# Jerusalem. The Emanation of the Giant Albion/Plate 10

Written and etched 1804-1820. Source: Blake: The Complete Poetry & Prose (David. V. Erdman) In the internet: www.blakearchive.org
[ PLATE 10 ]
* Into the Furnaces & into the valleys of the Anvils of Death
* And into the mountains of the Anvils & of the heavy Hammers
* Till he should bring the Sons & Daughters of Jerusalem to be
* The Sons & Daughters of Los that he might protect them from
* 5Albions dread Spectres; storming, loud, thunderous & mighty
* The Bellows & the Hammers move compell'd by Los's hand.
* And this is the manner of the Sons of Albion in their strength
* They take the Two Contraries which are calld Qualities, with which
* Every Substance is clothed, they name them Good & Evil
* 10From them they make an Abstract, which is a Negation
* Not only of the Substance from which it is derived
* A murderer of its own Body: but also a murderer
* Of every Divine Member: it is the Reasoning Power
* An Abstract objecting power, that Negatives every thing
* 15This is the Spectre of Man: the Holy Reasoning Power
* And in its Holiness is closed the Abomination of Desolation
* Therefore Los stands in London building Golgonooza —
* Compelling his Spectre to labours mighty; trembling in fear
* The Spectre weeps, but Los unmovd by tears or threats remains
* 20I must Create a System, or be enslav'd by another Mans
* I will not Reason & Compare: my business is to Create
* So Los, in fury & strength: in indignation & burning wrath
* Shuddring the Spectre howls. his howlings terrify the night
* He stamps around the Anvil, beating blows of stern despair
* 25He curses Heaven & Earth, Day & Night & Sun & Moon
* He curses Forest Spring & River, Desart & sandy Waste
* Cities & Nations, Families & Peoples, Tongues & Laws
* Driven to desperation by Los's terrors & threatning fears
* Los cries, Obey my voice & never deviate from my will
* 30And I will be merciful to thee: be thou invisible to all
* To whom I make thee invisible, but chief to my own Children
* O Spectre of Urthona: Reason not against their dear approach
* Nor them obstruct with thy temptations of doubt & despair
* O Shame O strong & mighty Shame I break thy brazen fetters
* 35If thou refuse, thy present torments will seem southern breezes
* To what thou shalt endure if thou obey not my great will.
* The Spectre answer'd. Art thou not ashamd of those thy Sins
* That thou callest thy Children? lo the Law of God commands
* That they be offered upon his Altar: O cruelty & torment
* 40For thine are also mine! I have kept silent hitherto,
* Concerning my chief delight: but thou hast broken silence
* Now I will speak my mind! Where is my lovely Enitharmon
* O thou my enemy, where is my Great Sin? She is also thine
* I said: Now is my grief at worst: incapable of being
* 45Surpassed: but every moment it accumulates more & more
* It continues accumulating to eternity! the joys of God advance
* For he is Righteous: he is not a Being of Pity & Compassion t
* He cannot feel Distress: he feeds on Sacrifice & Offering:
* Delighting in cries & tears & clothed in Holiness & solitude
* 50But my griefs advance also, for ever & ever without end
* O that I could cease to be! Despair! I am Despair
* Created to be the great example of horror & agony: also my
* Prayer is vain I called for compassion: compassion mockd
* Mercy & pity threw the grave stone over me & with lead
* 55And iron, bound it over me for ever: Life lives on my
* Consuming: & the Almighty hath made me his Contrary
* To be all evil, all reversed & for ever dead: knowing
* And seeing life, yet living not; how can I then behold
* And not tremble; how can I be beheld & not abhorrd
* 60So spoke the Spectre shuddring, & dark tears ran down his shadowy face
* Which Los wiped off, but comfort none could give! or beam of hope
* Yet ceasd he not from labouring at the roarings of his Forge
* With iron & brass Building Golgonooza in great contendings
* Till his Sons & Daughters came forth from the Furnaces
* 65At the sublime Labours for Los. compelld the invisible Spectre