Page:The prophetic books of William Blake, Milton.djvu/44

 Lo, Orc arises on the Atlantic. Lo, his blood and fire

Glow on America's shore: Albion turns upon his Couch:

He listens to the sounds of War, astonished and confounded:

He weeps into the Atlantic deep, yet still in dismal dreams

Unwaken'd: and the Covering Cherub advances from the East.

How long shall we lay dead in the Street of the great City:

How long beneath the Covering Cherub give our Emanations?

Milton will utterly consume us & thee our beloved Father:

He hath enter'd into the Covering Cherub, becoming one with

Albion's dread Sons, Hand, Hyle & Coban surround him as

A girdle; Gwendolen & Conwenna as a garment woven

Of War & Religion; let us descend & bring him chained

To Bowlahoola, O father most beloved! O mild Parent!

Cruel in thy mildness, pitying and permitting evil,

Tho' strong and mighty to destroy, O Los our beloved Father.

Like the black storm, coming out of Chaos, beyond the stars:

It issues thro' the dark & intricate caves of the Mundane Shell,

Passing the planetary visions, & the well adorned Firmament.

The Sun rolls into Chaos & the stars into the Desarts:

And then the storms become visible, audible & terrible,

Covering the light of day & rolling down upon the mountains

Deluge all the country round. Such is a vision of Los,

When Rintrah & Palamabron spake: and such his stormy face

Appear'd as does the face of heaven, when cover'd with thick storms

Pitying and loving tho' in frowns of terrible perturbation.

But Los dispers'd the clouds even as the strong winds of Jehovah.

And Los thus spoke: O noble Sons, be patient yet a little:

I have embrac'd the falling Death, he is become one with me:

O Sons, we live not by wrath, by mercy alone we live!

I recollect an old Prophecy in Eden recorded in gold; and oft

Sung to the harp: That Milton of the land of Albion

Should up ascend forward from Felpham's Vale & break the Chain

Of Jealousy from all its roots; be patient therefore, O my Sons.

These lovely Females form sweet night and silence and secret

Obscurities to hide from Satan's Watch-Fiends Human loves

And graces, lest they write them in their Books & in the Scroll

Of mortal life, to condemn the accused: who at Satan's Bar

Tremble in Spectrous Bodies continually day and night,

While on the Earth they live in sorrowful Vegetation.

O when shall we tread our Wine-presses in heaven, and Reap

Our wheat with shoutings of joy, and leave the Earth in peace? 20