Page:The prophetic books of William Blake, Milton.djvu/41

 And all this Vegetable World appeared on my left Foot

As a bright sandal form'd immortal of precious stones & gold:

I stooped down & bound it on to walk forward thro' Eternity.

There is in Eden a sweet River of milk & liquid pearl

Nam'd Ololon: on whose mild banks dwelt those who Milton drove

Down into Ulro: and they wept in long resounding songs

For seven days of eternity, and the river's living banks,

The mountains wail'd! & every plant that grew, in solemn sighs lamented.

When Luvah's bulls each morning drag the sulphur Sun out of the Deep

Harness'd with starry harness, black & shining, kept by black slaves

That work all night at the starry harness: Strong and vigorous

They drag the unwilling Orb: at this time all the Family

Of Eden heard the lamentation and Providence began.

But when the clarions of day sounded they drown'd the lamentation,

And when night came all was silent in Ololon; & all refused to lament

In the still night fearing lest they should others molest.

Seven mornings Los heard them, as the poor bird within the shell

Hears its impatient parent bird; and Enitharmon heard them:

But saw them not, for the blue Mundane Shell inclos'd them in.

And they lamented that they had in wrath & fury & fire

Driven Milton into the Ulro; for now they knew too late

That it was Milton the Awakener: they had not heard the Bard,

Whose Song call'd Milton to the attempt; and Los heard these laments.

He heard them call in prayer all the Divine Family;

And he beheld the Cloud of Milton stretching over Europe.

But all the Family Divine collected as Four Suns

In the Four Points of heaven, East, West & North & South,

Enlarging and enlarging till their Disks approach'd each other:

And when they touch'd closed together Southward in One Sun

Over Ololon: and as One Man, who weeps over his brother

In a dark tomb, so all the Family Divine wept over Ololon.

Saying: Milton goes to Eternal Death! so saying they groan'd in spirit

And were troubled! and again the Divine Family groan'd in spirit!

And Ololon said: Let us descend also, and let us give

Ourselves to death in Ulro among the Transgressors.

Is Virtue a Punisher? O no! how is this wondrous thing?

This World beneath, unseen before; this refuge from the wars

Of Great Eternity! unnatural refuge! unknown by us till now. 17