Page:The poetical works of William Blake, 1906 - Volume 1.djvu/306

 14. Wak'd from his eternal sleep, the hoary element roaring, fled away.

15. Down rush'd, beating his wings in vain, the jealous king; his grey brow'd councellors, thunderous warriors, carl'd veterans, among helms, and shields, and chariots, horses, elephants, banners, castles, slings, and rocks.

16. Falling, rushing, ruining! buried in the ruins, on Urthona's dens.

17. All night beneath the ruins; then their sullen flames faded, emerge round the gloomy king.

18. With thunder and fire, leading his starry (27) hosts thro' the waste wilderness, he promulgates his ten commands, glancing his beamy eyelids over the deep in dark dismay.

19. Where the son of fire in his eastern cloud, while the morning plumes her golden breast.

20. Spurning the clouds written with curses; stamps the stony law to dust; loosing the eternal horses from the dens of night, crying, Empire is no more!

And now the lion and wolf shall cease.

Let the Priests of the Raven of dawn, no longer in deadly black, with hoarse note curse the sons of joy. Nor his accepted brethren, whom, tyrant, he calls free. Lay the bound or build the roof. Nor pale religions letchery call that virginity that wishes but acts not.

For everything that lives is Holy.

MEANING OF 'A SONG OF LIBERTY

'A Song of Liberty,' though issued from Blake's own press under the same cover as the 'Marriage,' is really a separate book.

It is so entirely symbolic, as well as so early in date, and