virtue the fair deciever; offspring
* Of Good & Evil, they divided him in love upon the Thames & sent
* Him over Europe in streams of gore out of Cathedrons Looms
* How Los drave them from Albion & they became Daughters of Canaan
* Hence Albion was calld the Canaanite & all his Giant Sons.
* 40Hence is my Theme. O Lord my Saviour open thou the Gates
* And I will lead forth thy Words, telling how the Daughters
* Cut the Fibres of Reuben, how he rolld apart & took Root
* In Bashan, terror-struck Albions Sons look toward Bashan
* They have divided Simeon he also rolld apart in blood
* 45 Over the Nations till he took Root beneath the shining Looms
* Of Albions Daughters in Philistea by the side of Amalek
* They have divided Levi: he hath shot out into Forty eight Roots
* Over the Land of Canaan: they have divided Judah
* He hath took Root in Hebron, in the Land of Hand & Hyle
* 50 Dan: Napthali: Gad: Asher: Issachar: Zebulun: roll apart
* From all the Nations of the Earth to dissipate into Non Entity
* I see a Feminine Form arise from the Four terrible Zoas
* Beautiful but terrible struggling to take a form of beauty
* Rooted in Shechem: this is Dinah, the youthful form of Erin
* 55 The Wound I see in South Molton S[t]reet & Stratford place
* Whence Joseph & Benjamin rolld apart away from the Nations
* In vain they rolld apart; they are fixd into the Land of Cabul
* PLATE 75
* And Rahab Babylon the Great hath destroyed Jerusalem
* Bath stood upon the Severn with Merlin & Bladud & Arthur
* The Cup of Rahab in his hand: her Poisons Twenty-seven-fold
* And all her Twenty-seven Heavens now hid & now reveal'd
* 5 Appear in strong delusive light of Time & Space drawn out
* In shadowy pomp by the Eternal Prophet created evermore
* For Los in Six Thousand Years walks up & down continually
* That not one Moment of Time be lost & every revolution
* Of Space he makes permanent in Bowlahoola & Cathedron.
* 10 And these the names of the Twenty-seven Heavens & their Churches
* Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch,
* Methuselah, Lamech; these are the Giants mighty, Hermaphroditic
* Noah, Shem, Arphaxad, Cainan the Second, Salah, Heber,
* Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah: these are the Female Males:
* 15 A Male within a Female hid as in an Ark & Curtains.
* Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Paul, Constantine, Charlemaine,
* Luther. these Seven are the Male Females: the Dragon Forms
* The Female hid within a Male: thus Rahab is reveald
* Mystery Babylon the Great: the Abomination of Desolation
* 20 Religion hid in War: a Dragon red, & hidden Harlot
* But Jesus breaking thro' the Central Zones of Death & Hell
* Opens Eternity in Time & Space; triumphant in Mercy
* Thus are the Heavens formd by Los within the Mundane Shell
* And where Luther ends Adam begins again in Eternal Circle
* 25 To awake the Prisoners of Death; to bring Albion again
* With Luvah into light eternal, in his eternal day.
* But now the Starry Heavens are fled from the mighty limbs of Albion