Page:The prophetic books of William Blake, Milton.djvu/56



P. 30 ''How wide the Gulf & Unpassable! between Simplicity & Insipidity''.

MILTON

Contraries are Positives:

A Negation is not a Contrary.

BOOK THE SECOND

THERE is a place where Contraries are equally True:

This place is called Beulah. It is a pleasure lovely Shadow

Where no dispute can come, Because of those who Sleep.

Into this place the Sons & Daughters of Ololon descended

With solemn mourning, into Beulah's moony shades & hills

Weeping for Milton: mute wonder held the Daughters of Beulah,

Enraptur'd with affection sweet and mild benevolence.

Beulah is evermore created around Eternity; appearing

To the Inhabitants of Eden around them on all sides.

But Beulah to its Inhabitants appears within each district,

As the beloved infant in his mother's bosom round incircled

With arms of love & pity & sweet compassion. But to

The Sons of Eden the moony habitations of Beulah

Are from Great Eternity a mild & pleasant Rest.

And it is thus Created. Lo, the Eternal Great Humanity

To whom be Glory & Dominion Evermore, Amen,

Walks among all his awful Family seen in every face:

As the breath of the Almighty such are the words of man to man

In the great Wars of Eternity, in fury of Poetic Inspiration,

To build the Universe stupendous: Mental forms Creating.

But the Emanations trembled exceedingly, nor could they

Live, because the Life of Man was too exceeding unbounded.

His joy became terrible to them, they trembled & wept,

Crying with one voice: Give us a habitation & 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:

But you, O our Fathers & Brothers, remain in Eternity

But grant us a Temporal Habitation, do you speak

To us; we will obey your words as you obey Jesus

The Eternal who is blessed for ever & ever. Amen. 32