Page:Works of William Blake; poetic, symbolic, and critical (1893) Volume 2.djvu/83

Rh THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND HELL. 69 in that which does not. " God is within and without." (" Jerusalem," p. 12,1. 15.) The next memorable fancy states the fundamental doctrine of transcendentalism in its positive form, — " a firm persuasion that a thing is so, makes it so." This is the root of hypnotic suggestion and all magic. Incidentally it refutes the negative side of transcendentalism which is apt to deny nature any objectivity, for it is evident that objectivity can come into existence from its opposite by means of a firm persuasion. All these paradoxes would lead inevitably to insanity if insanity were merely a mental and not a moral state, but Blake has defined it as identical with selfishness, that is the contrary of brotherhood, and declares it to be the " natural " state of us all.

An important expression of Blake's views is contained in the Memorable Fancy when the Poetic Genius being considered to be the same thing as God, each man's conscience is neces- sarily considered to be the same thing as his genius. This repeats an explanation given elsewhere of Blake's use of the word knave for a man who was wicked enough to be deficient in genius or "innate science."

In the Memorable Fancy that begins on p. 15, an indica- tion that we are in Hell is given by the order of the four signs of the first chambers of the printing-house. The Dragon- Man of the cave is not said to be Urthona, but we perceive him to be a nameless form of this Zoa, joined with his spectre, who divided in the early pages of "Jerusalem." The caves he clears are the dens that Urizen explores after- wards. He is the Dorter of the Northern Bar in "Thel." £

In the second, the sign of Tharmas, the Serpent, — ancient symbol of the water-region, — is adorning the cave with gems. From here come the attractions of " false beauty." In the third is the eagle, symbol of air, — the heart-region, or Luvah.

In the fourth the Lion, symbol of Urizen in the south. The unnamed forms of the fifth chamber are probably akin