EX LIBRIS C. C. CUNNINGHAM “Ta f ie Ne, ieee nate aa Pen ae Ded A peat a is ue ; al TP deal der WRITINGS OF WILLIAM BLAKE Poe DIN FHREE VOLUMES DegeuinOmereby KEYNES VOLUME II a mime NONESUCH PRESS foeohwea lh JAMES STREET LONDON MCMXXV Printed in England Se THE GETTY CGNTER LIBRARY SON TENTS OF VOLUME TI VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS (1795-1804) ANNOTATIONS TO WATSON’S ““ APOLOGY FOR THE BIBLE ”’ (17098) ANNOTATIONS TO BACON’S “ ESSAYS” (circa 1798) LETTERS IV AND V, TO DR. TRUSLER (1799) LETTER VI, TO GEORGE CUMBERLAND (1799) LETTERS VII AND VIII, TO WILLIAM HAYLEY (1800) LETTER IX, TO GEORGE CUMBERLAND (1800) LETTER X, TO JOHN FLAXMAN (1800) LETTER XI, TO MRS. FLAXMAN (1800) LETTER XII, TO WILLIAM HAYLEY (1800) LETTER XIII, TO JOHN FLAXMAN (1800) LETTERS XIV AND XV, TO THOMAS BUTTS (1800) LETTER XVI, TO WILLIAM HAYLEY (1800) LETTER XVII, ? TO JOHN FLAXMAN (czrca 1800) INSCRIPTION TO THE DESIGN KNOWN AS “‘ GLAD DAY ”’ (circa 1800) LINES FOR THE ILLUSTRATIONS TO GRAY’S POEMS (circa 1800) LETTERS XVIII AND XIX, TO THOMAS BUTTS (1801) LETTER XX, TO JOHN FLAXMAN (1801) LETTERS XXI-XXIII, TO THOMAS BUTTS (1802) POEMS AND FRAGMENTS FROM THE ROSSETTI MS. (c77ca 1800-1803) POEMS FROM THE PICKERING MS. (circa 1803) LETTER XXIV, TO JAMES BLAKE (1803) LETTERS XXV-XXVII, TO THOMAS BUTTS (1803) MEMORANDUM IN REFUTATION OF JOHN SCHOFIELD (1803) LETTERS XXVIII-LIX, TO WILLIAM HAYLEY (1803-1805) REMARKS ON THE DRAWINGS OF THOMAS HEATH MALKIN (circa 1805) DEBTOR AND CREDITOR ACCOUNT BETWEEN BLAKE AND BUTTS (1805-1806) LETTER LX, TO RICHARD PHILLIPS (1806) MEMORANDA FROM THE ROSSETTI MS. (1807) LETTER LXI, TO RICHARD PHILLIPS (1807) MILTON, A POEM IN 2 BOOKS (1804-1808) NOTES TO VOLUME II II hava 7") ¥ ee ee ney fl ij XXIX. XXX. XXXII. XXXII. XXXITI. XXXIV. XXXV. XXXVI. XXXVII. XXXVII. lee Seeley OULU M ET] FACING PAGE GLAD DAY 194 CHRIST BAPTIZING 298 LOS AND ENITHARMON WITH ORC IN FLAMES (Milton, pl. 10) 318 MILTON PREPARING TO DESCEND (Milton, pl. 16) 324. ‘* He took off the robe of promise G ungirded ** himself from the oath of God.’ URIZEN DETHRONED BY BLAKE (Milton, pl. 18) 326 ** To Annihilate the Self-hood of Deceit G False ** Forgiveness.” BLAKE TERRIFIED BY A VISION OF Los (Milton, pl. 4.7) 336 ** What time I bound my sandals *“ On to walk forward thro’ Eternity, Los descended to me: ** And Los behind me stood, a terrible flaming Sun, just close ** Behind my back: I turned round in terror, and behold! ** Los stood in that fierce glowing fire.” MILTON AS A STAR ENTERING THE LEFT FOOT OF WILLIAM BLAKE (Milton, pl. 32) 350 “© Then first I saw him in the Zenith as a falling star, ** Descending perpendicular, swift as the swallow or swift: ‘* And on my left foot falling on the tarsus, enter’d there.” MILTON AS A STAR ENTERING THE RIGHT FOOT OF ROBERT BLAKE (Milton, pl. 37) 356 THE EAGLE OF GENIUS DESCENDING ON THE POET (Milton, pl. 42) 364 MILTON AND OLOLON (Milton, pl. 45) 368 | Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2025 with funding from Getty Research Institute https://archive.org/details/writingsofwillia02blak JP Amb ik LOMO) We 4, (OBIE. Writien and Revised 1795-1804. Dated 1797 [ Title, first form] Vaerow y lig 7A OR THE DEATH AND JUDGEMENT OF THE ANCIENT MAN A DREAM OF NINE NIGHTS [ Tztle, second form| mor O UR 20 AS THE TORMENTS OF LOVE & JEALOUSY IN THE DEATH AND JUDGEMENT OF ALBION THE ANCIENT MAN Rest before Labour Il ety | cf a/ > Cw ¢ , \ Cad \ / , \ s \ Ort ox ext NW Y THAN WPOS Lhe Kat TAPKa, HAAM TpOS TAS > ' \ \ 3 / N \ / Lod / a apYXas, WMpos Tas eFourses, Tpos TOUS KOT MOxpa Topas TOU TKOTOUS TOU 20 / \ \ \ ~ / > ae > HbWVOS TOUTOU, MPOS TH TVEUMATING TYS ToVYpsac EV TOIG ETrOUpayYIOLS. "Egec. 5 [6] xe@. 12 [v.] reel Boi NIGHT THE FIRST HE Song of the Aged Mother which shook the heavens with wrath, Hearing the march of long resounding, strong heroic Verse Marshall’d in order for the day of Intellectual Battle. The heavens [shall del.] quake, the earth [shall de/.] was moved & shudder’d, & the mountains With all their woods, the streams & valleys wail’d in dismal fear. John xviic., Four Mighty Ones are in every Man; a Perfect Unity Cae Cannot Exist but from the Universal Brotherhood of Eden, Johnic., 14V The Universal Man, 'To Whom be Glory Evermore. Amen, Kel toxsivacen tv apiv. What are the Natures of those Living Creatures the Heav’nly Father only Knoweth. No Indwidual [Man del.| knoweth (not), nor can know in all Eternity.* Los was the fourth immortal starry one, & in the Earth Of a bright Universe, Empery attended day & night, Days & nights of revolving joy. Urthona was his name In Eden; in the Auricular Nerves of Human Life, Which is the Earth of Eden, he his Emanations propagated [Like Sons & Daughters del.] Fairies of Albion, afterwards Gods of the Heathen. Daughter of Beulah, Sing His fall into Division & his Resurrection to Unity: His fall into the Generation of decay & death, & his Regeneration by the Resurrection from the dead. Begin with ‘Tharmas, Parent power, dark’ning in the West. * Blake’s late additions to the MS., made in pencil, are printed throughout in italic. ae NIGHT THE FIRST * Lost! Lost! Lost! are my Emanations! Enion, [come forth, del.] O Enion, “We are become a Victim to the Living. We hide in secret. “I have hidden [thee, Enion, in jealous despair de/.| Jerusalem in silent Contrition, O Pity Me. **T will build thee a Labyrinth [where we may remain for ever alone del.] also: O pity me. O Enion, * Why hast thou taken sweet Jerusalem from my inmost Soul? ** Let her Lay secret in the soft recess of darkness & silence. * It is not Love I bear to Enitharmon. It is Pity. ** She hath taken refuge in my bosom & I cannot cast her out. ‘The Men have receiv’d their death wounds & their Emanations are fled *'To me for refuge & I cannot turn them out for Pity’s sake.” Enion said: “Thy fear has made me tremble, thy terrors have surrounded me. ** All Love is lost: Terror succeeds, & Hatred instead of Love, * And stern demands of Right & Duty instead of Liberty. ** Once thou wast to Me the loveliest son of heaven—But now * Why art thou Terrible? and yet I love thee in thy terror till * I am almost Extinct & soon shall be a shadow in Oblivion, *“ Unless some way can be found that I may look upon thee & live. ** Hide me some shadowy semblance, secret whisp’ring in my Ear, ** In secret of soft wings, in mazes of delusive beauty. ** IT have look’d into the secret soul of him I lov’d, ** And in the Dark recesses found Sin & cannot return.” Trembling & pale sat ‘Tharmas, weeping in his clouds. * Why wilt thou Examine every little fibre of my soul, *¢ Spreading them out before the sun like stalks of flax to dry? “ The infant joy is beautiful, but its anatomy * Horrible, Ghast & Deadly; nought shalt thou find in it ** But Death, Despair & Everlasting brooding Melancholy. cea VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS ‘“* Thou wilt go mad with horror if thou dost Examine thus ‘‘ Every moment of my secret hours. Yea, I know ‘“* That I have sinn’d, & that my Emanations are become harlots. ** T am already distracted at their deeds, & if I look “Upon them more, Despair will bring self-murder on my soul. ‘“*O Enion, thou art thyself a root growing in hell, ‘Tho’ thus heavenly beautiful to draw me to destruction. ** Sometimes I think thou art a flower expanding, “* Sometimes I think thou art fruit, breaking from its bud ‘* In dreadful dolor GS pain; © I am like an atom, ‘A Nothing, left in darkness; yet I am an identity: “T wish & feel S weep GS groan. Ah, terrible! terrible! ”’ In [Beulah del.] Eden, Females sleep the winter in soft silken veils Woven by their own hands to hide them in the darksome grave; But Males immortal live renew’d by female deaths; in soft Delight they die, & they revive in spring with music & songs. Enion said: “‘ Farewell, I die. I hide from thy searching eyes.” So saying, From her bosom weaving soft in sinewy threads A tabernacle [of delight del.| for Jerusalem, she sat among the Rocks Singing her lamentation. ‘Tharmas groan’d among his Clouds Weeping; [and del.] then bending from his Clouds, he stoop’d his [holy del. ] innocent head, And stretching out his holy hand in the vast deep sublime, Turn’d round the circle of Destiny with tears & bitter sighs And said: “ Return, O wanderer, when the day of Clouds is o’er.”’ So saying, he sunk down into the sea, a pale white corse. [So saying del.| In torment he sunk down & flow’d among her filmy Woof, His spectre issuing from his feet in flames of fire. In [dismal de/.] gnawing pain drawn out by her lov’d fingers, every nerve She counted, every vein & la¢teal, threading them among Her woof of terror. Terrified & drinking tears of woe Shudd’ring she wove nine days & nights, sleepless; her food was tears. [wee el NIGHT THE FIRST Wond’ring she saw her woof begin to animate, & not As Garments woven subservient to her hands, but having a will Of its own, perverse & wayward. Enion lov’d & wept. Nine days she labour’d at her work, & nine dark sleepless nights; But on the tenth [bright de/.] trembling morn, the Circle of Destiny complete, Round roll’d the sea, Englobing in a wat’ry Globe, self balanc’d. A Frowning Continent appear’d where Enion in the desart, Terrified in her own Creation, viewing her woven shadow, Sat in a [sweet de/.| dread intoxication of [false woven bliss de/.] [self woven sorrow del.| Repentance & Contrition. [He spurn’d Enion with his foot; he sprang aloft in Clouds Alighting in his drunken joy in a far distant Grove. del.] There is from Great Eternity a mild & pleasant rest Nam/’d Beulah, a soft Moony Universe, feminine, lovely, Pure, mild & Gentle, given in Mercy to those who sleep, Eternally Created by the Lamb of God around, On all sides, within & without the Universal Man. The daughters of Beulah follow sleepers in all their Dreams, Creating spaces, lest they fall into Eternal Death. The Circle of Destiny complete, they gave to it a space And nam/’d the space Ulro, & brooded over it in care & love. They said: “ ‘The Spectre is in every man insane & most ** Deform’d. Thro’ the three heavens descending in fury & fire “We meet it with our songs & loving blandishments, & give “To it a form of vegetation. But this Spectre of ‘Tharmas “Is Eternal Death. What shall we do? O God, [help de/.| pity & help!” So spoke they, & clos’d the Gate of the Tongue in trembling fear. [‘‘ What have I done,” said Enion, “‘ accursed wretch! What deed? “Ts this a deed of Love? I know what I have done. I know “Too late now to repent. Love is chang’d to deadly Hate, ** A life is blotted out, & I alone remain possess’d, with Fears. ** T see the [remembrance del.] shadow of the dead within my [eyes de/.] soul, wandering Ewen VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS “In darkness & solitude, forming Seas of Doubt & rocks of Repentance. ‘* Already are my Eyes reverted; all that I behold ‘Within my soul has lost its splendor, & a brooding Fear ‘¢ Shadows me o’er & drives me outward to a world of woe.” So wail’d she, trembling before her own Created Phantasm del. | Who animating times on times by the force of her sweet song... But standing on the Rocks her woven shadow glowing bright Rear dag: She drew the Spectre forth from ‘Tharmas in [her silken del.] her shining loom Of Vegetation, weeping in wayward infancy & sullen youth. List’ning to her soft lamentations, soon his tongue began To lisp out words, G soon, in masculine strength augmenting, he Rear’d up a form of gold & stood upon the glittering rock A shadowy human form winged, & in his depths The dazzlings as of gems shone clear; rapturous in [joy del.] fury, Glorying in his own eyes, Exalted in terrific Pride, [Searching for glory, wishing that the heavens had eyes to see, And courting that the Earth would ope her Eyelids & behold Such wondrous beauty, repining in the midst of all his glory That nought but Enion could be found to praise, adore, & love. Three days in self admiring raptures on the rocks he flam’d, And three dark nights repin’d the solitude, but the third morn Astonish’d he found Enion hidden in the darksom Cave. She spoke: ““ What am I? wherefore was I put forth on these rocks ‘“* Among the Clouds to tremble in the wind in solitude? ‘Where is the voice that lately woke the desart? where the Face ‘That wept among the clouds, & where the voice that shall reply? ‘* No other living thing is here. The Sea, the Earth, the Heaven, ‘** And Enion, desolate; where art thou, Tharmas? O return,” Bao NIGHT THE FIRST Three days she wail’d & three dark nights, sitting among the Rocks While the bright spectre hid himself among the vailing clouds. Then sleep fell on her eyelids in a Chasm of the Valley. The sixteenth morn the Spectre stood before her manifest. del. | [The Spectre thus spoke: ‘‘ Who art thou, Diminutive husk & shell “ Broke from my bonds? I scorn my prison, I scorn & yet I love. ** Art thou not my slave, & shalt thou dare "To smite me with thy tongue? beware lest I sting also thee. “Tf thou hast sinn’d & art polluted, know that I am pure * And unpolluted, & will bring to rigid strict account ** All thy past deeds; hear what I tell thee! mark it well! remember! “This world is ‘Thine in which thou dwellest; that within thy soul, “That dark & dismal infinite where Thought roams up & down, “Is Mine, & there thou goest when with one Sting of my tongue ** Envenom’d thou roll’st inwards to the place [of death & hell del.] whence I emerg’d.” She trembling answer’d: “* Wherefore was I born, and what am I? “A sorrow & a fear, a living torment, & naked Victim. “I thought to weave a Covering (from del.) for my Sins from wrath of Tharmas. del. | “ [Examining the sins of Tharmas I (have del.) soon found my own. “O slay me not! thou art his wrath embodied in Deceit. del. ] *T thought ‘Tharmas a sinner & I murder’d his Emanations, ** His secret loves & Graces. Ah me wretched! What have I done? ** For now I find that all those Emanations were my Children’s souls, ‘© And I have murder’d these with Cruelty above atonement. ** Those that remain have fled from my cruelty into the desarts, “(Among wild beasts to roam del.| ** And thou, the delusive tempter to these deeds, sitt’st before me. ‘(But where is del.| [Thou art not del.| And art thou Tharmas? all thy soft delusive beauty cannot “'Tempt me to murder [honest love de/.] my own soul & wipe my tears & smile * In this thy world, [for ah! how de/.] not mine: tho’ dark I feel my world within.” [del., but marked: This line to come in.] (ou fpaa | VALA, OR THE FOUR KOAS The Spedire said: “ ‘Thou sinful Woman, was it thy desire “That I should hide thee with my power & delight thee with my beauty? ‘“* And now thou dark’nest in my presence; never from my sight ‘¢ Shalt thou depart to weep in secret. In my jealous wings ‘* T evermore will hold thee, when thou goest out or comest in. * Tis thou hast darken’d all My World, O Woman, lovely bane.” [Thus they contended all the day among the Caves of 'Tharmas, Twisting in fearful forms & howling, howling, harsh shrieking, Howling, harsh shrieking; mingling, their bodies join in burning anguish. del.] Mingling his [horrible del.] brightness with her tender limbs, then high she soar’d [Shrieking del.] Above the ocean; a bright wonder [that Beulah de/.] Nature [shudder’d at, del.] Half Woman & half Spectre; all his lovely changing colours mix With her fair crystal clearness; in her lips & cheeks his poisons rose In blushes like the morning, and his scaly armour softening, A monster lovely in the heavens or wandering on the earth, [With spectre voice incessant wailing, in incessant thirst, Beauty all blushing with desire, mocking her fell despair. Wandering desolate, a wonder abhorr’d by Gods & Men, del. | Tull, with fierce pain, she brought forth on the rocks her sorrow & woe: Behold two little Infants wept upon the desolate wind. The first state weeping they began, & helpless as a wave Beaten along its sightless way, growing enormous in its motion to Its utmost goal, till strength from Enion, like richest summer shining, Rais’d the [bright, del.] fierce boy & girl with glories from their heads out- beaming, Drawing forth drooping mother’s pity, drooping mother’s sorrow. [But those in Great Eternity Met in the Council of God As One Man, hovering over Gilead & Hermon. He is the Good Shepherd, He is the Lord & Master To Create Man Morning by Morning, to give gifts at Noon day. Ree NIGHT THE FIRST Enion brooded o’er the rocks; the rough rocks groaning vegetate. Such power was given to the Solitary wanderer: The barked Oak, the long limb’d Beech, the Chesnut tree, the Pine, The Pear tree mild, the frowning Walnut, the sharp Crab, & Apple sweet, The rough bark opens; twittering peep forth little beaks & wings, The Nightingale, the Goldfinch, Robin, Lark, Linnet & Thrush. The Goat leap’d from the craggy cliff, the Sheep awoke from the mould, Upon its green stalk rose the Corn, waving innumerable, Infolding the bright Infants from the desolating winds. de/.] They sulk upon her breast, her hair became like snow on mountains: Weaker & weaker, weeping woful, wearier and wearier, Faded, & her bright Eyes decay’d, melted with pity & love. And then they wander’d far away, she sought for them in vain: In weeping blindness, stumbling, she follow’d them o’er rocks & mountains, Rehumanizing from the Spectre in pangs of maternal love. Ingrate they wander’d, scorning her, drawing her [life; ingrate del.] spectrous Life, Repelling her away & away by a dread repulsive power Into Non Entity, revolving round in dark despair And drawing in the spectrous life in pride and haughty joy. Thus Enion gave them all her spectrous life [in deep despair. del.] Then Eno, a daughter of Beulah, took a Moment of Time And drew it out to [twenty years del.| seven thousand years with much care & affliction And many tears, © in (the) [twenty del.| every year(s) [gave visions toward heaven del.| made windows into Eden. She also took an atom of space © opened its centre Into Infinitude © ornamented tt with wondrous art. Astonish’d sat her sisters of Beulah to see her soft affection To Enion & her children, © they ponder’d these things wond’ring, And they Alternate kept watch over the Youthful terrors. They saw .not yet the Hand Divine, for rt was not yet reveal d, But they went on in silent Hope & Feminine repose. ise) VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS But Los & Enitharmon delighted in the Moony spaces of [Ona del.| Eno, Nine Times they liv’d among the forests, feeding on sweet fruits, And nine bright Spaces wander’d, weaving mazes of delight, Snaring the wild Goats for their milk, they eat the flesh of Lambs: A male & female, naked & ruddy as the pride of summer. Alternate Love & Hate his breast: hers Scorn & Jealousy In embryon passions; they kiss’d not nor embrac’d for shame & fear. His head beam’d light & in his vigorous voice was prophecy. He could controll the times & seasons & the days & years; She could controll the spaces, regions, desart, flood & forest, But had no power to weave the Veil of covering for her sins. She drave the Females all away from Los, And Los drave the Males from her away. They wander’d long, till they sat down upon the margin’d sea, Conversing with the visions of Beulah in dark slumbrous bliss. [Nine years they view the living spheres, Reading the Visions of Beulah. del.] [marked: NIGHT THE SECOND | But the two youthful wonders wander’d in the world of ‘Tharmas. “Thy name is Enitharmon,” said the [bright del.| fierce prophetic boy. ‘* While thy mild voice fills all these caverns with sweet harmony, ‘““O how [thy de/.] our Parents sit & [weep del.| mourn in their silent secret bowers! ” But Enitharmon answer’d with a dropping tear & frowning Dark as a dewy morning when the crimson light appears, **"To make us happy [how they del.| let them weary their immortal powers ‘“ While we draw in their sweet delights, while we return them scorn ‘On scorn to feed our discontent; for if we grateful prove * They will withhold sweet love, whose food is thorns & bitter roots. “We hear the warlike clarions, we view the burning spheres, “Yet Thou in indolence reposest, holding me in bonds. ‘ Hear! I will sing a Song of Death! it is a Song of Vala! [to.43] NIGHT LAE FIRST “The Fallen Man takes his repose, Urizen sleeps in the porch, “ Luvah and Vala wake & [flew del.] fly up from the Human Heart “Into the Brain from thence; upon the pillow Vala slumber’d, “And Luvah seiz’d the Horses of Light & rose into the Chariot of Day. “ Sweet laughter seiz’d me in my sleep; silent & close I laugh’d, “ For in the visions of Vala I walk’d with the mighty Fallen One, “TI heard his voice among the branches & among sweet flowers: ¢* Why is the light of Enitharmon darken’d in [her del.] dewy morn? “Why is the silence of Enitharmon a [cloud de/.] terror, & her smile a whirlwind ? “* Uttering this darkness in my halls, in the pillars of my Holy-ones, “Why dost thou weep as Vala & wet thy veil with dewy tears, ** “Tn slumbers of my night-repose infusing a false morning, *** Driving the Female Emanations all away from Los? ***T have refus’d to look upon the Universal Vision. *** And wilt thou slay with death him who devotes himself to thee ** “ [If thou drivest all the (Males del.) Females away from (Los del.) Beulah, I will drive all *** "The Males away from thee. del.] “* Once born for the sport & amusement of Man, now born to drink up all his Powers?’ “I heard the sounding sea, I heard the voice weaker and weaker, * The voice came & went like a dream: I awoke in my sweet bliss.” Then Los smote her upon the Earth; ’twas long eer she reviv'd. [Los del.] He answer’d, dark’ning more, with [foul del.| indignation hid in smiles: ** I die not, Enitharmon, tho’ thou sing’st thy song of Death, ** Nor shalt thou me torment; For I behold the Fallen Man * Seeking to comfort Vala: she will not be comforted. ** She rises from his throne and seeks the shadows of her garden “ Weeping for Luvah lost in bloody beams of your false morning; “* Sick’ning lies the Fallen Man, his head sick, his heart faint: ‘Mighty atchievement of your power! Beware the punishment! Reset VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS “* Refusing to behold the Divine Image which all behold “* And live thereby, he is sunk down into a deadly sleep. ‘* But we, immortal in our own strength, survive by stern debate ** Till we have drawn the Lamb of God into a mortal form. ** And that he must be born is certain, for One must be All ‘And comprehend within himself all things both small & great. ‘* We therefore, for whose sake all things aspire to be & live, “Will so receive the Divine Image that amongst the Reprobate ‘* He may be devoted to destruction from his mother’s womb. “I see, invisible descend into the Gardens of Vala, ** Luvah walking on the winds! I see the invisible knife, ‘ T see the shower of blood, I see the swords & spears of futurity. "Tho? in the Brain of Man we live & in his circling Nerves, ‘Tho’ this bright world of all our joy is in the Human Brain “Where Urizen & all his Hosts hang their immortal lamps, "Thou ne’er shalt leave this cold expanse where wat’ry ‘Tharmas mourns.’ > So spoke Los. Scorn & Indignation rose upon Enitharmon. Then Enitharmon redd’ning fierce stretch’d her immortal hands: ‘“* Descend, O Urizen, descend with horse & chariot! ‘Threaten not me, O visionary; thine the punishment. ** "The Human Nature shall no more remain, nor Human aé¢ts “Form the [free del.] rebellious Spirits of Heaven, but War & Princedom, & Victory & Blood.” Night darken’d as she spoke; a shudd’ring ran from East to West; A Groan was heard on high. The warlike clarions ceast, the Spirits Of Luvah & Vala shudder’d in their Orb, an orb of blood. Eternity groan’d & was troubled at the Image of Eternal Death. The Wandering Man bow’d his faint head and Urizen descended— And the one must have murder’d the Man tf he had not descended— Indignant, muttering low thunders, Urizen descended, Gloomy sounding: “‘ Now I am God from Eternity to Eternity.” [ 12 | NIGHT THE FIRST Sullen sat Los plotting Revenge. Silent he [Urizen del.] eyed the Prince Of Light. Silent the Prince of Light view’d Los; at length a brooded Smile broke from Urizen, for Enitharmon brighten’d more & more. Sullen he lower’d on Enitharmon, but he smil’d on Los, Saying: “ ‘Thou art the Lord of Luvah: into thine hands I give **'The prince of Love, the murderer; his soul is in thine hands. ** Pity not Vala, for she pitied not the Eternal Man, “Nor pity thou the cries of Luvah. Lo, these starry hosts, “They are thy servants if thou wilt obey my awful Law.” So spoke the Prince of Light & sat beside the seat of Wes Upon the sandy shore rested his chariot of fire. Los answer’d furious: “* Art thou one of those who when most complacent ** Mean mischief most? If you are such, Lo! I am also such. **One must be master. ‘Try thy Arts. I also will try mine, *“‘ For I percieve thou hast Abundance which I claim as mine.” Urizen startled stood, but not Long; Soon he cried: ** Obey my voice, young Demon; I am God from Eternity to Eternity, ** Art thou a visionary of Jesus, the soft delusion of Eternity? ** Lo I am God, the terrible destroyer, G not the Saviour. ““ Why should the Divine Vision compell the sons of Eden “* To forego each his own delight, to war against his spectre? ** The Spectre is the Man. The rest is only delusion GS fancy.” Thus Urizen spoke, collected in himself in awful pride. Ten thousand thousand were his hosts of spirits on the wind, Ten thousand thousand glittering Chariots shining in the sky. They pour upon the golden shore beside the silent ocean, Rejoicing in the Victory, & the heavens were fill’d with blood. The Earth spread forth her table wide; the Night, a silver cup Fill’d with the wine of anguish, waited at the golden feast. But the bright Sun was not as yet; he, filling all the expanse, Slept as a bird in the blue shell that soon shall burst away. Recs VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS Los saw the wound of his blow: he saw, he pitied, he wept. Los now repented that he had smitten Enitharmon; he felt love Arise in all his Veins; he threw his arms around her loins To heal the wound of his smiting. They eat the fleshly bread, they drank the nervous wine; They listen’d to the Elemental Harps & Sphery Song: They view’d the dancing Hours quick sporting thro’ the sky, With winged radiance scattering joys thro’ the ever changing light. . But Luvah and Vala standing in the bloody sky On high remain’d alone, forsaken, in fierce jealousy. They stood above the heavens, forsaken, desolate, suspended in blood. Descend they could not, nor from Each other avert their eyes. Eternity appear’d above them as One Man infolded In Luvah’s robes of blood & bearing all his afflictions; As the sun shines down on the misty earth, such was the Vision. But purple night and crimson morning & golden day descending Thro’ the clear changing atmosphere display’d green fields among The varying clouds, like paradises stretch’d in the expanse, With towns & villages and temples, tents, sheepfolds and pastures Where dwell the children of the elemental worlds in harmony. Not long in harmony they dwell, their life is drawn away And wintry woes succeed, successive driven into the Void Where Enion craves, successive drawn into the golden feast. And Los & Enitharmon sat in discontent & scorn. The Nuptial Song arose from all the thousand thousand spirits Over the joyful Earth & Sea & ascended into the Heavens; For Elemental Gods their thunderous Organs blew, creating Delicious Viands. Demons of Waves their wat’ry Echoes woke. Bright Souls of vegetative life budding and blossoming Stretch their immortal hands to smite the gold & silver Wires, Drt4ee NIGHT THE FIRST And with immortal Voice soft warbling, fill all Earth & Heaven. With doubling voices, & loud Horns wound round, sounding, Cavernous dwellers fill’d the enormous Revelry, Responsing, And Spirits of Flaming fire on high govern’d the mighty Song. And This is the Song sung at The Feast of Los & Enitharmon: [The Mountain del.] Ephraim call’d out [to the Mountain del, fo ““ He ceas’d: the shadowy voice was silent, but the cloud hover’d over their heads * Tn golden wreathes, the sorrow of Man, & the balmy drops fell down, “And Lo, that Son of Man, that shadowy Spirit of the Fallen One [alt. readg. Albion. | ** Luvah, descended from the cloud. In terror [Man arose. del.] Albion rose: “ Indignant rose the Awful Man & turn’d his back on Vala. ** TI del.| We heard the Voice of the [fall’n One de/.] Albion starting from his sleep: *¢* Why roll thy clouds in sick’ning mists? I can no longer hide *** The dismal vision of mine eyes. O love & life & light! *** Prophetic dreads urge me to speak: futurity is before me ~ ** Like a dark lamp. Eternal death haunts all my expectation. *** Rent from Eternal Brotherhood we die & are no more. *** Whence is this voice crying, Enion! that soundeth in my ears? *O cruel pity! O dark deceit! can Love seek for dominion? ’ [3902] VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS “* And Luvah strove to gain dominion over the Ancient Man [alt. readg. mighty Albion. | ‘‘ They strove together above the Body where Vala was inclos’d ‘And the dark Body of [Man del.] Albion left prostrate upon the crystal pavement, ‘“* Cover’d with boils from head to foot, the terrible smitings of Luvah. ‘“* Then frown’d the Fallen Man, [alt. readg. Albion] & put forth Luvah from his presence | “(I heard him: frown not, Urizen, but listen to my Vision) ‘* Saying, ‘Go & die the Death of Man for Vala the sweet wanderer. “¢* J will turn the volutions of your Ears outward, & bend your Nostrils *¢* Downward, & your fluxile Eyes englob’d roll round in fear; “¢* Your with’ring Lips & Tongue shrink up into a narrow circle “¢< "Till into narrow forms you creep. Go take your fiery way ‘* * And learn what ’tis to absorb the Man, you Spirits of Pity & Love.’ ‘“*O Urizen, why art thou pale at the visions of Ahania? * Listen to her who loves thee, lest we also are driven away. ‘They heard the Voice & fled, swift as the winter’s setting sun. ‘* And now the Human Blood foam’d high. I saw that Luvah & Vala ‘Went down the Human Heart, where Paradise & its joys abounded, ‘In jealous fears, in fury & rage, & flames roll’d round their fervid feet, ‘* And the vast form of Nature like a Serpent play’d before them; ‘* And as they went, in folding fires & thunders of the deep, ‘Vala shrunk in like the dark sea that leaves its slimy banks, ‘* And from her bosom Luvah fell far as the east & west ‘* And the vast form of Nature, like a Serpent, roll’d between. “* Whether this 1s Jerusalem or Babylon we know not. ** All is Confusion. All is tumult, @ we alone are escaped.” She ended, for his wrathful throne burst forth the black hail storm. (Albion clos’d the Western Gate, & shut America out by the Atlantic, for a curse, and hidden horror, and an altar of victims to Sin and Repentance.) [on NIGHT THE THIRD “Am I not God?” said Urizen. “‘ Who is Equal to me? Do I not stretch the heavens abroad, or fold them up like a garment? ” He spoke, mustering his heavy clouds around him, black, opake. Then thunders roll’d around & lightnings darted to & fro; His visage chang’d to darkness, & his strong right hand came forth To cast Ahania to the Earth; he siez’d her by the hair And threw her from the steps of ice that froze around his throne, Saying, “‘ Art thou also become like Vala? thus I cast thee out! * Shall the feminine indolent bliss, the indulgent self of weariness, ** ‘The passive idle sleep, the enormous night & darkness of Death ** Set herself up to give her laws to the active masculine virtue? ‘Thou little diminutive portion that dar’st be a counterpart, ‘* Thy passivity, thy laws of obedience & insincerity ‘Are my abhorrence. Wherefore hast thou taken that fair form? “Whence is this power given to thee? Once thou wast in my breast ** A sluggish current of dim waters on whose verdant margin *“ A cavern shage’d with horrid shades, dark, cool & deadly, where “I laid my head in the hot noon after the broken clods *““ Had wearied me; there I laid my plow, & there my horses fed: ** And thou hast risen with thy moist locks into a wat’ry image * Reflecting all my indolence, my weakness & my death, ** ‘To weigh me down beneath the grave into non Entity “Where Luvah strives, scorned by Vala, age after age wandering, * Shrinking & shrinking from her Lord & calling him the ‘Tempter. And art thou also become like Vala? thus I cast thee out!” - So loud in thunders spoke the King, folded in dark despair, And threw Ahania from his bosom obdurate. She fell like lightning. Then fled the sons of Urizen from his thunderous throne petrific; They fled to East & West & left the North & South of Heaven. A crash ran thro’ the immense. ‘The bounds of Destiny were broken. The bounds of Destiny crash’d direful, & the swelling sea Burst from its bonds in whirlpools fierce, roaring with Human voice, Triumphing even to the stars at bright Ahania’s fall. 4h. | VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS Down from the dismal North the Prince in thunders & thick clouds— As when the thunderbolt down falleth on the appointed place— Fell down, down rushing, ruining, thundering, [word del.| shuddering, Into the Caverns of the Grave & places of Human Seed Where the impressions of Despair & Hope enroot for ever: A world of Darkness. Ahania fell far into Non Entity. She Continued falling. Loud the Crash continu’d, loud & Hoarse. From the Crash roared a flame of blue sulphureous fire, from the flame A dolorous groan that struck with dumbness all confusion, Swallowing up the horrible din in agony on agony. Thro’ the Confusion, like a crack across from immense to immense, Loud, strong, a universal groan of death, louder Than all the wracking elements, deafen’d & rended worse Than Urizen & all his hosts in curst despair down rushing. But from the Dolorous Groan one like a shadow of smoke appear’d, And human bones rattling together in the smoke & stamping The nether Abyss, & gnashing in fierce despair, panting in sobs, Thick, short, incessant, bursting, sobbing, deep despairing, stamping, struggling, Struggling to utter the voice of Man, struggling to take the features of Man, strugeling To take the limbs of Man, at length emerging from the smoke Of Urizen dashed in pieces from his precipitant fall, ‘Tharmas rear’d up his hands & stood on the affrighted Ocean: The dead rear’d up his Voice & stood on the resounding shore, Crying: “ Fury in my limbs! destruction in my bones & marrow! ‘* My skull riven into filaments, my eyes into sea jellies ‘* Floating upon the tide wander bubbling & bubbling, ‘“ Uttering my lamentations & begetting little monsters ‘* Who sit mocking upon the little pebbles of the tide In all my rivers & on dried shells that the fish ‘“ Have quite forsaken. O fool! fool! to lose my sweetest bliss. “Where art thou, Enion? ah, too near to cunning, too far off mee NIGHT THE THIRD ** And yet too near. Dash’d down I send thee into distant darkness “Far as my strength can hurl thee; wander there & laugh & play ** Among the frozen arrows; they will tear thy tender flesh. *“ Fall off afar from Tharmas, come not too near my strong fury. “Scream & fall off & laugh at Tharmas, lovely summer beauty, _ “Till winter rends thee into Shivers as thou hast rended me.”’ So Tharmas bellow’d o’er the ocean, thund’ring, sobbing, bursting. The bounds of Destiny were broken, & hatred now began Instead of love to Enion. Enion, blind & age bent, Plung’d into the cold billows, living a life in midst of waters; In terrors she wither’d away to Entuthon Benithon, A world of deep darkness where all things in horrors are rooted. These are the words of Enion, heard from the cold waves of despair: *O Tharmas, I had lost thee, & when I hoped I had found thee, ‘““O Tharmas, do not thou destroy me quite, but let ** A little shadow, but a little showery form of Enion ** Be near thee, loved Terror; let me still remain, & then do thou “ Thy righteous doom upon me; only let me hear thy voice. ** Driven by thy rage I wander like a cloud into the deep ** Where never yet Existence came; there losing all my life ‘I back return weaker & weaker; consume me not away * In thy great wrath; tho’ I have sinned, tho’ I have rebell’d ‘Make me not like the things forgotten as they had not been. ** Make not the thing that loveth thee a tear wiped away.” Tharmas replied, riding on storms, [the de/.] his voice of [Tharmas del.] Thunder rolld: * Image of grief, thy fading lineaments make my eyelids fail. ‘What have I done? both rage & mercy are alike to me; ** Looking upon thee, Image of faint waters, I recoil “From my fierce rage into thy semblance. Enion, return. . * Why does thy piteous face Evanish like a rainy cloud * Melting, a shower of falling tears, nothing but tears! Enion, eee ieee VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS ‘* Substanceless, voiceless, weeping, vanish’d, nothing but tears! Enion, ‘* Art thou for ever vanish’d from the wat’ry eyes of ‘Tharmas? ‘“ Rage, Rage shall never from my bosom: winds & waters of woe ‘* Consuming all, to the end consuming. Love and [Joy del.| Hope are ended.” For now no more remain’d of Enion in the dismal air, Only a voice eternal wailing in the Elements. Where Enion, blind & age bent, wander’d, Ahania wanders now: She wanders in Eternal fear of falling into the indefinite, For her bright eyes behold the Abyss. Sometimes a little sleep Weighs down her eyelids; then she falls; then starting, wakes in fears Sleepless to wander round, repell’d on the margin of Non Entity. THE END OF THE THIRD NIGHT Bg ai NIGH WEE eer O ORR VANS eee: NIGHT THE FOURTH But Tharmas rode on the dark Abyss; the voice of Tharmas roll’d Over the heaving deluge; he saw Los & Enitharmon Emerge In strength & brightness from the Abyss; his bowels yearn’d over them. They rose in strength above the heaving deluge in mighty scorn, Red as the Sun in the hot morning of the bloody day Tharmas beheld them; his bowels yearn’d over them. And he said: “‘ Wherefore do I feel such love & pity? ** Ah, Enion! Ah, Enion! Ah, lovely, lovely Enion! ** How is this? All my hope is gone! [Enion del.] for ever fled! ** Like a famish’d Eagle, Eyeless, raging in the vast expanse, * Incessant tears are now my food, incessant rage & tears. ‘* Deathless for ever now I wander seeking oblivion “In torrents of despair: in vain; for if I plunge beneath, * Stifling I live: If dash’d in pieces from a rocky height, ' ** I reunite in endless torment; would I had never risen “* From death’s cold sleep [upon del. | beneath the bottom of the raging Ocean. ** And cannot those who once have lov’d ever forget their Love? * Are love & rage the same passion? they are the same in me. ** Are those who love like those who died, risen again from death, ** Immortal in immortal torment, never to be deliver’d? “Ts it not possible that one risen again from death “* Can die? When dark despair comes over, can I not ** Flow down into the sea & slumber in oblivion? Ah Enion, ‘* Deform’d I see these lineaments of ungratified desire. “The all powerful curse of an honest man be upon Urizen & Luvah. ** But thou, My Son, Glorious in brightness, comforter of ‘Tharmas, ** Go forth, Rebuild this Universe beneath my indignant power, ** A Universe of Death & Decay. Let Enitharmon’s hands 45 VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS ‘* Weave soft delusive forms of Man above my wat’ry world; ‘* Renew these ruin’d souls of Men thro’ Earth, Sea, Air & Fire, ‘*'To waste in endless corruption, renew those I will destroy. ‘* Perhaps Enion may resume some little semblance ‘*'To ease my pangs of heart & to restore some peace to Tharmas.” Los answer’d in his furious pride sparks issuing from his hair: ** Hitherto shalt thou come, no further; here thy proud waves cease. ** We have drunk up the Eternal Man by our unbounded power, ‘* Beware lest we also drink up thee, rough Demon of the waters. ** Our God is Urizen, the King, King of the Heavenly hosts; “We have no other God but he, thou father of worms & clay, ‘* And he is fall’n into the Deep, rough Demon of the waters, ‘“* And Los remains God over all, weak father of worms & clay. “I know I was Urthona, keeper of the gates of heaven, ‘* But now I am all powerful Los, & Urthona is but my shadow.” Doubting stood ‘Tharmas in the solemn darkness; his dim Eyes Swam in red tears; he rear’d his waves above the head of Los In wrath, but pitying back withdrew with many a sigh. Now he resolv’d to destroy Los, & now his tears flow’d down. In scorn stood Los, red sparks of blighting from his furious head Flew over the waves of Tharmas; pitying, ‘harmas stayed his Waves, For Enitharmon shriek’d amain, crying: ““ O my sweet world * Built by the Architect divine, whose love to Los & Enitharmon ‘Thou rash abhorred Demon in thy fury hast o’erthrown! ”’ ‘“* What Sovereign Architect,” said ‘Tharmas, ‘‘ dare my will controll? ** For if I will, I urge these waters. If I will, they sleep ‘* In peace beneath my awful frown; my will shall be my Law.” So saying, in a Wave he rap’d bright Enitharmon far Apart from Los, but cover’d her with softest brooding care On a broad wave in the warm west, balming her bleeding wound. [= 46 *] NIGHT THE FOURTH O how Los howl’d at the rending asunder! All the fibres rent, Where Enitharmon join’d to his left side, in griding pain, He, falling on the rocks, bellow’d his dolor till the blood Stanch’d: then in ululation wail’d his woes upon the wind. And Tharmas call’d to the Dark Spectre who upon the shores With dislocated Limbs had fall’n. The Spectre rose in pain, A shadow blue, obscure & dismal; like a statue of lead, Bent by its fall from a high tower, the dolorous shadow rose. “ Go forth,” said Tharmas, “ works of joy are thine: obey & live, “So shall the spungy marrow issuing from thy splinter’d bones * Bonify, & thou shalt have rest when this thy labour is done. “ Go forth, bear Enitharmon back to the Eternal Prophet, ** Build her a bower in the midst of all my dashing waves; * Make first a resting place for Los & Enitharmon, then ** Thou shalt have rest. If thou refusest, dash’d abroad on all ** My waves, thy limbs shall separate in stench & rotting, & thou “Become a prey to all my demons of despair & hope.” The Spectre of Urthona [seeing de/.| Enitharmon, writh’d His cloudy form in jealous fear, & muttering thunders hoarse And casting round thick glooms, thus utter’d his fierce pangs of heart: ** Tharmas, I know thee: how are we alter’d, our beauty decay’d! ** But still I know thee, tho’ in this horrible ruin whelm/’d. ‘Thou, once the mildest son of heaven, art now become a Rage, ** A terror to all living things; think not that I am ignorant ** That thou art risen from the dead, or that, my power forgot, ** T slumber here in weak repose. I well remember the Day, “The day of terror & abhorrence [when all del.]... ‘When fleeing from the battle, thou fleeting like the raven “‘ Of dawn, outstretching an expanse where ne’er expanse had been, ** Drew’st all the Sons of Beulah into thy [great de/.] dread vortex, following ‘Thy Eddying spirit down the hills-of Beulah. All my sons Dar 7a | VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS ‘Stood round me at the anvil, where, new heated, the wedge ‘“‘ Of iron glow’d furious, prepar’d for spades & mattocks. ‘““ Hearing the symphonies of war loud sounding, All my sons “ Fled from my side; then pangs smote me unknown before. I saw ‘* My loins begin to break forth into veiny pipes & writhe ‘* Before me in the wind englobing, trembling with strong vibrations, ** The bloody mass began to animate. I, bending over, ‘“ Wept bitter tears incessant. Still beholding how the piteous form “ Dividing & dividing from my loins, a weak & piteous ** Soft cloud of snow, a female pale & weak, I soft embrac’d ‘“* My counter part & call’d it Love. I nam’d her Enitharmon, “ But found myself & her together issuing down the tide “Which now our rivers were become, delving thro’ caverns huge ‘“* Of goary blood, strugg[l]ing to be deliver’d from our bonds. ‘¢ She strove in vain; not so Urthona strove, for breaking forth, ‘‘ A shadow blue, obscure & dismal, from the breathing Nostrils ‘* Of Enion I issued into the air, divided from Enitharmon. ‘* T howl’d in sorrow. I beheld thee rotting upon the Rocks. ““T, pitying, hover’d over thee; I protected thy ghastly corse ‘From Vultures of the deep; then wherefore shouldst thou rage ** Against me who thee guarded in the night of death from harm? ” Tharmas replied: ‘‘ Art thou Urthona, My friend, my old companion “ With whom I liv’d in happiness before that deadly night ‘When Urizen gave the horses of Light into the hands of Luvah? ‘Thou knowest not what ‘Tharmas knows. O I could tell thee tales ‘That would enrage thee as it has Enraged me, even ‘“* From death in wrath & fury. But now, come, bear back "Thy loved Enitharmon. For thou hast her here before thine eyes; ** But my sweet Enion is vanish’d, & I never more ** Shall see her, unless thou, O Shadow, wilt protect this Son “Of Enion & him assist to bind the fallen King, ** Lest he should rise again from death in all his [dismal de/.| dreary pow’r. * Bind him; take Enitharmon for thy sweet reward, while I “In vain am driven on false hope, hope sister of despair.” [a4 Bel NIGHT THE FOURTH Groaning the terror rose & drave his solid rocks before Upon the tide, till underneath the feet of Los a World Dark dreadful rose, & Enitharmon lay at Los’s feet. The dolorous shadow joy’d; weak hope appear’d around his head. Tharmas before Los stood, & thus the Voice of Tharmas roll’d: ‘““ Now all comes into the power of Tharmas. Urizen is fall’n ** And Luvah hidden in the Elemental forms of Life & Death. ** Urthona is My Son. O Los, thou art Urthona, & Tharmas *“Is God. The Eternal Man is seal’d, never to be deliver’d. “TI roll my floods over his body, my billows & waves pass over him, “The sea encompasses him & monsters of the deep are his companions. ** Dreamer of furious oceans, cold sleeper of weeds & shells, * Thy Eternal form shall never renew, my uncertain prevails against thee. Yet tho’ I rage, God over all, A portion of my Life ** That in Eternal fields in comfort wander’d with my flocks “At noon & laid her head upon my wearied bosom at night, ** She is divided. She is vanish’d, even like Luvah & Vala. **O why did foul ambition sieze thee, Urizen, Prince of Light? ** And thee, O Luvah, prince of Love, till ‘Tharmas was divided? ** And I, what can I now behold but an Eternal Death “ Before my Eyes, & an Eternal weary work to strive ** Against the monstrous forms that breed among my silent waves? *‘ Is this to be A God? far rather would I be a Man, ** To know sweet Science, & to do with simple companions ** Sitting beneath a tent & viewing sheepfolds & soft pastures. “Take thou the hammer of Urthona: rebuild these furnaces. ‘Dost thou refuse? mind I the sparks that issue from thy hair? **T will compell thee to rebuild by these my furious waves. ** Death choose or life; thou strugglest in my waters; now choose life, ** And all the Elements shall serve thee to their soothing flutes: ** Their sweet inspiriting lyres thy labours shall administer, ** And they to thee; only remit not, faint not thou, my son. ** Now thou dost know what ’tis to strive against the God of waters.”’ II ea Gia) 2 VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS So saying, Tharmas on his furious chariots of the Deep Departed far into the Unknown & left a wondrous void Round Los; afar his waters bore on all sides round with noise Of wheels & horses’ hoofs, & Trumpets, Horns & Clarions. Terrified, Los beheld the ruins of Urizen beneath, A horrible Chaos to his eyes, a formless unmeasurable Death Whirling up broken rocks on high into the dismal air And fluctuating all beneath in Eddies of molten fluid. Then Los with terrible hands siez’d on the Ruin’d Furnaces Of Urizen: Enormous work, he builded them anew, Labour of Ages in the Darkness & the war of Tharmas; And Los form’d Anvils of Iron petrific, for his blows Petrify with incessant beating many a rock, many a planet. But Urizen slept in a stoned stupor in the nether Abyss, A dreamful, horrible state in tossings on his icy bed ‘Freezing to solid all beneath; his grey oblivious form, Stretch’d over the immense, heaves in strong shudders, silent his voice, In brooding contemplation stretching out from North to South In mighty power. Round him Los roll’d furious His thunderous wheels from furnace to furnace, tending diligent The contemplative terror frighten’d in his scornful sphere, Frighten’d with cold infectious madness; in his hand the thundering Hammer of Urthona forming under his heavy hand the hours, The days & years, in chains of iron round the limbs of Urizen Link’d hour to hour & day to night & night to day & year to year, In periods of pulsative furor; mills he form’d & works Of many wheels resistless in the power of dark Urthona. But Enitharmon wrap’d in clouds wail’d loud, for as Los beat The anvils of Urthona, link by link the chains of sorrow, Warping upon the winds & whirling round in the dark deep, Lash’d on the limbs of Enitharmon, & the sulphur fires, Belch’d from the furnaces, wreath’d round her, chain’d in ceaseless fire. [- 6p NIGHT THE FOURTH The lovely female howl’d, & Urizen beneath, deep groan’d Deadly between the hammer’s beating, grateful to the Ears Of Los absorb’d in dire revenge; he drank with joy the cries Of Enitharmon & the groans of Urizen, fuel for his wrath And for his pity, secret feeding on thoughts of cruelty. The Spectre wept at his dire labours when from [word del.] Ladles huge He pour’d the molten iron round the limbs of Enitharmon. But when he pour’d it round the bones of Urizen, he laugh’d Hollow upon the hollow wind, his shadowy form obeying The voice of Los; compell’d he labour’d round the Furnaces, And thus began the binding of Urizen; day & night in fear Circling round the dark Demon, with howlings, dismay & sharp blightings The Prophet of Eternity beat on his iron links & links of brass; And as he beat round the hurtling Demon, terrified at the Shapes Enslav’d humanity put on, he became what he beheld. Raging against Tharmas his God, & uttering Ambiguous words, blasphemous, fill’d with envy, firm resolv’d On hate Eternal, in his vast disdain he labour’d beating The Links of fate, link after link, an endless chain of sorrows. The Eternal Mind, bounded, began to roll eddies of wrath ceaseless Round & round, & the sulphureous foam surgeing thick, Settled, a Lake bright & shining clear, White as the snow. 2 Forgetfulness, dumbness, necessity, in chains of the mind lock’d up, In fetters of ice shrinking, disorganiz’d, rent from Eternity, Los beat on his fetters & [pour’d del.] heated his furnaces, And pour’d iron sodor & sodor of brass. Restless the immortal inchain’d, heaving dolorous, Anguish’d unbearable till a roof, shaggy wild, inclos’d In an orb his fountain of thought. { 2 J VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS In a horrible dreamful slumber, like the linked chain, A vast spine writh’d in torment upon the wind, Shooting pain’d ribbs, like a bending Cavern, And bones of solidness froze over all his nerves of joy. A first age passed, a state of dismal woe. From the Caverns of his jointed spine, down sunk with fright A red round globe, hot burning, deep deep down into the Abyss, Panting, conglobing, trembling, shooting out ten thousand: branches Around his solid bones, & a second age passed over. In harrowing fear rolling, his nervous brain shot branches [Round the branches of his heart del. | On high into two little orbs hiding in two little caves, Hiding carefully from the wind; his eyes beheld the deep, And a third age passed, a state of dismal woe. The pangs of hope began; in heavy pain striving, struggling, Two Ears in close volutions from beneath his orbs of vision Shot spiring out & petrified as they grew. And a Fourth Age passed over & a State of dismal woe. In ghastly torment sick, hanging upon the wind, Two nostrils bent down to the deeps, And a fifth age passed & a state of dismal woe. In ghastly torment sick, within his ribs bloated round, A craving hungry cavern. Thence arose his channel’d Throat; then like a red flame a tongue of hunger And thirst appear’d, and a sixth age pass’d of dismal woe. Enraged & stifled with torment, he threw his right arm to the north, His left arm to the south, shooting out in anguish deep, And his feet stamp’d the nether abyss in trembling, howling & dismay, And a seventh age passed over & a state of dismal woe. Bayo NIGHT THE FOURTH The Council of God on high watching over the Body Of Man cloth’d in Luvah’s robes of blood, saw & wept. Descending over Beulah’s mild moon cover’d regions, The daughters of Beulah saw the Divine Vision; they were comforted, And as a double female form, loveliness & perfection of beauty, They bowd the head & worshipp’d, & with mild voice spoke these words: ** Lord Saviour, if thou hadst been here our brother had not died, ** And now we know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God * He will give it thee; for we are weak women & dare not lift “Our eyes to the Divine pavilions; therefore in mercy thou “ Appearest cloth’d in Luvah’s garments that we may behold thee * And live. Behold Eternal Death is in Beulah. Behold “We perish & shall not be found unless thou grant a place * In which we may be hidden under the shadow of wings. “For if we, who are but for a time & who pass away in winter, ** Behold these wonders of Eternity, we shall consume.” Such were the words of Beulah, of the Feminine Emanation. The Empyrean groan’d throughout. All Eden was darken’d. The Corse of [Man del.] Albion lay on the Rock; the sea of Time & Space Beat round the Rock in mighty waves, & as a Polypus That vegetates beneath the Sea, the limbs of Man vegetated In monstrous forms of Death, a Human polypus of Death. The Saviour mild & gentle bent over the corse of Death, Saying, ‘‘ If ye will Believe, your brother shall rise again.” And first he found the Limit of Opacity, & nam/d it Satan, In Albion’s bosom, for in every human bosom these limits stand. And next he found the Limit of Contraction, & nam’d it Adam, While yet those beings were not born nor knew of good or Evil. tie 53 | VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS Then wondrously the [Deep beneath del.] Starry Wheels felt the divine hand. Limit Was put to Eternal Death. Los felt the Limit & saw The Finger of God touch the Seventh furnace in terror. And Los beheld the hand of God over his furnaces Beneath the Deeps in dismal Darkness beneath immensity. In terrors Los shrank from his task; his great hammer Fell from his hand, his fires hid their strong limbs in smoke; For [in del.| with noises ruinous, hurtlings & clashings & groans, The immortal endur’d, tho’ bound in a deadly sleep. Pale terror siezed the Eyes of Los as he beat round The hurtling demon; terrified at the shapes Enslav’d humanity put on, he became what he beheld: He became what he was doing: he was himself transform’d. (Bring in here the Globe of Blood as in the B. of Urizen.) Spasms siez’d his muscular fibres writhing to & fro: his pallid lips Unwilling mov’d as Urizen howl d: his loins wav’d like the sea At Enitharmon’s shrieks: his knees each other smote, & then he look’d With stony Eyes on Urizen, & then swift writh’d his neck Involuntary to the Couch where Enitharmon lay. The bones of Urizen hurtle on the wind; the bones of Los T'winge & his iron sinews bend like lead & fold Into unusual forms, dancing & howling, stamping the abyss. END OF THE FOURTH NIGHT NIGHT THE FIFTH Vice \ie DEN NIGHT THE FIFTH INFECTED, Mad, he danc’d on his mountains high & dark as heaven, Now fix’d into one stedfast bulk his features stonify, From his mouth curses, & from his eyes sparks of blighting, Beside the anvil cold he danc’d with the hammer of Urthona. Terrific pale Enitharmon stretched on the [dismal del.] dreary earth Felt her immortal limbs freeze, stiffening, pale, inflexible. His feet shrunk with’ring from the deep, shrinking & withering, And Enitharmon shrunk up, all their fibres with’ring beneath, As plants wither’d by winter, leaves & stems & roots decaying Melt into thin air, while the seed, driv’n by the furious wind, Rests on the distant Mountain’s top. So Los & Enitharmon, Shrunk into fixed space, stood trembling on a Rocky cliff, Yet mighty bulk & majesty & beauty remain’d, but unexpansive. As far as highest Zenith from the lowest Nadir, so far shrunk Los from the furnaces, a space immense, & left the cold Prince of Light bound in chains of intellect among the furnaces; But all the furnaces were out & the bellows had ceast to blow. He stood trembling & Enitharmon clung around his knees, Their senses unexpansive in one stedfast bulk remain. The night blew cold, & Enitharmon shriek’d on the dismal wind. Her pale hands cling around her husband, & over her weak head Shadows of Eternal Death sit in the leaden air. But the soft pipe, the flute, the viol, organ, harp, & cymbal, And the sweet sound of silver voices calm the weary couch Of Enitharmon; but her groans drown the immortal harps. Loud & more loud the living music floats upon the air, Faint & more faint the daylight wanes; the wheels of turning darkness Began in solemn revolutions. Earth, convuls’d with rending pangs, [L 55. | VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS Rock’d to & fro & cried sore at the groans of Enitharmon. Still the faint harps & silver voices calm the weary couch, But from the caves of deepest night, ascending in clouds of mist, The winter spread his wide black wings across from pole to pole: Grim frost beneath & terrible snow, link’d in a marriage chain, Began a dismal dance. ‘The winds around on pointed rocks Settled like bats innumerable, ready to fly abroad. The groans of Enitharmon shake the skies, the lab’ring Earth, Till from her heart rending his way, a terrible child sprang forth In thunder, smoke & sullen flames, & howlings & fury & blood. Soon as his burning Eyes were open’d on the Abyss, The horrid trumpets of the deep bellow’d with bitter blasts. The Enormous Demons woke & howl’d around the [youthful del.] new born King, Crying, “‘ Luvah, King of Love, thou art the King of rage & death.” Urizen cast deep darkness round him; raging, Luvah pour’d The spears of Urizen from Chariots round the Eternal tent. Discord began, [| & de/.| then yells & cries shook the wide firmament: “Where is sweet Vala, gloomy prophet? where the lovely form ‘That drew the body of Man from heaven into this dark Abyss? “* Soft tears & sighs, where are you? come forth! shout on bloody fields. “* Shew thy soul, Vala! show thy bow & quiver of secret fires. ‘““ Draw thy bow, Vala! from the depths of hell thy black bow draw, ‘““ And twang the bowstring to our howlings; let thine arrows black ‘* Sing in the Sky as once they sang upon the hills of Light “When dark Urthona wept in torment of the secret pain: ‘““ He wept & he divided & he laid his gloomy head ‘“* Down on the Rock of Eternity on darkness of the deep, "Torn by black storms & ceaseless torrents of consuming fire, “Within his breast his fiery sons chain’d down & fill’d with cursings. ‘ And breathing terrible blood & vengeance, gnashing his teeth with pain, ‘* Let loose the Enormous Spirit on the darkness of the deep, eae) NIGHT This, BIRTH: “ And his dark wife, that once fair crystal form divinely clear, “ Within his ribs producing serpents whose souls are flames of fire. “ But now ihe times return upon thee. Enitharmon’s womb ““ Now holds thee, soon to issue forth. Sound, Clarions of war! ‘Call Vala from her close recess in all her dark deceit, “ Then rage on rage shall fierce redound out of her crystal quiver.” So sung the Demons round red Orc & round faint Enitharmon. Sweat & blood stood on the limbs of Los in globes; his fiery Eyelids Faded; he rouz’d, he siez’d the wonder in his hands & went Shudd’ring & weeping thro’ the Gloom & down into the deeps. Enitharmon nurs’d her fiery child in the dark deeps Sitting in darkness: over her Los mourn’d in anguish fierce Cover’d with gloom; the fiery boy grew, fed by the milk Of Enitharmon. Los around her builded pillars of iron And brass & silver & gold fourfold, in dark prophetic fear, For now he fear’d Eternal Death & uttermost Extin¢tion: He builded Golgonooza on the Lake of Udan Adan. Upon the Limit of Translucence then he builded Luban. Tharmas laid the Foundation & Los finish’d it in howling woe. But when fourteen summers & winters had revolved over Their solemn habitation, Los beheld the ruddy boy Embracing his bright mother, & beheld malignant fires In his young eyes, discerning plain that Orc plotted his death. Grief rose upon his ruddy brows; a tightning girdle grew Around his bosom like a bloody cord; in secret sobs He burst it, but next morn another girdle succeeds Around his bosom. Every day he view’d the fiery youth With silent fear, & his immortal cheeks grew deadly pale, Till many a morn & many a night pass’d over in dire woe Forming a girdle in the day & bursting it at night. The girdle was form’d by day, by night was burst in twain, Falling down on the rock, an iron chain link by link lock’d. 575 J VALA, OR THE FOUR XKOAS Enitharmon beheld the bloody chain of nights & days Depending from the bosom of Los, & how with [dismal del.] griding pain He went each morning to his labours with the spectre dark, Call’d it the chain of Jealousy. Now Los began to speak His woes aloud to Enitharmon, since he could not hide His uncouth plague. He siez’d the boy in his immortal hands, While Enitharmon follow’d him, weeping in dismal woe, Up to the iron mountain’s top, & there the jealous chain Fell from his bosom on the mountain. The spectre dark Held the fierce boy. Los nail’d him down, binding around his limbs The [dismal del.] accursed chain. O how bright Enitharmon howl’d & cried Over her son! Obdurate, Los bound down her loved Joy. The hammer of Urthona smote the rivets in terror, of brass Tenfold; the Demon’s rage flam’d tenfold forth, rending Roaring, redounding, Loud, Loud, Louder & Louder, & fir’d The darkness, warring with the waves of Tharmas & Snows of Urizen. Crackling the flames went up with fury from the immortal demon. Surrounded with flames the Demon grew, loud howling in his fires; Los folded Enitharmon in a cold white cloud in fear, Then led her down into the deeps & into his labyrinth, Giving the Spectre sternest charge over the howling fiend, Concenter’d into Love of Parent, Storgous Appetite, Craving. His limbs bound down mock at his chains, for over them a flame Of circling fire unceasing plays; to feed them with life & bring — The virtues of the Eternal worlds, ten thousand thousand spirits Of life [word del.] lament around the Demon, going forth & returning. At his enormous call they flee into the heavens of heavens And back return with wine & food, or dive into the deeps To bring the thrilling joys of sense to quell his ceaseless rage. His eyes, the lights of his large soul, contract or else expand: Contracted they behold the secrets of the infinite mountains, The veins of gold & silver & the hidden things of Vala, Whatever grows from its pure bud or breathes a fragrant soul: [ 58 | NIGHT THE FIFTH Expanded they behold the terrors of the Sun & Moon, The Elemental Planets & the orbs of eccentric fire. His nostrils breathe [with de/.] a fiery flame, his locks are like the forests Of wild beasts; there the lion glares, the tyger & wolf howl there, And there the Eagle hides her young in cliffs & precipices. His bosom is like starry heaven expanded; all the stars Sing round; there waves the harvest & the vintage rejoices; the springs Flow into rivers of delight; there the spontaneous flowers Drink, laugh & sing, the grasshopper, the Emmet and the Fly; The golden Moth builds there a house & spreads her silken bed. His loins inwove with silken fires are like a furnace fierce: As the strong Bull in summer time when bees sing round the heath Where the herds low after the shadow & after the water spring, The num’rous flocks cover the mountains & shine along the valley. His knees are rocks of adament & rubie & emerald: Spirits of strength [rejoice de/.] in Palaces rejoice in golden armour Armed with spear & shield they drink & rejoice over the slain. Such is the Demon, such his terror on the nether deep. But, when return’d to Golgonooza, Los & Enitharmon Felt all the sorrow Parents feel, they wept toward one another And Los repented that he had chain’d Orc upon the mountain. And Enitharmon’s tears prevail’d; parental love return’d, Tho’ terrible his dread of that infernal chain. ‘They rose At midnight hasting to their much beloved care. Nine days they travel’d thro’ the Gloom of Entuthon Benithon. Los taking Enitharmon by the hand led her along The dismal vales & up to the iron mountain’s top where Orc Howl’d in the furious wind; he thought to give to Enitharmon Her son in tenfold joy, & to compensate for her tears Even if his own death resulted, so much pity him pain’d. But when they came to the dark rock & to the spe¢trous cave, Lo, the young limbs had strucken root into the rock, & strong Lv 594] a VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS Fibres had from the Chain of Jealousy inwove themselves In a swift vegetation round the rock & round the Cave And over the immortal limbs of the terrible fiery boy. In vain they strove now to unchain, In vain with bitter tears To melt the chain of Jealousy; not Enitharmon’s death, Nor the Consummation of Los could ever melt the chain Nor unroot the infernal fibres from their rocky bed, Nor all Urthona’s strength, nor all the power of Luvah’s Bulls, Tho’ they each morning drag the unwilling Sun out of the deep, Could uproot the infernal chain, for it had taken root Into the iron rock & grew a chain beneath the Earth Even to the Center, wrapping round the Center; & the limbs Of Orc entering with fibres become one with him, a living Chain Sustained by the Demon’s life. Despair & Terror & Woe & Rage Inwrap the Parents in cold clouds as they bend howling over The terrible boy, till fainting by his side, the Parents fell. Not long they lay; Urthona’s spectre found herbs of the pit. Rubbing their temples, he reviv’d them; all their lamentations I write not here, but all their after life was lamentation. When satiated with grief they return’d back to Golgonooza, Enitharmon on the road of Dranthon felt the inmost gate Of her bright heart burst open & again close with a deadly pain. Within her heart Vala began to reanimate in bursting sobs; And when the Gate was open she beheld that dreary deep Where bright Ahania wept. She also saw the infernal roots Of the chain of Jealousy, & felt the rendings of fierce howling Orc Rending the Caverns like a mighty wind pent in the Earth. Tho’ wide apart as furthest north is from the furthest south, Urizen trembled where he lay to hear the howling terror. The rocks shook, the Eternal bars tugg’d to & fro were rifted. Outstretch’d upon the stones of ice, the ruins of his throne, Urizen shudd’ring heard, his trembling limbs shook the strong caves. [5903] NIGHT THE FIFTH The Woes of Urizen shut up in the deep dens of Urthona: ** Ah! how shall Urizen the King submit to this dark mansion? “Ah! how is this? Once on the heights I stretch’d my throne sublime; ‘The mountains of Urizen, once of silver, where the sons of wisdom dwelt, “And on whose tops the Virgins sang, are rocks of desolation. ** My fountains, once the haunt of swans, now breed the scaly tortoise, “The houses of my harpers are become a haunt of crows, “ The gardens of wisdom are become a field of horrid graves, ** And on the bones I drop my tears & water them in vain. “ Once how I walked from my palace in gardens of delight, * The sons of wisdom stood around, the harpers follow’d with harps, ‘* Nine virgins cloth’d in light compos’d the song to their immortal voices, “And at my banquets of new wine my head was crown’d with joy. “Then in my ivory pavilions I slumber’d [with de/.] in the noon ** And walked in the silent night among sweet smelling flowers, ** Till on my silver bed I slept & sweet dreams round me hover’d, ‘ But now my land is darken’d & my wise men are departed. ** My songs are turned into cries of Lamentation ‘“‘ Heard on my Mountains, & deep sighs under my palace roofs, ** Because the Steeds of Urizen, once swifter than the light, ** Were kept back from my Lord & from his chariot of mercies. **O did I keep the horses of the day in silver pastures? **O I refus’d the lord of day the horses of his prince! **O did I close my treasuries with roofs of solid stone ** And darken all my Palace walls with envyings & hate? ** O Fool! to think that I could hide from his all piercing eyes “The gold & silver & costly stones, his holy workmanship! “OQ Fool! could I forget the light that filled my bright spheres “‘ Was a reflection of his face who call’d me from the deep! [ or | VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS ‘* T well remember, for I heard the mild & holy voice ‘* Saying, ‘ O light, spring up & shine,’ & I sprang up from the deep. ‘* He gave to me a silver scepter, & crown’d me with a golden crown, ‘* [Saying del.] G said, ‘ Go forth & guide my Son who wanders on the ocean.’ ‘* T went not forth: I hid myself in black clouds of my wrath; ** T call’d the stars around my feet in the night of councils dark; ‘* The stars threw down their spears & fled naked away. ‘© We fell. I siez’d thee, dark Urthona. In my left hand falling ** T siez’d thee, beauteous Luvah; thou art faded like a flower ** And like a lilly is thy wife Vala wither’d by winds. ‘When thou didst bear the golden cup at the immortal tables ‘ Thy children smote their fiery wings, crown’d with the gold of heaven. ‘Thy pure feet step’d on the steps divine, too pure for other feet, ** And thy fair locks shadow’d thine eyes from the divine effulgence, Then thou didst keep with Strong Urthona the living gates of heaven, ‘* But now thou art bow’d down with him, even to the gates of hell, ‘* Because thou gavest Urizen the wine of the Almighty “For Steeds of Light, that they might run in thy golden chariot of pride. “* T gave to thee the Steeds. I pour’d the stolen wine, ** And drunken with the immortal draught fell from my throne sublime. “ T will arise, Explore these dens, & find that deep pulsation ‘That shakes my cavern with strong shudders; perhaps this is the night “Of Prophecy, & Luvah hath burst his way from Enitharmon. “When Thought is clos’d in Caves ‘Then love shall shew its root in deepest Helis END OF THE FIFTH NIGHT E2boual NIGHT THE SIXTH VON ee. NIGHT THE SIXTH So Urizen arose, & leaning on his spear explor’d his dens. He threw his flight thro’ the dark air to where a river flow’d, And taking off his silver helmet filled it & drank; But when, unsatiated his thirst, he assayed to gather more, Lo, three terrific women at the verge of the bright flood, Who would not suffer him to approach, but drove him back with storms. Urizen knew them not, & thus addressed the spirits of darkness: * Who art thou, Eldest Woman, sitting in thy clouds? ‘What is that name written on thy forehead? what art thou? ** And wherefore dost thou pour this water forth in sighs & care?” She answer’d not, but fill’d her urn & pour’d it forth abroad. ** Answerest thou not?” said Urizen. ‘“‘ Then thou maist answer me, ‘Thou terrible woman, clad in blue, whose strong attractive power ** Draws all into a fountain at the rock of thy attraction; * With frowning brow thou sittest, mistress of these mighty waters.” She answer’d not, but stretched her arms & threw her limbs abroad. ** Or wilt thou answer, youngest Woman, clad in shining green? ** With labour & care thou dost divide the [river del.] current into four. ** Queen of these dreadful rivers, speak, & let me hear thy voice.” [Then del.| And Urizen rais’d his spear, [but del.] they rear’d up a wall of rocks. They gave a scream, they knew their father: Urizen knew his daughters. They shrunk into their channels, dry the rocky strand beneath his feet, Hiding themselves in rocky forms from the Eyes of Urizen. [ 63 |] VALA, OR THE FOUR ZKOAS Then Urizen wept & thus his lamentation poured forth: ‘*O horrible, O dreadful state! those whom I loved best, ‘“On whom I pour’d the beauties of my light, adorning them ‘With jewels & precious ornament labour’d with art divine, ** Vests of the radiant colours of heaven & crowns of golden fire. ‘ T gave sweet lillies to their breasts & roses to their hair, “TI taught them songs of sweet delight, I gave their tender voices ‘“ Into the blue expanse, & I invented with laborious art ‘* Sweet instruments of sound; in pride encompassing my knees ** They pour’d their radiance above all; the daughters of Luvah envied ‘* At their exceeding brightness, & the sons of eternity sent them gifts. “ Now will I pour my fury on them, & I will reverse “The precious benediction; for their colours of loveliness ‘““ T will give blackness; for jewels, hoary frost; for ornament, deformity; ‘““ For crowns, wreath’d serpents; for sweet odors, stinking corruptibility; “For voices of delight, hoarse croakings inarticulate thro’ frost; “For labour’d fatherly care & sweet instruction, I will give ** Chains of dark ignorance & cords of twisted self-conceit ‘*‘ And whips of stern repentance & food of stubborn obstinacy, ‘That they may curse Tharmas their God, & Los his adopted son; “That they may curse & worship the obscure demon of destruction; ‘That they may worship terrors & obey the violent. “Go forth, sons of my curse. Go forth, daughters of my abhorrence.” Tharmas heard the deadly scream across his wat’ry world And Urizen’s loud sounding voice lamenting on the wind, And he came riding in his fury; froze to solid were his waves, Silent in ridges he beheld them stand round Urizen, A dreary waste of solid waters; for the King of Light Darken’d his brows with his cold helmet, & his gloomy spear Darken’d before him. Silent on the ridgy waves he took His gloomy way; before him 'Tharmas fled, & flying fought, [ 64 ] NIGHT THE SIXTH Crying: ‘“ What & who art thou, Cold Demon? art thou Urizen? “ Art thou, like me, risen again from death? or art thou deathless? “ If thou art he, my desperate purpose hear, & give me death, “For death to me is better far than life, death my desire “That I in vain in various paths have sought, but still I live. “The Body of Man is given to me. I seek in vain to destroy, “ For still it surges forth in fish & monsters of the deeps, ** And in these monstrous forms I Live in an Eternal woe, ** And thou, O Urizen, art fall’n, never to be deliver’d. * Withhold thy light from me for ever, & I will withhold “From thee thy food; so shall we cease to be, & all our sorrows ** [Cease del.| End, & the Eternal Man no more renew beneath our power. ** If thou refusest, in eternal flight thy beams in vain * Shall pursue Tharmas, & in vain shalt crave for food. I will “Pour down my flight thro’ dark immensity Eternal falling. * Thou shalt pursue me but in vain, till starv’d upon the void * Thou hang’st, a dried skin, shrunk up, weak wailing in the wind.” So Tharmas spoke, but Urizen replied not. On his way He took, high bounding over hills & desarts, floods & horrible chasms. Infinite was his labour, without end his travel; he strove In vain, for hideous monsters of the deeps annoy’d him sore, Scaled & finn’d with iron & brass, they devour’d the path before him. Incessant was the conflict. On he bent his weary steps Making a path toward the dark world of Urthona; he rose With pain upon the dreary mountains & with pain descended And saw their grizly fears, & his eyes sicken’d at the sight: The howlings, gnashings, groanings, shriekings, shudderings, sobbings, burstings Mingle together to create a world for Los. In cruel delight Los brooded on the darkness, nor saw Urizen with a Globe of fire Lighting his dismal journey thro’ the pathless world of death, Writing in bitter tears & groans in books of iron & brass The enormous wonders of the Abysses, once his brightest joy. I py 657] F VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS For Urizen beheld the terrors of the Abyss wandering among The ruin’d spirits, once his children & the children of Luvah. Scar’d at the sound of their own sigh that seems to shake the immense They wander Moping, in their heart a sun, a dreary moon, A Universe of fiery constellations in their brain, An earth of wintry woe beneath their feet, & round their loins Waters or winds or clouds or brooding lightnings & pestilential plagues. Beyond the bounds of their own self their senses cannot penetrate: As the tree knows not what is outside of its leaves & bark And yet it drinks the summer joy & fears the winter sorrow, So, in the regions of the grave, none knows his dark compeer Tho’ he partakes of his dire woes & mutual returns the pang, The throb, the dolor, the convulsion, in soul-sickening woes. | Not so clos’d kept the Prince of Light now darken’d, wandering among The Ruin’d Spirits, once his Children & the Children of Luvah: For Urizen beheld the terrors of the Abyss, wandering among del.| The horrid shapes & sights of torment in burning dungeons & in Fetters of red hot iron; some with crowns of serpents & some With monsters girding round their bosoms; some lying on beds of sulphur, On racks & wheels; he beheld women marching o’er burning wastes Of Sand in bands of hundreds & of fifties & of thousands, strucken with Lightnings which blazed after them upon their shoulders in their march In successive volleys with loud thunders: swift flew the King of Light Over the burning desarts; Then, the desarts pass’d, involv’d in clouds Of smoke with myriads moping in the stifling vapours, Swift Flew the King, tho’ flag’d his powers, labouring till over rocks And Mountains faint weary he wander’d where multitudes were shut Up in the solid mountains & in rocks which heav’d with their torments. Then came he among fiery cities & castles built of burning steel. Then he beheld the forms of tygers & of Lions, dishumaniz’d men. Many in serpents & in worms, stretched out enormous length Over the sullen mould & slimy tracks, obstruct his way Drawn out from deep to deep, woven by ribb’d And scaled monsters or arm’d in iron shell, or shell of brass [ 66 | NIGHT THE SIXTH Or gold: a glittering torment shining & hissing in eternal pain; Some, columns of fire or of water, sometimes stretch’d out in [length del.] heighth, Sometimes in [breadth de/.] length, sometimes englobing, wandering in vain seeking for ease. His voice to them was but an inarticulate thunder, for their Ears Were heavy & dull, & their eyes & nostrils closed up. Oft he stood by a howling victim Questioning in words Soothing or Furious; no one answer’d; every one wrap’d up In his own sorrow howl’d regardless of his words, nor voice Of sweet response could he obtain, tho’ oft assay’d with tears. He knew they were his Children ruin’d in his ruin’d world. Oft would he stand & question a fierce scorpion glowing with gold; In vain; the terror heard not. Then a lion he would sieze By the fierce mane, staying his howling course; in vain the voice Of Urizen, in vain the Eloquent tongue. A Rock, a Cloud, a Mountain, Were now not Vocal as in Climes of happy Eternity Where the lamb replies to the infant voice, & the lion to the man of years Giving them sweet instructions; where the Cloud, the River & the Field Talk with the husbandman & shepherd. But these attack’d him sore, Siezing upon his feet, & rending the sinews, that in Caves He hid to recure his obstructed powers with rest & oblivion. Here he had time enough to repent of his rashly threaten’d curse. He saw them curs’d beyond his Curse: his soul melted with fear. He could not take their fetters off, for they grew from the soul, Nor could he quench the fires, for they flam’d out from the heart, Nor could he calm the Elements, because himself was subject; So he threw his flight in terror & pain, & in repentant tears. When he had pass’d these southern terrors he approach’d the East, Void, pathless, beaten with [dismal de/.] iron sleet, & eternal hail & [snow del.| rain. No form was there, no living thing, & yet his way lay thro’ aye! VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS This dismal world; he stood a while & look’d back over his former Terrific voyage, Hills & Vales of torment & despair! Sighing, & weeping a fresh tear, then turning round, he threw Himself into the dismal void; falling he fell & fell, Whirling in unresistible revolutions down & down In the horrid bottomless vacuity, falling, falling, falling Into the Eastern vacuity, the empty world of Luvah. The ever pitying one who seeth all things, saw his fall, And in the dark vacuity created a bosom of [slime del.| clay; When wearied, dead he fell, his limbs repos’d in the bosom of slime; As the seed falls from the sower’s hand, so Urizen fell, & death Shut up his powers in oblivion; then as the seed shoots forth In pain & sorrow, so the slimy bed his limbs renew'd. At first an infant weakness; periods pass’d; he gather’d strength, But still in solitude he sat; then rising, threw his flight Onward, tho’ falling, thro’ the waste of night & ending in death And in another resurrection to sorrow & weary travel. But still his books he bore in his strong hands, & his iron pen, For when he died they lay beside his grave, & when he rose He siez’d them with a [dismal de/.| gloomy smile; for wrap’d in his death clothes He hid them when he slept in death, when he reviv’d, the clothes Were rotted by the winds; the books remain’d still unconsum’d, Still to be written & interleav’d with brass & iron & gold, Time after time, for such a journey none but iron pens Can write And adamantine leaves recieve, nor can the man who goes The journey obstinate refuse to write time after time. Endless had been his travel, but the Divine hand him led, For infinite the distance & obscur’d by Combustions dire, By rocky masses frowning in the abysses, revolving erratic Round Lakes of fire in the dark deep, the ruins of Urizen’s world. bee | NIG Fie ird eS Ty rd Oft would he sit in a dark rift & regulate his books, Or sleep such sleep as spirits eternal, wearied in his dark Tearful & sorrowful state; then rise, look out & ponder His dismal voyage, eyeing the next sphere tho’ far remote; Then darting into the Abyss of night his venturous limbs Thro’ lightnings, thunders, earthquakes & concussions, fires & floods Stemming his downward fall, labouring up against futurity, Creating many a Vortex, fixing many a Science in the deep, And thence throwing his venturous limbs into the vast unknown, Swift, swift from Chaos to chaos, from void to void, a road immense. For when he came to where a Vortex ceas’d to operate, Nor down nor up remain’d, then if he turn’d & look’d back From whence he came, ’twas upward all; & if he turn’d and view’d The unpass’d void, upward was still his mighty wand’ring, The midst between, an Equilibrium grey of air serene Where he might live in peace & where his life might meet repose. But Urizen said: ‘‘ Can I not leave this world of Gumbrous wheels, ** Circle o’er Circle, nor on high attain a void ** Where self sustaining I may view all things beneath my feet? “Or sinking thro’ these Elemental wonders, swift to fall, “I thought perhaps to find an End, a world beneath of voidness “Whence I might travel round the outside of this dark confusion. “When I bend downward, bending my head downward into the deep, ***Tis upward all which way soever I my course begin; ‘“* But when A Vortex, form’d on high by labour & sorrow & care ** And weariness, begins on all my limbs, then sleep revives “My wearied spirits; waking then ’tis downward all which way ‘* Soever I my spirits turn, no end I find of all. **O what a world is here, unlike those climes of bliss ‘Where my sons gather’d round my knees! O, thou poor ruin’d world! “Thou horrible ruin! once like me thou wast all glorious, ‘* And now like me partaking desolate thy master’s lot. “ Art thou, O ruin, the once glorious heaven? are these thy rocks ‘ Where joy sang on the trees & pleasure sported in the rivers. [ 69 | VALASORV POE FOCI CAS ‘“‘ And laughter sat beneath the Oaks, & innocence sported round ‘“‘ Upon the green plains, & sweet friendship met in palaces, “And books & instruments of song & pictures of delight? ‘“‘ Where are they, whelmed beneath these ruins in horrible [confusion del. } destruction? ‘« And if, Eternal falling, I repose on the dark bosom ‘“‘ Of winds & waters, or thence fall into a Void where air ‘Ts not, down falling thro’ immensity ever & ever, ‘“T lose my powers, weaken’d every revolution, till a death ‘‘ Shuts up my powers; then a seed in the vast womb of darkness ** T dwell in dim oblivion; brooding over me, the Enormous worlds ‘“‘ Reorganize me, shooting forth in bones & flesh & blood, “I am regenerated, to fall or rise at will, or to remain ‘* A labourer of ages, a dire discontent, a living woe ‘“* Wandering in vain. Here will I fix my foot & here rebuild. ‘“ Here Mountains of Brass promise much riches in their dreadful bosoms.” So [saying del.| he began to form of gold, silver & [brass del.| iron And brass, vast instruments to measure out the immense & fix The whole into another world better suited to obey His will, where none should dare oppose his will, himself being King Of All, & all futurity be bound in his vast chain. And the Sciences were fix’d & the Vortexes began to operate On all the sons of men, & every human soul terrified At the living wheels of heaven shrunk away inward, with’ring away. Gaining a New dominion over all his Sons & Daughters, & over the Sons & Daughters of Luvah in the horrible Abyss. For Urizen lamented over them in a selfish lamentation Till a white woof cover’d his cold limbs from head to feet, Hair white as snow cover’d him in flaky locks terrific Overspreading his limbs; in pride he wander’d weeping, Clothed in aged venerableness, obstinately resolv’d, Travelling thro’ darkness; & wherever he travel’d a dire Web Follow’d behind him, as the Web of a Spider, dusky & cold, Petey | NIGHT THE SIXTH Shivering across from Vortex to Vortex, drawn out from his mantle of years: A living Mantle adjoined to his life growing from his soul. And the Web of Urizen stre[t]ch’d direful, shivering in clouds, And uttering such woes, such burstings, such thunderings. The eyelids expansive as morning & the Ears As a golden ascent winding round to the heavens of heavens Within the dark horrors of the Abysses, lion or tyger, or scorpion; For every one open’d within into Eternity at will, But they refus’d, because their outward forms were in the Abyss; And the wing-like tent of the Universe, beautiful, surrounding all, Or drawn up or let down at the will of the immortal man, Vibrated in such anguish the eyelids quiver’d, Weak & Weaker their expansive orbs began shrinking; Pangs smote thro’ the brain & a universal shriek Ran thro’ the Abysses rending the web, torment on torment. Thus Urizen in sorrows wander’d many a dreary way Warring with monsters of the deeps in his most hideous pilgrimage, Till, his bright hair scatter’d in snows, his skin bark’d o’er with wrinkles, Four Caverns rooting downwards their foundations, thrusting forth The metal, rock & stone in ever painful throes of vegetation. The Cave of Orc stood to the South, a furnace of dire flames, Quenchless, unceasing. In the west the Cave of Urizen; For Urizen fell, as the Midday sun falls down, into the West. North stood Urthona’s stedfast throne, a World of Solid darkness Shut up in stifling obstruction, rooted in dumb despair. The East was Void. But Tharmas roll’d his billows in ceaseless eddies, Void, pathless, beat with Snows eternal & iron hail & rain All thro’ the caverns of fire & air & Earth, Seeking For Enion’s limbs, nought finding but the black sea weed & sick’ning slime: Flying away from Urizen that he might not give him food, Above, beneath, on all sides round in the vast deep of immensity, That he might starve the sons & daughters of Urizen on the winds, Making between, horrible chasms into the vast unknown, es VALA, OR THE FOUR KOAS All these around the world of Los cast forth their monstrous births. But in Eternal times the Seat of Urizen is in the South, Urthona in the North, Luvah in East, Tharmas in West. And now he came into the Abhorred world of Dark Urthona, By Providence Divine conducted, not bent from his own will Lest Death Eternal should be the result, for the Will cannot be violated: Into the doleful vales where no tree grew nor river flow’d, Nor man nor beast nor creeping thing, nor sun nor cloud nor star; Still he, with his globe of fire immense in his venturous hand, Bore on thro’ the Affrighted vales, ascending & descending, O’erwearied or in cumbrous flight he ventur’d o’er dark rifts, Or down dark precipices, or climb’d with pain and labours huge Till he beheld the world of Los from the Peaked rock of Urthona And heard the howling of red Orc distincter & distin¢ter. Redoubling his immortal efforts, thro’ the narrow vales With difficulty down descending, guided by his Ear And [with del.] by his globe of fire, he went down the Vale of Urthona Between the enormous iron walls built by the Spedtre dark. Dark grew his globe redd’ning with mists, & full before his path, Striding across the narrow vale, the Shadow of Urthona A specire Vast appear’d, whose feet & legs with iron scaled, Stamp’d the hard rocks expectant of the unknown wanderer Whom he had seen wandering his nether world when distant far, And watch’d his swift approach; collected, dark, the Spectre stood. Beside him ‘Tharmas stay’d his flight & stood in stern defiance, Communing with the Spectre who rejoic’d along the vale. Round his loins a girdle glow’d with many colour’d fires, In his hand a knotted Club whose knots like mountains frown’d Desart among the stars, them withering with its ridges cold. Black scales of iron arm the dread visage; iron spikes instead Of hair shoot from his orbed scull; his glowing eyes Burn like two furnaces; he call’d with Voice of Thunder. Four winged heralds mount the furious blasts & blow their trumps; Ree! NIGHT THE SIXTH Gold, Silver, Brass & iron clangors, clamoring rend the [deeps del.] shores. Like white clouds rising from the Vales, his fifty two armies From the four Cliffs of Urthona rise glowing around the Spedtre. Four sons of Urizen the Squadrons of Urthona led, in arms Of gold & silver, brass & iron: he knew his mighty sons. Then Urizen arose upon the wind, back many a mile Returning into his dire Web, scattering fleecy snows: As he ascended, howling loud, the Web vibrated strong, From heaven to heaven, from globe to globe. In vast excentric paths Compulsive roll’d the Comets at his dread command, the dreary way Falling with wheel impetuous down among Urthona’s vales And round red Orc; returning back to Urizen, gorg’d with blood. Slow roll the massy Globes at his command, & slow o’erwheel The dismal squadrons of Urthona weaving the dire Web In their progressions, & preparing Urizen’s path before him END OF THE SIXTH NIGHT yee VALAN OR THE FOURRROAS Vinee eee NIGHT THE SEVENTH [a] THEN Urizen arose. The Specire fled, & Tharmas fled; The dark’ning Specire of Urthona hid beneath a rock. Tharmas threw his impetuous flight thro’ the deeps of immensity Revolving round in whirlpools fierce, all round the cavern’d worlds. But Urizen silent descended to the Caves of Orc & saw A Cavern’d Universe of flaming fire; the horses of Urizen Here bound to fiery mangers, furious dash their golden hoofs, Striking fierce sparkles from their brazen fetters; fierce his lions Howl in the burning dens; his tygers roam in the redounding smoke In forests of affliction; the adamantine scales of justice Consuming in the raging lamps of mercy, pour’d in rivers. The holy oil rages thro’ all the cavern’d rocks; fierce flames Dance on the rivers & the rocks; howling & drunk with fury The plow of ages & the golden harrow wade thro’ fields Of goary blood; the immortal seed is nourish’d for the slaughter. The bulls of Luvah, breathing fire, bellow on burning pastures Round howling Orc, whose awful limbs cast forth red smoke & fire, That Urizen approach’d not near but took his seat on a rock And rang’d his books around him, brooding Envious over Orc. Howling & rending his dark caves the awful Demon lay: Pulse after pulse beat on his fetters, pulse after pulse his spirit Darted & darted higher & higher to the shrine of Enitharmon; As when the thunder folds himself in thickest clouds, The wat’ry nations couch & hide in the profoundest deeps, ‘Then bursting from his troubled head, with terrible visages & flaming hair, His swift wing’d daughters sweep across the vast black ocean. Bar| NIGHT THE SEVENTH [a] Los felt the Envy in his limbs like to a blighted tree, For Urizen fix’d in envy sat brooding & cover’d with snow; His book of iron on his knees, he trac’d the dreadful letters While his snows fell & his storms beat to cool the flames of Orc Age after Age, till underneath his heel a deadly root Struck thro’ the rock, the root of Mystery accursed shooting up Branches into the heaven of Los: they, pipe form’d, bending down Take root again wherever they touch, again branching forth In intricate labyrinths o’erspreading many a grizly deep. Amaz’d started Urizen when he found himself compass’d round And high roofed over with trees; he arose, but the stems , Stood so thick he with difficulty & great pain brought His books out of the dismal shade, all but the book of iron. Again he took his seat & rang’d his [word del.| Books around On a rock of iron frowning over the foaming fires of Orc. And Urizen hung over Orc & view’d his terrible wrath; Sitting upon [his del.] an iron Crag, at length his words broke forth: ** Image of dread, whence art thou? whence is this most woful place? *“* Whence these fierce fires, but from thyself? No other living thing “In all this Chasm I behold. No other living thing ** Dare thy most terrible wrath abide. Bound here to waste in pain “Thy vital substance in these fires that issue new & new ** Around thee, sometimes like a flood, & sometimes like a rock “* Of living pangs, thy horrible bed glowing with ceaseless fires ** Beneath thee & around. Above, a shower of fire now beats, ** Moulded to globes & arrowy wedges, rending thy bleeding limbs. ‘“* And now a whirling pillar of burning sands to overwhelm thee, ‘ Steeping thy wounds in salts infernal & in bitter anguish. ‘“‘ And now a rock moves on the surface of this lake of fire “To bear thee down beneath the waves in stifling despair. “Pity for thee mov’d me to break my dark & long repose, ‘‘ And to reveal myself before thee in a form of wisdom. VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS ‘“* Yet thou dost laugh at all these tortures, & this horrible place: ‘* Yet throw thy limbs these fires abroad that back return upon thee ‘‘ While thou reposest, throwing rage on rage, feeding thyself ‘* With visions of sweet bliss far other than this burning clime. ‘“‘ Sure thou art bath’d in rivers of delight, on verdant fields “* Walking in joy, in bright Expanses sleeping on bright clouds ‘With visions of delight so lovely that they urge thy rage ‘* Tenfold with fierce desire to rend thy chain & howl in fury ‘¢ And dim oblivion of all woe, & desperate repose. “* Or is thy joy founded on torment which others bear for thee? ” Orc answer’d: “‘ Curse thy hoary brows! What dost thou in this deep? ‘“<'Thy Pity I contemn. Scatter thy snows elsewhere. ‘““T rage in the deep, for Lo, my feet & hands are nail’d to the burning rock, ‘“* Yet my fierce fires are better than thy snows. Shudd’ring thou sittest. “Thou art not chain’d. Why shouldst thou sit, cold grovelling demon of woe, “In tortures of dire coldness? now a Lake of waters deep ‘* Sweeps over thee freezing to solid; still thou sit’st clos’d up ‘‘ In that transparent rock as if in joy of thy bright prison, ‘Till, overburden’d with its own weight drawn out thro’ immensity, ‘* With a crash breaking across, the horrible mass comes down “'Thund’ring, & hail & frozen iron hail’d from the Element ‘““ Rends thy white hair; yet thou dost, fix’d obdurate brooding, sit ‘Writing thy books. Anon a cloud, fill’d with a waste of snows ‘* Covers thee, still obdurate, still resolv’d & writing still; Tho’ rocks roll o’er thee, tho’ floods pour, tho’ winds black as the sea ‘* Cut thee in gashes, tho’ the blood pours down around thy ankles, ‘* Freezing thy feet to the hard rock, still thy pen obdurate ** "Traces the wonders of Futurity in horrible fear of the future. ‘* T rage furious in the deep, for lo, my feet & hands are nail’d **’To the hard rock, or thou shouldst feel my enmity & hate “Tn all the diseases of man falling upon thy grey accursed front.” Lycee NIGHT TAHIR SEVENTH (al. - Urizen answer’d: ‘“‘ Read my books, explore my Constellations, “ Enquire of my Sons & they shall teach thee how to War. “Enquire of my Daughters, who, accurs’d in the dark depths, ‘““ Knead bread of Sorrow by my stern command; for I am God “ Of all this dreadful ruin. Rise, O daughters, at my stern command!” Rending the Rocks, Eleth & Uvith rose, & Ona rose, Terrific with their iron vessels, driving them across In the dim air; they took the book of iron & plac’d above On clouds of death, & sang their songs, kneading the bread of Orc. Orc listen’d to the song, compell’d, hung’ring on the cold wind That swage’d heavy with the accursed dough; the hoar frost rag’d Thro’ Ona’s sieve; the torrent rain poured from the iron pail Of Eleth, & the icy hands of Uvith kneaded the bread. The heavens bow with terror underneath their iron hands, Singing at their dire work the words of Urizen’s book of iron While the enormous scrolls roll’d dreadful in the heavens above; And still the burden of their song in tears was pour’d forth: ** The bread is kneaded, let us rest, O cruel father of children!” But Urizen remitted not their labours upon his rock, And Urizen Read in his book of brass in sounding tones: “ Listen, O Daughters, to my voice. Listen to the Words of Wisdom, ** So shall (be) [you] govern over all; let Moral Duty tune your tongue, ** But be your hearts harder than the nether millstone. ‘To bring the Shadow of Enitharmon beneath our wondrous tree, “That Los may Evaporate like smoke & be no more, ** Draw down Enitharmon to the Spedtre of Urthona, ** And let him have dominion over Los, the terrible shade. ‘“ Compell the poor to live upon a Crust of bread, by soft mild arts. ** Smile when they frown, frown when they smile; & when a man looks pale * With labour & abstinence, say he looks healthy & happy; ** And when his children sicken, let them die; there are enough ** Born, even too many, & our Earth will be overrun “Without these arts. If you would make the poor live with temper[ance], rien VALA) OR THE FOURSZOAS “With pomp give every crust of bread you give; with gracious cunning “ Magnify small gifts; reduce the man to want a gift, & then give with pomp. “Say he smiles if you hear him sigh. If pale, say he is ruddy. ‘“ Preach temperance: say he is overgorg’d & drowns his wit ‘* In strong drink, tho’ you know that bread & water are all ‘ He can afford. Flatter his wife, pity his children, till we can ‘ Reduce all to our will, as spaniels are taught with art. ‘* Lo! how the heart & brain are formed in the breeding womb ‘* Of Enitharmon: how it buds with life & forms the bones, The little heart, the liver, & the red blood in its labyrinths; ‘ By gratified desire, by strong devouring appetite, she fills ** Los with ambitious fury that his race shall all devour.” Then Orc [answer’d del.| cried: ‘‘ Gurse thy Cold hypocrisy! already round thy Tree ‘In scales that shine with gold & rubies, thou beginnest to weaken ‘“* My divided Spirit. Like a worm I rise in peace, unbound ‘* From wrath. Now when I rage, my fetters bind me more. ‘*O torment! O torment! A Worm compell’d! Am I a worm? ** Ts it in strong deceit that man is born? In strong deceit ‘Thou dost restrain my fury that the worm may fold the tree. ** Avaunt, Cold hypocrite! I am chain’d, or thou couldst not use me thus. ‘The Man shall rage, bound with this chain, the worm in silence creep. ‘Thou wilt not cease from rage. Grey demon, silence all thy storms, ‘“ Give me example of thy mildness. King of furious hail storms, ‘* Art thou the cold attractive power that holds me in this chain? ‘* T well remember how I stole thy light & it became fire ‘““ Consuming. Thou Know’st me now, O Urizen, Prince of Light, ‘* And I know thee; is this the triumph, this the Godlike State That lies beyond the bounds of Science in the Grey obscure? ” Terrified Urizen heard Orc, now certain that he was Luvah. [So saying del.] And Orc (he) began to organize a Serpent body, Despising Urizen’s light & turning it into flaming fire, [eaoasl NIGHT THE SEVENTH [a] Recieving as a poison’d cup Recieves the heavenly wine, And turning [wisdom del.] affection into fury, & thought into abstraction, A Self consuming dark devourer rising into the heavens. Urizen envious brooding sat & saw the secret terror Flame high in pride & laugh to scorn the source of his deceit, Nor knew the source of his own, but thought himself the sole author Of all his wandering Experiments in the horrible Abyss. He knew that weakness stretches out in breadth & length, he knew That wisdom reaches high & deep; & therefore he made Orc, In serpent form compell’d, stretch out & up the mysterious tree. He suffer’d him to climb that he might draw all human forms Into submission to his will, nor knew the dread result. Los sat in showers of Urizen [cold del.]| watching cold Enitharmon. His broodings rush down to his feet, producing Eggs that hatching Burst forth upon the winds above the tree of Mystery. Enitharmon lay on his knees. Urizen trac’d his Verses. In the dark deep the dark tree grew; her shadow was drawn down, Down to the roots; it wept over Orc, the shadow of Enitharmon. Los saw her stretch’d, the image of death, upon his wither’d valleys; Her shadow went forth & return’d. Now she was pale as snow When the mountains & hills are cover’d over & the paths of Men shut up. But when her spirit return’d, as ruddy as a morning when The ripe fruit blushes into joy in heaven’s eternal halls, [She secret joy’d to see; she fed herself on his Despair. She said, ‘‘ I am aveng’d for all my sufferings of old.” del. | Sorrow shot thro’ him from his feet, it shot up to his head Like a cold night that nips the roots & shatters off the leaves. Silent he stood o’er Enitharmon, watching her pale face. He spoke not, he was silent till he felt the cold disease. Then Los mourn’d on the dismal wind in his jealous lamentation: L 79 | VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS “Why can I not Enjoy thy beauty, Lovely Enitharmon? ‘When I return from clouds of Grief in the wand’ring Elements “Where thou in thrilling joy, in beaming summer loveliness, ‘* Delectable reposest, ruddy in my absence, flaming with beauty, “* Cold pale in sorrow at my approach, trembling at my terrific ‘Forehead & eyes, thy lips decay like roses in [early del.] the spring. ‘* How art thou shrunk! thy grapes that burst in summer’s vast Excess, ‘* Shut up in little purple covering, faintly bud & die. ‘* Thy olive trees that pour’d down oil upon a thousand hills, ‘© Sickly look forth & scarcely stretch their branches to the plain. “Thy roses that expanded in the face of glowing morn, ‘* Hid in a little silken veil scarce breathe & faintly shine. “ Thy lillies that gave light what time the morning looked forth, ‘* Hid in the Vales, faintly lament, & no one hears their voice. ‘* All things beside the woful Los enjoy the delights of beauty! “Once how I sang & call’d the beasts & birds to their delight, “Nor knew that J, alone exempted from the joys of love, ‘“* Must war with secret monsters of the animating worlds. ‘“*O that I had not seen the day! then should I be at rest, ‘Nor felt the stingings of desire, nor longings after life, ‘* For life is sweet to Los the wretched; to his winged woes ‘Is given a craving cry, that they may sit at night on barren rocks ‘** And whet their beaks & snuff the air, & watch the opening dawn, ** And shriek till, at the smells of blood, they stretch their boney wings ** And cut the winds like arrows shot by troops of Destiny.” Thus Los lamented in the night, unheard by Enitharmon. For the Shadow of Enitharmon descended down the tree of Mystery. The Spectre saw the Shade shivering over his gloomy rocks Beneath the tree of Mystery, which in the dismal Abyss Began to blossom in fierce pain, shooting its writhing buds In throes of birth; & now, the blossoms falling, shining fruit Appear’d of many colours & of various poisonous qualities, Of Plagues hidden in shining globes that grew on the living tree. [ 80 ] NIGHT THE SEVENTH [a] The Spectre of Urthona saw the Shadow of Enitharmon Beneath the Tree of Mystery among the leaves & fruit. Redd’ning, the demon strong prepar’d the poison of sweet Love. He turn’d from side to side in tears; he wept & he embrac’d The fleeting image, & in whispers mild woo’d the faint shade: “ Loveliest delight of Men! Enitharmon, shady hiding “In secret places where no eye can trace thy wat’ry way, ** Have I found thee? have I found thee? tremblest thou in fear “ Because of Orc? because he rent his discordant way “From thy sweet loins of bliss? red flow’d thy blood, “Pale grew thy face, [word del.] lightnings play’d around thee, thunders hover’d “Over thee, & the terrible Orc rent his discordant way; ** But the next joy of thine shall be in sweet delusion, “ And its birth in fainting & sleep & sweet delusions of Vala.” The Shadow of Enitharmon answer’d: ‘‘ Art thou, terrible Shade, ** Set over this sweet boy of mine to guard him lest he rend ** His mother to the winds of heaven? Intoxicated with The fruit of this delightful tree, I cannot flee away “From thy embrace, else be assur’d so horrible a form “ Should never in my arms repose; now listen, I will tell * Thee Secrets of Eternity which ne’er before unlock’d * My golden lips nor took the bar from Enitharmon’s breast. ** Among the Flowers of Beulah walked the Eternal Man & saw “Vala, the lilly of the desart melting in high noon; “Upon her bosom in sweet bliss he fainted. Wonder siez’d “ All heaven; they saw him dark; they built a golden wall “Round Beulah. There he revel’d in delight among the Flowers. “Vala was pregnant & brought forth Urizen, Prince of Light, “ First born of Generation. Then behold a wonder to the Eyes “ Of the now fallen Man; a double form Vala appear’d, a Male “And female shudd’ring; pale the Fallen Man recoil’d “From the Enormity & call’d them Luvah & Vala, turning down Ul ole | G VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS “The vales to find his way back into Heaven, but found none, “ For his frail eyes were faded & his ears heavy & dull. “ Urizen grew up in the plains of Beulah. Many sons “ And many daughters flourished round the holy Tent of Man “ Till he forgot Eternity, delighted in his sweet joy “Among his family, his flocks & herds & tents & pastures. ‘* But Luvah close conferr’d with Urizen in darksome night ‘*¢ To bind the father & enslave the brethren. Nought he knew ‘* Of sweet Eternity; the blood flow’d round the holy tent & riv’n ‘“‘ From its hinges, uttering its final groan, all Beulah fell ‘** In dark confusion; mean time Los was born & Enitharmon, ‘* But how, I know not; then forgetfulness quite wrap’d me up “A period, nor do I more remember till I stood “‘ Beside Los in the Cavern dark, enslav’d to vegetative forms “ According to the Will of Luvah, who assumed the Place “Of the Eternal Man & smote him. But thou, Spectre dark, “ Maist find a way to punish Vala in thy fiery south, “To bring her down subjected to the rage of my fierce boy.” The Spectre said: “ Thou lovely Vision, this delightful Tree ‘Ts given us for a Shelter from the tempests of Void & Solid, ‘* "Till once again the morn of ages shall renew upon us, ‘*'To reunite in those mild fields of happy Eternity ““ Where thou & I in undivided Essence walk’d about ‘““ Imbodied, thou my garden of delight & I the spirit in the garden; ‘“ Mutual there we dwelt in one another’s joy, revolving “ Days of Eternity, with Tharmas mild & Luvah sweet melodious ‘““ Upon our waters. This thou well rememberest; listen, I will tell ‘“ What thou forgettest. They in us & we in them alternate Liv’d, ** Drinking the joys of Universal Manhood. One dread morn— Listen, O vision of Delight! One dread morn of gory blood The manhood was divided, for the gentle passions, making way ‘Thro’ the infinite labyrinths of the heart & thro’ the nostrils i issuing ‘ In odorous stupefaction, stood before the Eyes of Man ‘ A female bright. I stood beside my anvil dark, a mass Loe NIGHT THE SEVENTH [a] “ Of iron glow’d bright prepar’d for spade & plowshares: sudden down “ T sunk with cries of blood issuing downward in the veins “Which now my rivers were become, rolling in tubelike forms “ Shut up within themselves descending down. I sunk along “The goary tide even to the place of seed, & there dividing ** I was divided in darkness & oblivion; thou an infant woe, * And I an infant terror in the womb of Enion. *“ My masculine spirit, scorning the frail body, issued forth “ From Enion’s brain In this deformed form, leaving thee there “Till times pass’d over thee; but still my spirit returning hover’d “And form’d.a Male, to be a counterpart to thee, O Love * Darken’d & Lost! In due time issuing forth from Enion’s womb “Thou & that demon Los were born. Ah, jealousy & woe! ‘* Ah, poor divided dark Urthona! now a Spectre wand’ring “The deeps of Los, the slave of that Creation I created. “T labour night & day for Los; but listen thou my vision. “I view futurity in thee. I will bring down soft Vala **'To the embraces of this terror, & I will destroy ** That body I created; then shall we unite again in bliss; “For till these terrors planted round the Gates of Eternal life * Are driven away & annihilated, we never can repass the Gates. “Thou knowest that the Spectre is in Every Man insane, brutish, * Deform’d, that I am thus a ravening devouring lust continually * Craving & devouring; but my Eyes are always upon thee, O lovely “Delusion, & I cannot crave for any thing but thee: [ & till “T have thee in my arms & am again united to Los “To be one body & One spirit with him del.| not so “The Spectres of the Dead, for I am as the Spectre of the Living.” Astonish’d, fill’d with tears, the spirit of Enitharmon beheld And heard the Spectre; bitterly she wept, Embracing fervent Her once lov’d Lord, now but a Shade, herself also a shade, Conferring times on times among the branches of that Tree. Thus they conferr’d among the intoxicating fumes of Mystery Till Enitharmon’s shadow, pregnant in the deeps beneath, Pes sl VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS Brought forth a wonder horrible. While Enitharmon shriek’d And trembled, thro’ the Worlds above Los wept, his fierce soul was terrified At the shrieks of Enitharmon, at her tossings, nor could his eyes percieve The cause of her dire anguish, for she lay the image of death, Mov’d by strong shudders till her shadow was delivered, then she ran Raving about the upper Elements in maddening fury. She burst the Gates of Enitharmon’s heart with direful Crash, Nor could they ever be clos’d again; the golden hinges were broken, And the gates broke in sunder & their ornaments defac’d Beneath the tree of Mystery, for the immortal shadow shuddering Brought forth this wonder horrible: a Cloud; she grew & grew Till many of the Dead burst forth from the bottoms of their tombs In male forms without female counterparts, or Emanations, Cruel and ravening with Enmity & Hatred & War, In dreams of Ulro, [sweet del.] dark delusive, drawn by the lovely shadow. The Spectre [word del.]| ( &) terrified gave her Charge over the howling Orc. Then took the tree of Mystery root in the World of Los, Its topmost [branches del.| boughs shooting a [stem del.| fibre beneath Eni- tharmon’s couch, The double rooted Labyrinth soon wav’d around their heads. But then the Spectre enter’d Los’s bosom. Every sigh & groan Of Enitharmon bore Urthona’s Spectre on its wings. Obdurate Los felt Pity. Enitharmon told the tale Of Urthona. Los embrac’d the Spectre, first as a brother, Then as another Self, astonish’d, humanizing & in tears, In Self abasement Giving up his Domineering lust. ‘Thou never canst embrace sweet Enitharmon, terrible Demon, Till Thou art united with thy Spectre, Consummating by pains & labours [Thy del.| That mortal body, & by Self annihilation back returning “To Life Eternal; be assur’d I am thy real self, ‘Tho’ thus divided from thee & the slave of Every passion La O4aes | NIGHT THE SEVENTH [a] “ Of thy fierce Soul. Unbar the Gates of Memory: look upon me “ Not as another, but as thy real Self. I am thy Spedre, “ Thou didst subdue me in old times by thy Immortal Strength “When I was a ravening bungering & thirsting cruel lust & murder. “ Tho’ horrible & Ghastly to thine Eyes, tho’ buried beneath “ The ruins of the Universe, hear what inspir’d I speak, & be silent. “* Tf [once del.] we unite in one, another better world will be *““ Open’d within your heart & loins & wondrous brain, “ Threefold, as it was in Eternity, & this, the fourth Universe, Will be Renew’d by the three & consummated in Mental fires; “ But if thou dost refuse, Another body will be prepared “For me, & thou, annihilate, evaporate & be no more. *“ For thou art but a form & organ of life, & of thyself * Art nothing, being Created Continually by Mercy & Love divine.” Los furious answer’d: “ Specire horrible, thy words astound my Ear ** With irresistible conviction. I feel I am not one of those Who when convine’d can still persist: tho’ furious, controllable *“ By Reason’s power. Even I already feel a World within *““ Opening its gates, & in it all the real substances ** Of which these in the outward World are shadows which pass away. ** Come then into my Bosom, & in thy shadowy arms bring with thee “My lovely Enitharmon. I will quell my fury & teach ** Peace to the soul of dark revenge, & repentance to Cruelty.” So spoke Los, & Embracing Enitharmon & the Spectre, Clouds would have folded round in Extacy & Love uniting, But Enitharmon trembling, fled & hid beneath Urizen’s tree. But mingling together with his Spectre, the Spectre of Urthona Wondering beheld the Center open’d; by Divine Mercy inspir’d— He in his turn Gave Tasks to Los, Enormous, to destroy That body he created; but in vain, for Los perform’d Wonders of labour— They Builded Golgonooza, Los labouring [word del.] builded pillars high And Domes terrific in the nether heavens, for beneath ose | VALA, OR THE FOUR XOAS Was open’d new heavens & a new Earth beneath & within, Threefold, within the brain, within the heart, within the loins: A Threefold Atmosphere Sublime, continuous from Urthona’s world, But yet having a, Limit Twofold named Satan & Adam. But Los stood on the Limit of Translucence, weeping & trembling, Filled with doubts in self accusation, beheld the fruit Of Urizen’s Mysterious tree. For Enitharmon thus spake: ‘“* When In the Deeps beneath I gather’d of this ruddy fruit, ** It was by that I knew that I had Sinn’d, & then I knew ** That without a ransom I could not be sav’d from Eternal death: ‘That Life lives upon death, & by devouring appetite ‘* All things subsist on one another; thenceforth in despair ‘“ I spend my glowing time; but thou art strong & mighty ‘To bear this Self conviction; take then, Eat thou also of “The fruit & give me proof of life Eternal or I die.” Then Los plucked the fruit & Eat & sat down in Despair, And must have given himself to death Eternal, But Urthona’s spectre in part mingling with him, comforted him, Being a medium between him & Enitharmon. But This Union Was not to be Effected without Cares & Sorrows & Troubles Of six thousand Years of self denial and [many Tears del.] of bitter Contrition. Urthona’s Spectre terrified beheld the Spectres of the dead: Each male form’d without a counterpart, without a concentering vision. The Spectre of Urthona wept before Los, saying, ‘‘ I am the cause “That this dire state commences. I began the dreadful state ‘““ Of Separation, & on my dark head the curse & punishment ‘* Must fall unless a way be found to Ransom & Redeem. ‘ But I have thee my [Counterpart de/.] [Vegetative del.] miraculous, "These spectres have no [Counterparts del.], therefore they ravin “Without the food of life. Let us Create them Coun[terparts;] “ For without a Created body the Spectre is Eternal Death.” [ 86 | NIGHT THE SEVENTH [al] Los trembling, answer’d: ‘“‘ Now I feel the weight of stern repentance, “Tremble not so, my Enitharmon, at the awful gates “ Of thy poor broken Heart. I see thee like a shadow withering ** As on the outside of Existence; but look! behold! take comfort! “Turn inwardly thine Eyes & there behold the Lamb of God ** Clothed in Luvah’s robes of blood descending to redeem. “ O Specire of Urthona, take comfort! O Enitharmon! * Could’st thou but cease from terror & trembling & affright. *“ When I appear before thee in forgiveness of [former. . .del.] ancient injuries, “ Why should’st thou remember & be afraid? I surely have died in pain “ Often enough to convince thy jealousy & fear & terror. “Come hither; be patient; let us converse together, because “I also tremble at myself & at all my former life.” Enitharmon answer’d: “ I behold the Lamb of God descending "To Meet these Spectres of the Dead. I therefore fear that he “ Will give us to Eternal Death, fit punishment for such ** Hideous offenders: Uttermost extinction in eternal pain: ** An ever dying life of stifling & obstruction: shut out “ Of existence to be a sign & terror to all who behold, “Lest any should in futurity do as we have done in heaven. * Such is our state; nor will the Son of God redeem us, but destroy.” So Enitharmon spoke trembling & in torrents of tears. Los sat in Golgonooza, in the Gate of Luban where He had erected many porches [which del.] where branched the Mysterious tree, Where the Spectrous dead wail; & sighing thus he spoke to Enitharmon: “ Lovely delight of Men, Enitharmon shady [sweet de/.] refuge from furious war, ‘Thy bosom translucent is a soft repose for the weeping souls “ Of those piteous victims of battle; there they sleep in happy obscurity; “They feed upon our life; we are their victims. Stern desire «I feel to fabricate embodied semblances in which the dead “ May live before us in our palaces & in our gardens of [pleasure de/.] labour, ya VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS ‘Which now, open’d within the Center, we behold spread abroad “To form a world of [life & lovedel.] sacrifice of brothers & sons & daughters, “To comfort Orc in his dire sufferings; look, my fires enlume afresh “ Before my face assembling with delight as in ancient times! ” Enitharmon spread her beamy locks upon the wind & said, “© [lovely del.] Lovely terrible Los, wonder of Eternity, O Los, my defence & guide, ‘* Thy works are all my joy & in thy fires my soul delights; ‘ If mild they burn in just proportion, & in secret night ** And silence build their day in shadow of soft clouds & dews, ‘* Then I can sigh forth on the winds of Golgonooza piteous forms ** That vanish again into my bosom; but if thou, my Los, ‘* Wilt in sweet moderated fury fabricate [sweet del.] forms sublime, ‘“* Such as the piteous spectres may assimilate themselves into, ‘They shall be ransoms for our Souls that we may live.” So Enitharmon spoke, & Los, his hands divine inspir’d, began [To hew the cavern of rocks of Dranthon into forms of beauty del.] To modulate his fires; studious the loud roaring flames He vanquish’d with the strength of Art, bending their iron points And drawing them forth delighted upon the winds of Golgonooza From out the ranks of Urizen’s war & from the fiery lake Of Orc, bending down as the binder of the sheaves follows The reaper, in both arms embracing the furious raging flames. Los drew them forth out of the deeps, planting his right foot firm Upon the Iron crag of Urizen, thence springing up aloft Into the heavens of Enitharmon in a mighty circle. And first he drew a line upon the walls of shining heaven, And Enitharmon tindtured it with beams of blushing love. It remain’d permanent, a lovely form, inspir’d, divinely human. Dividing into just proportions, Los unwearied labour’d The immortal lines upon the heavens, till with sighs of love, [ 88 ] NIGHT THE SEVENTH [a] Sweet Enitharmon mild, Entranc’d breath’d forth upon the wind The spectrous dead. Weeping, the Spectres view’d the immortal works Of Los, Assimilating to those forms, Embodied & Lovely In youth & beauty, in the arms of Enitharmon mild reposing. First Rintrah & then Palamabron, drawn from out the ranks of war, In infant innocence repos’d on Enitharmon’s bosom. Orc was comforted in the deeps; his soul reviv’d in them: As the Eldest brother is the [word del.] father’s image, So Orc became As Los, a father to his brethren, & he joy’d in the dark lake Tho’ bound with chains of Jealousy & in scales of iron & brass. But Los loved them & refus’d to Sacrifice their infant limbs, And Enitharmon’s smiles & tears prevail’d over self protection. They rather chose to meet Eternal Death than to destroy The offspring of their Care & Pity. Urthona’s spectre was comforted; But ‘Tharmas most rejoic’d in hope of Enion’s return, For he beheld new Female forms born forth upon the air Who wove soft silken veils of covering in sweet raptur’d trance, Mortal, & not as Enitharmon, without a covering veil. First his immortal spirit drew Urizen|’s] Spectre away From out the ranks of war, separating him in sunder, Leaving his Specirous form, which could not be drawn away. Then he divided Thiriel, the Eldest of Urizen’s sons: Urizen became Rintrah, Thiriel became Palamabron. Thus dividing the power of Every Warrior, Startled was Los; he found his Enemy Urizen now In his hands; he wonder’d that he felt love & not hate. His whole soul loved him; he beheld him an infant Lovely, breath’d from Enitharmon; he trembled within himself. [END OF NIGHT THE SEVENTH (a) | [ 89 ] VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS Wawa 10s 28 NIGHT THE SEVENTH [8] Bur in the deeps beneath the tree of Mystery in darkest night When Urizen sat on his rock, the Shadow brooded. [word del.| Urizen saw & triumph’d, & he cried to [the Shadowy Female del. ] his warriors: “The time of Prophecy is now revolv’d, & all “The Universal ornament is mine, & in my hands ‘ 'The ends of heaven; like a Garment will I fold them round me, “* Consuming what must be consum’d; then in power & majesty ‘© T will walk forth thro’ those wide fields of endless Eternity, ““A God & not a Man, a Conqueror in triumphant glory, ‘* And all the sons of mortality shall bow down at my feet.” [The Shadowy voice answer’d: “ O... Prince of Light ”’ del.] First Trades & Commerce, ships & armed vessels he builded laborious To swim the deep; & on the land, children are sold to trades Of dire necessity, still laboring day & night till all Their life extinét they took the spectre form in dark despair; And slaves in myriads, in ship loads, burden the hoarse sounding deep, Rattling with clanking chains; the Universal Empire groans. And he commanded his Sons [to] form a Center in the Deep; And Urizen laid the first Stone, & all his myriads Builded a temple in the image of the human heart. _ And in the inner part of the ‘'emple, wondrous workmanship, They form’d the Secret place, reversing all the order of delight, That whosoever entered into the temple might not behold The hidden wonders, allegoric of the Generation Of secret lust, when hid in chambers dark the nightly harlot Plays in Disguise in whisper’d hymn & mumbling prayer. The priests He ordain’d & Priestesses, cloth’d in disguises beastial, LOG. | NIGHT THE SEVENTH [6] Inspiring secrecy; & lamps they bore: intoxicating fumes Roll round the Temple; & they took the Sun that glow’d o’er Los And, with immense machines down rolling, the terrific orb Compell’d. ‘The Sun, redd’ning like a fierce lion in his chains, Descended to the sound of instruments that drown’d the noise Of the hoarse wheels & the terrific howlings of wild beasts That drag’d the wheels of the Sun’s chariot; & they put the Sun Into the temple of Urizen to give light to the Abyss, To light the War by day, to hide his secret beams by night, For he divided day & night in different order’d portions, The day for war, the night for secret religion in his temple. [Urizen nam’d it .. . del.] Los rear’d his mighty [forehead del.] stature: on Earth stood his feet. Above The moon his furious forehead, circled with black bursting thunders, His naked limbs glittering upon the dark blue sky, his knees Bathed in bloody clouds, his loins in fires of war where spears And swords rage, where the Eagles cry & the Vultures laugh, saying: ** Now comes the night of Carnage, now the flesh of Kings & Princes ** Pampered in palaces for our food, the blood of Captains nurtur’d ** With lust & murder for our drink; the drunken Raven shall wander ** All night among the slain, & mock the wounded that groan in the field.” Tharmas laugh’d furious among the Banners cloth’d in blood, Crying: “ As I will I rend the Nations all asunder, rending “The People: vain their combinations, I will scatter them. ** But thou, O Son, whom I have crowned and inthroned, thee strong “I will preserve tho’ Enemies arise around thee numberless. * IT will command my winds & they shall scatter them, or call ** My Waters like a flood around thee; fear not, trust in me * And I will give thee all the ends of heaven for thy possession. “In war shalt thou bear rule, in blood shalt thou triumph for me, ** Because in times of Everlasting I was rent in sunder ** And what I loved best was divided among my Enemies. “My little daughters were made captives, & I saw them beaten Late | VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS * With whips along the sultry [roads del.] sands. I heard those whom I lov’d ‘* Crying in secret tents at night, & in the morn compell’d ‘“*'To labour; & behold, my heart sunk down beneath “In sighs & sobbings, all dividing, till I was divided “Tn twain; & lo, my Crystal form that lived in my bosom ‘* Follow’d her daughters to the fields of blood: they left me naked, ** Alone, & they refus’d to return from the fields of the mighty. ‘* Therefore I will reward them as they have rewarded me. ‘* T will divide them in my anger, & thou, O my King, ‘* Shalt gather them from out their graves, & put thy fetter on them, ‘“* And bind them to thee, that my crystal form may come to me.” So cried the Demon of the Waters in the Clouds of Los. Outstretch’d upon the hills lay Enitharmon; clouds & tempests Beat round her head all night: all day she riots in Excess. But[day by del.] night or day Los follows War, & thedismal moon rolls over her, That when Los warr’d upon the South, reflected the fierce fires Of his immortal head into the North, upon faint Enitharmon. Red rage the furies of fierce Orc; black thunders roll round Los; Flaming his head, like the bright sun seen thro’ a mist that magnifies The disk into a terrible vision to the Eyes of trembling mortals. And Enitharmon, trembling & in fear, utter’d these words: ‘*T put not any trust in thee, nor in thy glitt’ring scales; “Thy eyelids are a terror to me; & the flaming of thy crest, ‘* The rushing of thy scales confound me, thy hoarse rushing scales. ‘* And if that Los had not built me a bower upon a rock, ‘“‘ T must have died in the dark desart among noxious worms. ‘* How shall I flee, how shall I flee into the bower of Los? ‘““ My feet are turned backward & my footsteps slide in clay, ‘* And clouds are clos’d around my tower; my arms labour in vain. ‘* Does not the God of waters in the wracking Elements ‘“ Love those who hate, rewarding with hate the Loving Soul? ‘And must not I obey the God, thou Shadow of Jealousy? ““ I cry; the watchman heareth not. I pour my voice in roarings: [| 193ea] NIGHT THE SEVENTH [6] “Watchman! the night is thick, & darkness choaks my rayie sight. “ Lift up! Lift up! O Los! awake my watchman, for he sleepeth. “ Lift up! Lift up! Shine forth, O Light! watchman, thy light is out. ‘“O Los! unless thou keep my tower the Watchman will be slain.” So Enitharmon cried upon her terrible Earthy bed While the broad Oak wreath’d his roots round her, forcing his dark way Thro’ caves of death into Existence. The Beach, long limbed, advanc’d Terrific into the pain’d heavens. The fruit trees humanizing Shew’d their immortal energies in warlike desperation, Rending the heavens & earths & drinking blood in the hot battle To feed their fruit, to gratify their hidden sons & daughters That far within the close recesses of their secret palaces View’d the vast war & joy’d, writhing to vegetate Into the worlds of Enitharmon. Loud the roaring winds, Burden’d with clouds, howl round the Couch. Sullen the wooly sheep Walks thro’ the battle. Dark & fierce the Bull his rage Propagates thro’ the warring Earth. ‘The Lions raging in flames, The Tygers in redounding smoke. The serpent of the woods And of the waters, & the scorpion of the desart irritate With harsh songs every living soul. The Prester Serpent runs Along the ranks, crying, ‘‘ Listen to the Priest of God, ye warriors; “This Cowl upon my head he plac’d in times of Everlasting, ** And said, ‘Go forth & guide my battles; like the jointed spine *** Of Man I made thee when I blotted Man from life & light. ** “*"Take thou the Seven Diseases of Man; store them for times to come ** “In store houses, in secret places that I will tell thee of, ***'To be my great & awful curses at the time appointed.’ ” The Prester Serpent ceas’d; the War song sounded loud & strong Thro’ all the heavens. Urizen’s Web vibrated, torment on torment. Then Shew’d the Earthquake, &c. Now in the Caverns of the Grave & Places of human seed The nameless shadowy Vortex stood before the face of Orc. The shadow rear’d her dismal head over the flaming youth With sighs & howling & deep sobs; that he might lose his rage aes VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS And with it lose himself in meekness, she embrac’d his fire.— As when the Earthquake rouzes from his den, his shoulders huge Appear above the crumbling Mountain, Silence waits around him A moment, then astounding horror belches from the Center, The fiery dogs arise, the shoulders huge appear— So Orc roll’d round his clouds upon the deeps of dark Urthona, Knowing the arts of Urizen were Pity & Meek [love del.] affection And that by these arts the serpent form exuded from his limbs Silent as despairing love & strong as jealousy, Jealous that she was Vala, now become Urizen’s harlot And the Harlot of Los & the deluded harlot of the Kings of the Earth, His soul was gnawn in sunder. The hairy shoulders rend the links, free are the wrists of fire. Red rage redounds, he rouzed his lions from his forests black, They howl around the flaming youth, rending the nameless shadow And running their immortal course thro’ solid darkness borne. Loud sounds the war song round red Orc in his [word erased] fury And round the nameless shadowy Female in her howling terror When all the Elemental Gods join’d in the wondrous Song: ‘Sound the War trumpet terrific, souls clad in attractive steel! ‘ Sound the shrill fife, serpents of war! I hear the northern drum. ‘* Awake! I hear the flapping of the folding banners. “The dragons of the North put on their armour; ‘“ Upon the Eastern sea direct they take their course. ‘The glittering of their horses’ trappings stains the vault of night. ‘“ Stop we the rising of the glorious King: spur, spur your [steeds del.] clouds ‘* Of death! O northern drum, awake! O hand of iron, sound ‘The northern drum! Now give the charge! bravely obscur’d ** With darts of wintry hail. Again the black bow draw: ‘* Again the Elemental strings to your right breasts draw, ** And let the thundering drum speed on the arrows black.” [ 94 | NIGHT THE SEVENTH [b] The arrows flew from cloudy bow all day, till blood From east to west flow’d, like the human veins, in rivers Of life upon the plains of death & valleys of despair. ** Now sound the clarions of Victory, now strip the slain. * [Now del.] clothe yourselves in golden arms, brothers of war.” They sound the clarions strong, they chain the howling captives, They give the Oath of blood, they cast the lots into the helmet, They vote the death of Luvah & they nail’d him to the tree, They pierc’d him with a spear & laid him in a sepulcher To die a death of Six thousand years, bound round with desolation. The sun was black & the moon roll’d, a useless globe, thro’ heaven. Then left the sons of Urizen the plow & harrow, the loom, The hammer & the chisel & the rule & compasses. They forg’d the sword, the chariot of war, the battle ax, The trumpet fitted to the battle & the flute of summer, And all the arts of life they chang’d into the arts of death. The hour glass contemn’d because its simple workmanship Was as the workmanship of the plowman, & the water wheel That raises water into Cisterns, broken & burn’d in fire 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 Of day & night the myriads of Eternity, that they might file And polish brass & iron hour after hour, laborious workmanship, Kept ignorant of the 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! ‘“‘ Now smile among thy bitter tears, now put on all thy beauty, ‘Ts not the wound of the sword sweet & the broken bone delightful? * Wilt thou now smile among the slain when the wounded groan in the fields? [95104 VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS “* Lift up thy blue eyes, Vala, & put on thy sapphire shoes. ““O Melancholy Magdalen, behold the morning breaks! ‘‘ Gird on thy flaming Zone, descend into the Sepulchre, ‘* Scatter the blood from thy golden brow, the tears from thy silver locks, “* Shake off the water from thy wings & the dust from thy white garments. “Remember all thy feigned terrors on the secret couch ‘* When the sun rose in glowing morn with arms of mighty hosts ‘* Marching to battle, who was wont to rise with Urizen’s harps ‘* Girt as a Sower with his seed to scatter life abroad. ** Arise, O Vala! bring the bow of Urizen, bring the swift arrows of light.” How rag’d the golden horses of Urizen, bound to the chariot of Love, Compell’d to leave the plow to the Ox, to snuff up the winds of desolation, To trample the cornfields in boastful neighings; this is no gentle harp, This is no warbling brook, nor Shadow of a Myrtle tree, But blood & wounds & dismal cries & clarions of war, And hearts laid open to the light by the broad grizly sword, And bowels hidden [in darkness del.]| in hammered steel ripp’d forth upon the ground. ** Call forth thy smiles of soft deceit, call forth thy cloudy tears! “We hear thy sighs in trumpets shrill when Morn shall blood renew.” So sung the demons of the deep; the Clarions of war blew loud. Orc rent her, & his human form consum/’d in his own fires Mingled with her dolorous members strewn thro’ the Abyss. She joy’d in all the Conflict, Gratified & drinking tears of woe. No more remain’d of Orc but the Serpent round the tree of Mystery. The form of Orc was gone; he rear’d his serpent bulk among The stars of Urizen, in Power rending the form of life Into a formless indefinite & strewing her on the Abyss Like clouds upon a winter sky, broken with winds & thunders. This was, to her, Supreme delight. ‘The Warriors mourn’d disappointed. They go out to war with strong shouts & loud clarions. O, Pity! They return with lamentations, mourning, & weeping. Invisible or visible, drawn out in length or stretcht in breadth, The Shadowy Female Varied in the War in her delight, [.00nal NIGHT THE SEVENTH [6] Howling in discontent, black & heavy, uttering brute sounds, Wading thro’ fires among the slimy weeds, making Lamentations To decieve Tharmas in his rage, to soothe his furious soul, To stay him in his flight that Urizen might live tho’ in pain. He said: “ Art thou bright Enion? is the shadow of hope return’d? ” And she said: ‘‘ Tharmas, I am Vala, bless thy innocent face! * Doth Enion avoid the sight of thy blue wat’ry eyes? “ Be not perswaded that the air knows this, or the falling dew.” Tharmas replied: “‘ O Vala, once I liv’d in a garden of delight; “ T waken’d Enion in the morning, & she turned away ““ Among the apple trees; & all the garden of delight “ Swam like a dream before my eyes. I went to seek the steps *“* Of Enion in the gardens, & the shadows compass’d me ** And clos’d me in a wat’ry world of woe when Enion stood ‘Trembling before me like a shadow, like a mist, like air. ** And she is gone, & here alone I war with darkness & death. “I hear thy voice, but not thy form see; thou & all delight “ And life appear & vanish, mocking me with shadows of false hope. ** Hast thou forgot that the air listens thro’ all its districts, telling * The subtlest thoughts shut up from light in chambers of the Moon? ”’ ** 'Tharmas, The Moon has chambers where the babes of love lie hid, ** And whence they never can be brought in all Eternity ** Unless expos’d by their vain parents. Lo, him whom I love “Is hidden from me, & I never in all Eternity ** Shall see him. Enitharmon & Ahania, combin’d with Enion, “ Hid him in that Outrageous form of Orc, which torments me for Sin. “For all my secret faults, which he brings forth upon the light “ Of day, in jealousy & blood my Children are led to Urizen’s war ‘* Before my eyes, & for every one of these I am condemn’d “To Eternal torment in these flames; for tho’ I have the power “ To rise on high, Yet love here binds me down, & never, never ** Will I arise till him I love is loos’d from this dark chain.” Il PaO Al VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS Tharmas replied: ‘‘ Vala, thy sins have lost us heaven & bliss. ‘** Thou art our Curse, and till I can bring love into the light ‘“T never will depart from my great wrath.” So Tharmas wail’d [then del.] wrathful; then rode upon the stormy Deep Cursing the voice that mock’d him with false hope, in furious mood. Then she returns, swift as a blight upon the infant bud, Howling in all the notes of woe to stay his furious rage, Stamping the hills, wading or swimming, flying furious or falling, Or like an Earthquake rumbling in the bowels of the earth, Or like a cloud beneath, & like a fire flaming on high, Walking in pleasure of the hills or murmuring in the dales Like to a rushing torrent beneath & a falling rock above, A thunder cloud in the south & a lulling voice heard in the north. And she went forth & saw the forms of life & of delight Walking on Mountains or flying in the open expanse of heaven. She heard sweet voices in the winds & in the voices of birds That rose from waters; for the waters were as the voice of Luvah, Not seen to her like waters or like this dark world of death, Tho’ all those fair perfections, which men know only by name, In beautiful substantial forms appear’d & served her As food or drink or ornament, or in delightful works To build her bowers; for the Elements brought forth abundantly The living soul in glorious forms, & every one came forth Walking before her Shadowy face & bowing at her feet. But in vain delights were poured forth on the howling melancholy. For her delight the horse his proud neck bow’d & his white mane, And the strong Lion deign’d in his mouth to wear the golden bit, While the far beaming Peacock waited on the fragrant wind To bring her fruits of sweet delight from trees of richest wonders, . And the strong pinion’d Eagle bore the fire of heaven in the night season. Woo’d & subdu’d into Eternal Death the Demon Lay, In [anger for del.| rage against the dark despair, the howling Melancholy. For far & wide she stretch’d thro’ all the worlds of Urizen’s journey, Resend NIGHT THE SEVENTH [6] And was Adjoin’d to Beulah as the Polypus to the Rock. Mo[u]rning the daughters of Beulah saw, nor could they have sustain’d The horrid sight of death & torment, But the Eternal Promise They wrote on all their tombs & pillars & on every Urn: These words: “ If ye will believe, your B[rJother shall rise again,”’ In golden letters ornamented with sweet labours of Love, Waiting with patience [of del.| for the fulfilment of the Promise Divine. And all the Songs of Beulah sounded comfortable notes, Not suffering doubt to rise up from the Clouds of the Shadowy Female. The myriads of the dead burst thro’ the bottoms of their tombs, Descending on the shadowy female’s clouds in Spectrous terror, Beyond the Limit of Translucence on the Lake of Udan Adan. These they nam’d Satans, & in the Aggregate they nam’d them Satan. END OF THE SEVENTH NIGHT [5] (CoG a VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS VAT NIGHT THE EIGHTH TueEn All in Great Eternity [which is called del.| Met in the Council of God [Met de/.] as one Man, Even Jesus, upon Gilead & Hermon, Upon the Limit of Contraction to create the fallen Man. The [Eternal de/.| Fallen Man stretch’d like a corse upon the oozy Rock, Wash’d with the tide, pale, overgrown with weeds That mov’d with horrible dreams; & hovering high over his head Two winged immortal shapes, one standing at his feet Toward the East, one standing at his head toward the west, Their wings join’d in the Zenith over head; but other wings ' [They had which cloth’d their bodies like a garment of soft down, Silvery white, shining upon the dark blue sky in silver. Their wings touch’d the heavens; their fair feet hover’d above The swelling tides; they bent over the dead corse like en arch, Pointed at top in highest heavens, of precious stones & pearl. del.| Such is a Vision of All Beulah hovering over the Sleeper. The limit of Contraction now was fix’d & Man began To wake upon the Couch of Death; he sneezed seven times; A tear of blood dropped from either eye; again he repos’d In the Saviour’s arms, in the arms of tender mercy & loving kindness. Then [first del.] Los said: ** I behold the Divine Vision thro’ the broken Gates “Of [Enitharmon’s del.] thy poor broken heart, astonish’d, melted into Compassion & Love.” And Enitharmon said: “‘ I see the Lamb of God upon Mount Zion.” Wondering with love & Awe they felt the divine hand upon them; For nothing could restrain the dead in Beulah from descending Unto Ulro’s night; tempted by the Shadowy female’s sweet Delusive cruelty, they descend away from the Daughters of Beulah [yc IDOs al NIGH TRL TIGHT And Enter Urizen’s temple, Enitharmon pitying, & her heart Gates broken down; they descend thro’ the Gate of Pity, The broken heart Gate of Enitharmon [which join’d to Urizen’s temple Which is the Synagogue of Satan. del.] She sighs them forth upon the wind Of Golgonooza. Los stood [at the Gate del.] recieving them— For Los could enter into Enitharmon’s bosom & explore Its intricate Labyrinths now the Obdurate heart was broken— From out the War of Urizen, & Tharmas recieving them [Los stood, &c. marginal insertion. ] Into his hands. Then Enitharmon erected Looms in Luban’s Gate And call’d the Looms Cathedron; in these Looms she wove the Spectres Bodies of Vegetation, singing lulling Cadences to drive away Despair from the poor wondering spectres; and Los loved them With a parental love, for the Divine hand was upon him And upon Enitharmon, & the Divine Countenance shone In Golgonooza. Looking down, the daughters of Beulah saw With joy the bright Light, & in it a Human form, And knew he was the Saviour, Even Jesus: & they worshipped. [| Astonish’d, comforted, delighted the Daughters of Beulah saw del.] Astonish’d, comforted, Delighted, in notes of Rapturous Extacy All Beulah stood astonish’d, looking down to Eternal Death. They saw the Saviour beyond the Pit of death & destruction; For whether they look’d upward they saw the Divine Vision, Or whether they look’d downward still they saw the Divine Vision Surrounding them on all sides beyond sin & death & hell. Enitharmon wove in tears, singing songs of Lamentation And pitying comfort as she sigh’d forth on the wind the Spectres, Also the Vegetated bodies which Enitharmon wove Open’d within their hearts & in their loins & in their brain To Beulah; & the Dead in Ulro descended from the War Of Urizen & Tharmas & from the Shadowy female’s clouds. And some were woven [One fold de/.] single, & some twofold, & some threefold nurror*| VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS In Head or Heart or Reins, according to the fittest order Of most merciful pity & compassion to the spectrous dead. When Urizen saw the Lamb of God clothed in Luvah’s robes, Perplex’d & terrifi’d he stood, tho’ well he knew that Orc Was Luvah. But he now beheld a new Luvah, Or Orc Who assum’d Luvah’s form & stood before him opposite. But he saw Orc a Serpent form augmenting times on times In the fierce battle; & he saw the Lamb of God & the World of Los Surrounded by his dark machines; for Orc augmented swift In fury, a Serpent wondrous among the Constellations of Urizen. A crest of fire rose on his forehead, red as the carbuncle, Beneath, down to his eyelids, scales of pearl, then gold & silver Immingled with the ruby overspread his Visage down His furious neck; writhing contortive in dire budding pains The scaly armour shot out. Stubborn, down his back & bosom The Emerald, Onyx, Sapphire, jasper, beryl, amethyst Strove in terrific emulauon which should gain a place [On the immortal fiend del.| Upon the mighty Fiend, the fruit of the mysterious tree Kneaded in Uvith’s kneading trough. Still Orc devour’d the food In raging hunger. Still the pestilential food, in gems & gold, Exuded round his awful limbs, Stretching to serpent length His human bulk, While the dark Shadowy female, brooding over, Measur’d his food morning & evening in cups & baskets of iron. With tears of sorrow incessant she labour’d the food of Orc, - Compelled by the iron hearted sisters, Daughters of Urizen, Gathering the fruit of that mysterious tree, circling its root She spread herself thro’ all the branches in the power of Orc. Thus Urizen, in self deciet, his warlike preparations fabricated; And when all things were finish’d, sudden wav’d [his hurtling hand del.] among the stars, [Among the stars de/.] His hurtling hand gave the dire signal; thunderous clarions blow, [-102 9] NIGHT THE EIGHTH And all the hollow deep rebellow’d with the wond’rous war. [But thus de/.] But Urizen his mighty rage let loose in the mid deep. Sparkles of dire affliction issued [from del.] round his frozen limbs. Horrible hooks & nets he form’d, twisting the cords of iron And brass, & molten metals cast in hollow globes, & bor’d Tubes in petrific steel, & ramm’d combustibles, & wheels And chains & pullies fabricated all round the Heavens of Los; Communing with the Serpent of Orc in dark dissimulation, And with the Synagogue of Satan in dark Sanhedrim, To undermine the World of Los & tear bright Enitharmon To the four winds, hopeless of future. All futurity _ Seems teeming with endless destruction never to be expell’d; _ Desperate remorse swallows the present in a quenchless rage. Terrified & astonish’d, Urizen beheld the battle take a form Which he intended not: a Shadowy [male del.] hermaphrodite, black & opake; The soldiers nam’d it Satan, but he was yet unform’d & vast. Hermaphroditic it at length became, hiding the Male Within as in a Tabernacle, Abominable, Deadly. The battle howls, the terrors fir’d rage in the work of death;— Enormous Works Los contemplated, inspir’d by the holy Spirit.— Los builds the Walls of Golgonooza against the stirring battle That only thro’ the Gates of Death they can enter to Enitharmon. Raging they take the human visage & the human form, Feeling the hand of Los in Golgonooza & the force Attractive of his hammer’s beating & the silver looms Of Enitharmon singing lulling cadences on the wind; -They humanize in the fierce battle, where in direful pain Troop by troop the beastial droves rend one another, sounding loud The instruments of sound; & troop by troop, in human forms, they urge The dire confusion till the battle faints; those that remain Return in pangs & horrible convulsions to their beastial state; For the monsters of the Elements, Lions or ‘T'ygers or Wolves, [203 J VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS Sound loud the howling music Inspir’d by Los & Enitharmon, sounding loud; terrific men They seem to one another, laughing terrible among the banners. And when, the revolution of their day of battles over, Relapsing in dire torment they return to forms of woe, To moping visages returning, inanimate tho’ furious, No more ereé¢t, tho’ strong, drawn out in length they ravin For senseless gratification, & their visages thrust forth, Flatten above & beneath & stretch out into beastial length. Weaken’d they stretch beyond their power in dire droves till war begins, Or secret religion in their temples before secret shrines. And Urizen gave life & sense by his immortal power To all his Engines of deceit: that linked chains might run Thro’ ranks of war spontaneous: & that hooks & boring screws Might act according to their forms by innate cruelty. He formed also harsh instruments of sound To grate the soul into destruction, or to inflame with fury The spirits of life, to pervert all the faculties of sense Into their own destruction, if perhaps he might avert His own despair even at the cost of every thing that breathes. Thus in the temple of the Sun his books of iron & brass And silver & gold he consecrated, reading incessantly To myriads of perturbed spirits; thro’ the universe They propagated the deadly words, the Shadowy Female absorbing The enormous Sciences of Urizen, ages after ages exploring The fell destruction. And she said: “‘ O Urizen, Prince of Light, ‘What words of dread pierce my faint Ear! what falling snows around ‘* My feeble limbs infold my destin’d misery! ‘* T alone dare the lash abide to sit beneath the blast “ Unhurt, & dare the inclement forehead of the King of Light; ‘“* From dark abysses of the times remote fated to be “The Sorrower of Eternity; in love, with tears submiss I rear ‘“ My Eyes to thy Pavilions; hear my prayer for Luvah’s sake. [ 104 ] NIGHT THE FIGHTH ‘I see the murderer of my Luvah, cloth’d in robes of blood: ““ He who assum’d my Luvah’s throne in times of Everlasting. Where hast thou hid him whom I love; in what remote Abyss “ Resides that God of my delight? O might my eyes behold ** My Luvah, then would I deliver all the sons of God “From Bondage of [the human form del.] these terrors, & with influences sweet, ** As once in those eternal fields, in brotherhood & Love ** United, we should live in bliss as those who sinned not. * The Eternal Man is seal’d by thee, never to be deliver’d. “ We are all servants to thy will. O King of Light, relent “Thy furious power; be our father & our loved King. * But if my Luvah is no more, If [that de/.] thou hast smitten him ** And laid him in the Sepulcher, Or if [that del.] thou wilt revenge ‘** His murder on another, Silent I bow with dread. ** But happiness can never [come] to thee, O King, nor me, “‘ For he was source of every joy that this mysterious tree ** Unfolds in Allegoric fruit. When shall the dead revive? ** Gan that which has existed cease, or can love & life expire? ”’ Urizen heard the Voice & saw the shadow underneath His woven darkness; & in laws & deceitful religions, Beginning at the tree of Mystery, circling its root She spread herself thro’ all the branches in the power of Orc: A shapeless & indefinite cloud, in tears of sorrow incessant Steeping the direful Web of Religion; swagging heavy, it fell From heaven to heav’n, thro’ all its meshes, altering the Vortexes, Misplacing every Center; hungry desire & lust began Gathering the fruit of that Mysterious tree, till Urizen, Sitting within his temple, furious, felt the num[b]ing stupor, Himself tangled in his own net, in sorrow, lust, repentance. Enitharmon wove in tears, singing songs of Lamentations And pitying comfort as she sigh’d forth on the wind the spec¢tres And wove them bodies, calling them her belov’d sons & daughters, [ 105 ] VALA, OR THE FOUR XKOAS Employing the daughters in her looms, & Los employ’d the sons In Golgonooza’s Furnaces among the Anvils of time & space, Thus forming a vast family, wondrous in beauty & love, And they appear’d a Universal female form created From those who were dead in Ulro, from the specires of the dead. And Enitharmon named the Female, Jerusalem the holy. Wond’ring, she saw the Lamb of God within Jerusalem’s Veil; The Divine Vision seen within the inmost deep recess Of fair Jerusalem’s bosom in a gently beaming fire. Then sang the sons of Eden round the Lamb of God, & said, “* Glory, Glory, Glory to the holy Lamb of God ‘“* Who now beginneth to put off the dark Satanic body. *“* Now we behold redemption. Now we know that life Eternal “* Depends alone upon the Universal hand, & not in us “Ts aught but death In individual weakness, sorrow & pain. “ !Daughters of Beulah describe del.] We behold with wonder Enitharmon’ S Looms & Los’s Forges, * And the Spindles of Tirzah & Rahab, and the Mills of Satan & Beelzeboul. “In Golgonooza Los’s anvils stand & his Furnaces rage, ‘(The hard dentant hammers are lull’d by the flutes’ lula lula, ‘* The bellowing furnaces blown by the long sounding Clarions, del. ] ‘Ten thousand Demons labour at the forges Creating Continually ‘The times & spaces of Mortal Life, the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, “In periods of Pulsative furor, breaking into [bars del.] wedges & bars, “Then drawing into wires the terrific Passions & Affections ‘““ Of Spectrous dead. Thence to the Looms of Cathedron convey’d, “The Daughters of Enitharmon weave the ovarium & the integument “In soft silk, drawn from their own bowels in lascivious delight, ‘* With songs of sweetest cadence to the turning spindle & reel, ‘‘ Lulling the weeping spe¢tres of the dead, Clothing their limbs “With gifts & gold of Eden. Astonish’d, stupefied with delight, [ uooe 7 NIGHT THE EIGHTH “The terrors put on their sweet clothing on the banks of [name del.] Arnon, “Whence they plunge into the river of space for a period, till “The dread Sleep of Ulro is past. But Satan, [word del.] Og and Sihon * Build Mills of resistless wheels to unwind the soft threads & reveal “ Naked of their clothing the poor spectres before the accusing heavens, * While ine & Tirzah far different mantles prepare: webs of torture, *“ Mantles of despair, girdles of bitter compuné¢tion, shoes of indolence, * Veils of ignorance covering from head to feet with a cold web. * We look down into Ulro; we behold the Wonders of the Grave. “‘ Eastward of Golgonooza stands the Lake of Udan Adan. In *“ Entuthon Benithon [it is del.]| a Lake not of Waters but of Spaces, “ Perturb’d, black & deadly; on [the de/.] its Islands & [the del.] its Margins [of the Lake del.] “The Mills of Satan and Beelzeboul stand round the roots of Urizen’s tree; “For this Lake is form’d of the tears & sighs & death sweat of the Victims ** Of Urizen’s laws, to irrigate the roots of the tree of Mystery. “They unweave the soft threads, then they weave them anew in the forms “ Of dark death & despair, & none from Eternity to Eternity could Escape, ** But [All del.| thou, O Universal Humanity—who is One Man, blessed for Ever— ** Recievest the Integuments woven. Rahab beholds the Lamb of God. ** She smites with her knife of flint. She destroys her own work ‘Times upon times, thinking to destroy the Lamb blessed for Ever. “ He puts off the clothing of blood, he redeems the spectres from their bonds, “* He awakes sleepers in Ulro; the Daughters of Beulah praise him; They anoint his feet with ointment, they wipe them with the hair of their head. ** We now behold the Ends of Beulah, & we now behold ‘“‘ Where death Eternal is put off Eternally. ** Assume the dark Satanic body in the Virgin’s womb, “*O Lamb Divine! it cannot thee annoy. O pitying one, ‘“‘ Thy pity is from the foundation of the World, & thy Redemption ‘Begun Already in Eternity. Come then, O Lamb of God, “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.” rez | VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS So sang they in Eternity, looking down into Beulah. The war roar’d round Jerusalem’s Gates; it took a hideous form Seen in the aggregate, a Vast Heer form [Heaving del.] Heav’d like an Earthquake lab’ring with convulsive groans Intolerable; at length an awful wonder burst From the Hermanuroditic bosom. Satan he was nam’d, Son of Perdition, terrible his form, dishumaniz’d, monstrous, A male without a female counterpart, a howling fiend Fo[rjlorn of Eden & repugnant to the forms of life, Yet hiding the shadowy female Vala as in an ark & Curtains, Abhorr’d, accursed, ever dying an Eternal death, Being multitudes of tyrant Men in union blasphemous Against the Divine image, Congregated assemblies of wicked men. Los said to Enitharmon, “‘ Pitying I saw.” Pitying, the Lamb of God descended thro’ Jerusalem’s gates To put off Mystery time after time; & as a Man Is born on Earth, so was he born of Fair Jerusalem In mystery’s woven mantle, & in the Robes of Luvah. He stood in fair Jerusalem to awake up into Eden The fallen Man, but first to Give [the Veil of Mystery del.] his vegetated body [And then call Urizen & Luvah & Tharmas & Urthona dél.] To be cut off & separated, that the Spiritual body may be Reveal’d. The Lamb of God stood before Satan opposite In Entuthon Benithon, in the shadows of torment & woe Upon the heights of Amalek, taking refuge in his arms The victims fled from punishment, for all his words were peace. Urizen call’d together the Synagogue of Satan in dire Sanhedrim To judge the Lamb of God to Death as a murderer & robber: As it is written, he was number’d among the transgressors. Cold, dark, opake, the Assembly met twelvefold in Amalek, ‘T'welve rocky unshap’d forms, terrific forms of torture & woe, Such seem’d the Synagogue to distant view; [around del.] amidst them [stood del.| beam’d toaster NIGHT THE EIGHTH A False Feminine Counterpart, of Lovely Delusive Beauty Dividing & Uniting at will in the Cruelties of Holiness, Vala, drawn down into a Vegetated body, now triumphant. The Synagogue of Satan Clothed her with Scarlet robes & Gems, And on her forehead was her name written in blood, ‘‘ Mystery.” When view’d remote she is One, when view’d near she divides To multitude, as it is in Eden, so permitted because It was the best possible in the State called Satan to save From Death Eternal & to put off Satan Eternally. The Synagogue Created her from Fruit of Urizen’s tree By devilish arts, abominable, unlawful, unutterable, Perpetually vegetating in detestable births Of female forms, beautiful thro’ poisons hidden in secret Which give a tincture to false beauty; then was hidden within The bosom of Satan The false Female, as in an ark & veil Which Christ must rend & her reveal. Her daughters are call’d Tirzah; She is [call’d de/.] named Rahab; their various divisions are call’d The daughters of Amalek, Canaan & Moab, binding on the stones Their victims, & with knives wounding them, singing with tears Over their victims. Hear ye the song of the Females of Amalek: **O thou poor human form! O thou poor child of woe! “Why dost thou wander away from ‘Tirzah? why me compell to bind thee? * If thou dost go away from me, I shall consume upon the rocks. ‘These fibres of thine eyes that used to wander in distant heavens ** Away from me, I have bound down with a hot iron. ** These nostrils that Expanded with delight in morning skies “I have bent downward with lead molten in my roaring furnaces. ** My soul is seven furnaces, incessant roar the bellows **“ Upon my terribly flaming heart, the molten metal runs ‘In channels thro’ my fiery limbs. O love! O pity! 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 wander’d by my sweet Manassch’s side. [To see the boy spring into heaven, sounding from my sight del. | [ 109 ] VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS ‘“ Go, Noah, fetch the girdle of strong brass, [pre .. . del.] heat it red hot, ‘ Press it around the loins of this expanding cruelty. “ Shriek not so, my only love. ** Bind him down, sisters, bind him down on Ebal, mount of cursing. ** Malah, come forth from Lebanon, & Hoglah from Mount Sinai, ‘** 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.” Such are the songs of Tirzah, such the loves of Amalek. The Lamb of God descended thro’ the twelve portions of Luvah, Bearing his sorrows & recieving all his cruel wounds. Thus was the Lamb of God condemn’d to Death. They nail’d him upon the tree of Mystery, weeping over him And then mocking & then worshipping, calling him Lord & King. Sometimes as twelve daughters lovely, & sometimes as five They stood in beaming beauty, & sometimes as one, even Rahab Who is Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots. [She del.] Jerusalem saw the Body dead upon the Cross. She fled away, Saying: “‘ Is this Eternal Death? Where shall I hide from Death? ‘“* Pity me, Los! pity me, Urizen! & [build del.]| let us build “A Sepulcher & worship Death in fear while yet we live: ** Death! God of All! from whom we rise, to whom we all return: “ And Let all Nations of the Earth worship at the Sepulcher “ With Gifts & Spices, with lamps rich emboss’d, jewels & gold.” Los took the Body from the Cross, Jerusalem weeping over; They bore it to the Sepulcher which Los had hewn in the rock Of Eternity for himself: he hew’d it despairing of Life Eternal. [And de/.] But when Rahab had cut off the Mantle of Luvah from The Lamb of God, it roll’d apart, revealing to all in heaven i Stoel NIGHT THE EIGHTH And all on Earth, the Temple & the Synagogue of Satan, & Mystery Even Rahab in all her turpitude. Rahab divided herself; She stood before Los in her Pride [alone del.] among the Furnaces, Dividing & uniting in Delusive feminine powers, questioning him. He answer’d her with tenderness & love not uninspired. Los sat upon his anvil stock; they sat beside the forge. Los wip’d the sweat from his red brow & thus began To the delusive female forms shining among his furnaces: “‘T am that shadowy Prophet who six thousand years ago * Fell from my station in the Eternal bosom. I divided “To multitude, & my multitudes are children of Care & Labour. **O Rahab, I behold thee. I was once like thee, a Son “ Of Pride, and I also have pierc’d the Lamb of God in pride & wrath. *“* Hear me repeat my Generations that thou maist also repent. ** And these [were del.] are the Sons of Los & Enitharmon: Rintrah, Pala- mabron, * Theotormon, Bromion, Antamon, Ananton, Ozoth, Ohana, * Sotha, Mydon, Ellayol, Natho, Gon, Harhath, Satan, * Har, Ochim, ljim, Adam, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, “Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, David, Solomon, Paul, Constantine, Charlemagne, Luther, Milton. “* These [were their del.] are our daughters: Ocalythron, Elynittria, Oothoon, Leutha, “ Elythiria, Enanto, Manathu Vorcyon, Ethinthus, Moab, Midian, *“ Adah, Zillah, Gaina, Naamah, Tamar, Rahab, Tirzah, Mary. “And myriads more of Sons & daughters to whom [their del.| our love increas’d, “To each according to the multiplication of their multitudes. “But Satan accus’d Palamabron before [Los del.] his brethren, also he madden’d *“ The horses of Palamabron’s harrow, wherefore Rintrah & Palamabron “Cut him off from Golgonooza. But Enitharmon in tears _ “ Wept over him, Created him a Space clos’d with a tender moon ** And he roll’d down beneath the fires of Orc, a G!obe immense Peters ery VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS “ Crested with snow in a dim void; here, by the Arts of Urizen, “ He tempted many of the Sons & daughters of Los to flee - ‘** Away from [Los del.] Me; first Reuben fled, then Simeon, then Levi, then Judah, “Then Dan, then Naphtali, then Gad, then Asher, then Issachar, * Then Zebulun, then Joseph, then Benjamin, twelve sons of Los. ** And this is the manner in which Satan became the ‘Tempter. “There is a State nam’d Satan; learn distinct to know, O [Mortals del.] Rahab! ‘* The difference between States & Individuals of those States. The State nam’d Satan never can be redeem’d in all Eternity; * But when Luvah in Orc became a Serpent, he descended into “That State call’d Satan. Enitharmon breath’d forth on the Winds “* Of Golgonooza her well beloved, knowing he was Orc’s human remains. ‘“ She tenderly lov’d him above all his brethren; he grew up ‘“‘ In mother’s tenderness. ‘The Enormous worlds rolling in Urizen’s power ‘* Must have given Satan, by these mild arts, dominion over all; ‘“* Wherefore [Rintrah & del.] Palamabron, being accused by Satan to Los, ** Cal’d down a Great Solemn assembly. Rintrah in fury & fear ‘““ Defended Palamabron, & rage fill’d the Universal Tent— ‘* Because Palamabron was good natur’d, Satan suppos’d he fear’d him— ‘“* And Satan, not having the Science of Wrath but only of Pity, ** Was soon condemn’d, & wrath was left to wrath, & Pity to Pity: “ Rintrah & Palamabron, Cut sheer off from Golgonooza, ** Enitharmon’s Moony space, & in it, Satan & his companions. ** They roll’d down a dim world, crush’d with Snow, deadly & dark. ** Jerusalem, pitying them, wove them mantles of life & death, ** Times after times. And those in Eden sent Lucifer for their Guard. ** Lucifer refus’d to die for Satan & in pride he forsook his charge. “Then they sent Molech. Molech was impatient. They sent ‘“* Molech impatient. They sent Elohim, who created Adam "To die for Satan. Adam refus’d, but was compell’d to die ‘* By Satan’s arts. Then the Eternals sent Shaddai. ** Shaddai was angry. Pachad descended. Pachad was terrified. ** And then they sent Jehovah, who leprous stretch’d his hand to Eternity. Peeeey 7 NIGHT THE EIGHTH “Then Jesus came & Died willing beneath Tirzah & Rahab. “Thou art that Rahab. Lo the tomb! what can we purpose more? “Lo, Enitharmon, terrible & beautiful in Eternal youth! ‘ Bow down before her, you her children, & set Jerusalem free.” Rahab, burning with pride & revenge, departed from Los. Los drop’d a tear at her departure, but he wip’d it away in hope. She went to Urizen in pride; the Prince of Light beheld Reveal’d before the face of heaven his secret holiness. Darkness & sorrow cover’d all flesh. Eternity was darken’d. Urizen sitting in his web of deceitful religion [was . . . del.] [He del.| felt the female death, a dull & numming stupor, such as ne’er Before assaulted the bright human form; he felt his pores Drink in the deadly dull delusion; horrors of Eternal Death Shot thro’ him. Urizen sat stonied upon his rock. Forgetful of his own Laws, pitying he began to embrace The shadowy Female; since life cannot be quench’d, Life exuded; His eyes shot outwards, then his breathing nostrils drawn forth, Scales cover’d over a cold forehead & a neck outstretch’d Into the deep to sieze the shadow; scales his neck & bosom Cover'd & scales his hands & feet; upon his belly falling Outstretch’d thro’ the immense, his mouth wide opening, tongueless, His teeth a triple row; he strove to sieze the shadow in vain, And his immense tail lash’d the Abyss; his human form a Stone, A form of Senseless Stone remain’d in terrors on the rock, Abominable to the eyes of mortals who explore his books. His wisdom still remain’d, & all his memory stor’d with woe. And still his stony form remain’d in the Abyss immense, Like the pale visage in its sheet of lead that cannot follow— [ncessant stern disdain his scaly form gnaws inwardly, With deep repentance for the loss of that fair form of Man. With Envy he saw Los, with Envy Tharmas & [Urthona del.] the Spectre, With Envy & in vain he swam around his stony form. U Pah ey I VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS No longer now Ereét, the King of Light outstretch’d in fury Lashes his tail in the wild deep; his eyelids, like the Sun Arising in his pride, enlighten all the Grizzly deeps, : His scales transparent give forth light like windows of the morning, His neck flames with wrath & majesty, he lashes the Abyss, Beating the desarts & the rocks; the desarts feel his power, They shake their slumbers off, they wave in awful fear | Calling the Lion & the Tyger, the horse & the wild stag, The Elephant, the wolf, the Bear, the Larma, the Satyr. His Eyelids give their light around; his folding tail aspires Among the stars; the Earth & all the Abysses feel his fury When as the snow covers the mountains, oft petrific hardness Covers the deeps, at his vast fury moving in his rock, Hardens the Lion & the Bear; trembling in the solid mountain They view the light & wonder; crying out in terrible existence, Up bound the wild stag & the horse: behold the King of Pride! Oft doth his Eye emerge from the Abyss into the realms Of his Eternal day, & memory strives to augment his ruthfulness. Then weeping he descends in wrath, drawing all things in his fury Into obedience to his will; & now he finds in vain That not of his own power he bore the human form erect, Nor of his own will gave his Laws in times of Everlasting, For now fierce Orc in wrath & fury rises into the heavens, — [In forms of priesthood in the dark delusions of repentance del. | A King of wrath & fury, a dark enraged horror: And Urizen, repentant, forgets his wisdom in the abyss, In forms of priesthood, in the dark delusions of repentance Repining in his heart & spirit that Orc reign’d over all, And that his wisdom serv’d but to augment the indefinite lust. Then ‘Tharmas & Urthona felt the stony stupor rise Into their limbs. Urthona shot forth a Vast Fibrous form. Tharmas like a pillar of sand roll’d round by the whirlwind, An animated Pillar rolling round & round in incessant rage. — [ 114 ] NIGHT THE EIGHTH Los felt the stony stupor, & his head roll’d down beneath Into the Abysses of his bosom; the vessels of his blood Dart forth upon the wind in pipes, writhing about in the Abyss; And Enitharmon, pale & cold, in milky juices flow’d Into a form of Vegetation, living, having a voice, Moving in root-like fibres, breathing in fear upon the Earth. And Tharmas gave his Power to Los, Urthona gave his Strength Into the youthful Prophet for the Love of Enitharmon And of the nameless shadowy female in the nether deep, And for the dread of the dark terrors of Orc & Urizen. Thus in a living death the nameless shadow all things bound: All mortal things made permanent that they may be put off Time after time by the Divine Lamb who died for all, And all in him died, & he put off all mortality. Tharmas [above del.] on high rode furious thro’ the afflicted worlds, Pursuing the Vain Shadow of Hope, fleeing from identity In abstract false Expanses that he may not hear the Voice Of Ahania wailing on the winds; in vain he flies, for still The voice incessant calls on all the children of Men: For she spoke of all in heaven, & all upon the Earth Saw not as yet the Divine Vision; her eyes are toward Urizen, And thus Ahania cries aloud to the Caverns of the Grave: ** Will you keep a flock of wolves & lead them? will you take the wintry blast “* For a covering to your limbs, or the summer pestilence for a tent to abide in? Will you erect a lasting habitation in the mouldering Church yard? “Or a pillar & palace of Eternity in the jaws of the hungry grave? Will you seek pleasure from the festering wound, or marry for a Wife “ The ancient Leprosy? that the King & Priest may still feast on your decay “ And the grave mock & laugh at the plow’d field, saying, E335. | VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS ‘“©* T am the nourisher, thou the destroyer; in my bosom is milk & wine, ‘** And a fountain from my breasts; to me come all multitudes; ““<'To my breath they obey; they worship me. I am a goddess & queen.’ ‘* But listen to Ahania, O ye sons of the Murdered one, ‘* Listen to her whose memory beholds your ancient days, ‘* Listen to her whose eyes behold the dark body of corruptible death ‘* Looking for Urizen in vain; in vain I seek for morning. ‘* The Eternal Man sleeps in the Earth, nor feels the vig’rous sun ‘* Nor silent moon, nor all the hosts of heaven move in his body. ** His fiery halls are dark, & round his limbs the Serpent Orc ‘Fold without fold encompasses him, And his corrupting members ‘** Vomit out the scaly monsters of the restless deep. ‘They come up in the rivers & annoy the nether parts ‘* Of Man who lays upon the shore, leaning his faded head ‘“ Upon the Oozy rock enwrapped with the weeds of death. ‘* His eyes sink hollow in his head, his flesh cover’d with slime ‘‘ And shrunk up to the bones; alas, that Man should come to this! ‘* His strong bones beat with snows & hid within the caves of night, ‘“ Ma.rowless, bloodless, falling into dust, driven by the winds. ‘“O how the horrors of Eternal Death take hold on Man! ** His faint groans shake the caves & issue thro’ the desolate rocks, ‘* And the strong Eagle, now with numming cold blighted of feathers, ‘* Once like the pride of the sun, now flagging on cold night, ‘* Hovers with blasted wings aloft, watching with Eager Eye ** Till Man shall leave a corruptible body; he, famish’d, hears him groan, ‘“ And now he fixes his strong talons in the pointed rock, ** And now he beats the heavy air with his enormous wings. ** Beside him lies the Lion dead, & in his belly worms ‘* Feast on his death till universal death devours all, ‘‘ And the pale horse seeks for the pool to lie him down & die, “ But finds the pools filled with serpents devouring one another. ‘* He droops his head & trembling stands, & his bright eyes decay. : “These are the Visions of My Eyes, the Visions of Ahania.” ‘Thus cries Ahania. Enion replies from the Caverns of the Grave: [Pte NIGHT THE EIGHTH “Fear not, O poor forsaken one! O land of briars & thorns “ Where once the olive flourish’d & the Cedar spread his wings! “Once I wail’d desolate like thee; my fallow fields in fear “ Cried to the Churchyards & the Earthworm came in dismal state. “I found him in my bosom, & I said the time of love “ Appears upon the rocks & hills in silent shades; but soon ** A voice came in the night, a midnight cry upon the mountains: “* Awake! the bridegroom cometh!’ I awoke to sleep no more; * But an Eternal consummation is dark Enion, “ The wat’ry Grave. O thou corn field! O thou vegetater happy! “ More happy is the dark consumer; hope drowns all my torment, “ For I am now surrounded by a shadowy vortex drawing “The spectre quite away from Enion, that I die a death “ Of better hope, altho’ I consume in these raging waters. “ The furrow’d field replies to the grave. I hear her reply to me: “Behold the time approaches fast that thou shalt be as a thing *“ “Forgotten; when one speaks of thee he will not be believ’d. **“ When the man gently fades away in his immortality, ‘**“ When the mortal disappears in improved knowledge, cast away ** * The former things, so shall the Mortal gently fade away *“* And so become invisible to those who still remain. ** Listen. I will tell thee what is done in the caverns of the grave. ***"The Lamb of God has rent the Veil of Mystery, soon to return “In Clouds & Fires around the rock & the Mysterious tree. *** And as the seed waits Eagerly watching for its flower & fruit, ** « Anxious its little soul looks out into the clear expanse “To see if hungry winds are abroad with their invisible array, *“ So Man looks out in tree & herb & fish & bird & beast “* Collecting up the scatter’d portions of his immortal body “Into the Elemental forms of every thing that grows. “* He tries the sullen north wind, riding on its angry furrows, “*“ The sultry south when the sun rises, & the angry east ** * When the sun sets; when the clods harden & the cattle stand “*Drooping & the birds hide in their silent nests, he stores his thoughts ** * As in a store house in his memory; he regulates the forms Lesko VALA, OR THE FOUR ZOAS “© < Of all beneath & all above, & in the gentle West ““* Reposes where the Sun’s heat dwells; he rises to the Sun “© ¢ And to the Planets of the Night, & to the stars that gild “