Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

THE PROPHETIC BOOKS

With 'The Prophetic Books' a new kind of literature began in the modern world. In matter they were grafted on older ideas. They arose directly from what Blake had learned from Swedenborg and Bahmen, and what he picked up of the Kabal ists and other mystics from sources that we can only conjecture. The one thing in which these prophetic books stand alone is the telling what was new, and interpreting what was old, in the form of poetic myth, a form practically out of use since history began.

The word prophecy was adopted by Blake mainly after the manner of the use of it that describes the Vision of Ezekiel as Prophetic writing. He believed himself to have a perfect right to do this, being inspired in the same sense in which Ezekiel was inspired. Such a belief is not uncommon in persons suffering from religious mania. Those who know Blake's works best are least likely to attribute it, in his case, to this deplorable cause. It is due to his Swedenborgian education. Swedenborg says, To prophesy means to teach.'

It will be noticed that the title Prophecy was at first given by Blake only to ‘America' and 'Europe,' dated 1793, 1794. They dwell particularly on mental release from unimagin ativeness following the uprising of bodily passions and employing hints from the terms of these for symbol. This suggests that they were written as part of the Bible of Hellpromised in the Marriage of Heaven and Hell.' The term prophetic' has been popularly remembered and extended.

So far as possible, the Prophetic Books here follow in the order in which they were written. But in the later books are pages written during the days of the earlier; and some of the earlier had thrust into them pages, or terms, belonging to a later period of Blake's mental progress than the rest of their composition.

All these books Blake engraved himself. In 'Jerusalem,' for which he claimed verbal accuracy, his misprints are followed, though not his punctuation.

The numberings by which pages are indicated when any of Blake's words are quoted in any note here are not to be understood as the numberings of the pages in these volumes, but in whichever of Blake's own books is under reference. 'Vala' is an exception, since the references are to lines that are numbered through each 'Night.' Blake has left no page numberings for this poem, and none are referred to in quotations from it, though they are given in descriptive notes on the state of the MS. All page numberings given by Blake are indicated in this text.

THE GHOST OF ABEL

A REVELATION IN THE VISION OF JEHOVAH, SEEN BY WILLIAM BLAKE

TO LORD BYRON IN THE WILDERNESS

WHAT dost thou here, Elijah? Can a Poet doubt the Visions of Jehovah? Nature has no Outline, but Imagination has. Nature has no Tune, but Imagination has. Nature has no Supernatural, and dissolves. Imagination is Eternity.

ADAM

SCENE-A rocky Country. EvE fainted over the dead body of ABEL, which lays near a Grave. kneels by her. JEHOVAH stands above.

[blocks in formation]

Is this thy Promise, that the Woman's Seed
Should bruise the Serpent's head? Is this the
Serpent?

Ah! Seven times, O Eve, thou hast fainted over the
Dead. Ah! Ah!

EVE revives.

Is this the Promise of Jehovah? O, it is all a vain delusion,

This Death, and this Life, and this Jehovah ! Woman, lift thine eyes.

JEHOVAH.

A Voice is heard coming on.

VOICE. O Earth, cover not thou my Blood; cover not thou my Blood.

Enter the Ghost of ABEL.

EVE. Thou Visionary Phantasm, thou art not the real Abel.

ABEL. Among the Elohim a Human Victim I wander. I am their House,

Prince of the Air, and our dimensions compass Zenith and Nadir.

Vain is thy Covenant, O Jehovah! I am the Accuser and Avenger

Of Blood. O Earth, cover not thou the Blood of Abel.

JEHOVAH. What Vengeance dost thou require?

ABEL.
Life for Life! Life for Life!
JEHOVAH. He who shall take Cain's life must also Die,

O Abel,

And who is He? Adam, wilt thou, or Eve, thou, do this?

ADAM. It is all a vain delusion of the all-creative Imagination.

Eve, come away, and let us not believe these vain delusions.

Abel is dead, and Cain slew him. We shall also Die a Death,

And then, what then? be as poor Abel, a Thought:

or as

This! O what shall I call thee, Form Divine, Father of Mercies,

That appearest to my Spiritual Vision? Eve, seest thou also?

EVE. I see him plainly with my Mind's Eye. I see

also Abel living.

Though terribly afflicted as we also are, yet Jehovah sees him

Alive and not Dead. Were it not better to believe

Vision

With all our might and strength, tho' we are fallen and lost?

ADAM. Eve, thou hast spoken truly: let us kneel before His feet.

They kneel before JEHOVAH.

ABEL. Are these the Sacrifices of Eternity, O Jehovah? A Broken Spirit and a Contrite Heart, O, I cannot forgive!

The Accuser hath entered into me as into his House, and I loathe thy Tabernacles.

As thou hast said, so is it come to pass. My desire is unto Cain,

And He doth rule over Me: therefore my Soul in Fumes of Blood

Cries for Vengeance: Sacrifice on Sacrifice, Blood on Blood.

JEHOVAH. LO! I have given you a Lamb for an Atonement instead

Of the Transgressor, or no Flesh or Blood could ever live.

ABEL. Compelled I cry, O Earth, cover not the Blood of Abel.

ABEL sinks down into the Grave, from which arises SATAN, armed in glittering scales, with a Crown and a Spear.

SATAN. I will have Human Blood, and not the blood of Bulls or Goats,

And no Atonement. O Jehovah, the Elohim live on Sacrifice

Of Men: hence I am God of Men: Thou Human, O Jehovah.

By the Rock and Oak of the Druid, creeping Mistletoe, and Thorn,

Cain's City built with Human Blood, not Blood of Bulls and Goats,

« AnteriorContinuar »