Page:The prophetic books of William Blake, Milton.djvu/16

 had endeavoured to impose upon man his iron laws which "no flesh nor spirit could keep one moment." Before Milton could enter upon his work of emancipation, it was necessary for him to wrestle with this "darkened" Urizen in his own person. He is described by Blake standing before him "as the sculptor silent stands before his forming image," giving life to him who would give death and preparing him for his reunion with the Divine Body. Thus the return of Milton was not only to effect the deliverance of Blake but the redemption of his own imagination from the state of bondage into which it had fallen during his lifetime owing to the detestable nature of his religion. He was to put off the "hypocritic holiness" and to embrace the forgiveness of sins; for "every religion that preaches vengeance for sin is the religion of the enemy or avenger." The doctrine of the forgiveness of sins and of "the mutual annihilation of each for another's good" is one of the principal themes of the poem. Evil must only be imputed to the various states into which the individual may enter. Those states were especially created by Divine mercy for "the deliverance of individuals." We are told that Milton descended to redeem his emanation, as it is only through our emanative or imaginative portion that it is possible for us to learn both to refrain from judging other people and ourselves to steer a right course among the states which environ us. Imagination and love are the two central facts of Blake's teaching. "The Imagination" he tells us, "is not a state: it is the human existence itself…. Love becomes a state when divided from imagination."

It is certain that the year 1804, which appears upon the title-page of Milton cannot be taken to mark the date of publication, as it is clear from a passage in the Public Address that the poem was still unissued in August 1808. It seems to have been Blake's habit, as soon as the composition of a book was completed, to begin the work of engraving it with the title page: and, as his method was an extremely laborious one and he was at this time much occupied with other business, it is not surprising that a period of several years should have elasped between the designing of his title-page and the end of his task. In the case of Jerusalem the interval was a far longer one. We gather from his own words that he was engaged xii