YCBA Collections Search

Inscribed in orange ink, upper right: "58"

Lettered inside image: "In beauty the Daughters of Albion divide & unite at will | Naked & drunk with blood Gwendolen dancing to the timbrel | Of War: reeling up the Street of London she divides in twain, | Among the Inhabitants of Albion: the People fall around | The Daughters of Albion, divide & unite in jealousy & cruelty. | The Inhabitants of Albion at the Harvest & the Vintage | Feel their Brain cut round beneath the temples shrieking, | Bonifying into a Scull, the Marrow exuding in dismal path. | They flee over the rocks bonifying: Horses, Oxen, feel the knife. | And while the Sons of Albion, by severe War & Judgment, bonify, | The Hermaphroditic Condensations are divided by the Knife, | The obdurate Forms are cut asunder by Jealousy & Pity. | Rational Philosophy and Mathematic Demonstration | Is divided in the intoxications of pleasure & affection : | Two Contraries War against each other in fury & blood. | And Los fixes them on his Anvil, incessant his blows: | He fixes them with strong blows, placing the stones & timbers | To Create a World of Generation from the World of Death : | Dividing the Masculine & Feminine: for the comingling | Of Albion's & Luvah's Spectres was Hermaphroditic. | Urizen wrathful strode above directing the awful Building, | As a Mighty Temple: delivering Form out of confusion. | Jordan sprang beneath its threshold bubbling from beneath | Its pillars: Euphrates ran under its arches: white sails | And silver oars reflect on its pillars, & sound on its ecchoing | Pavements: where walk the Sons of Jerusalem who remain Ungenerate. | But the revolving Sun and Moon pass thro its porticoes. | Day & night, in sublime majesty & silence they revolve | And shine glorious within: Hand & Koban arch'd over the Sun | In the hot noon, as he travel'd thro his journey : Hyle & Skofield | Arch'd over the Moon at midnight, & Los fix'd them there, | With his thunderous Hammer: terrified the Spectres rage & flee. | Canaan is his portico: Jordan is a fountain in his porch, | A fountain of milk & wine to relieve the traveller: | Egypt is the eight steps within, Ethiopia supports his pillars : | Lybia & the Lands unknown are the ascent without: | Within is Asia & Greece, ornamented with exquisite art: | Persia & Media are his halls: his inmost hall is Great Tartary: | China & India & Siberia are his temples for entertainment: | Poland & Russia & Sweden, his soft retired chambers: | France & Spain & Italy & Denmark & Holland & Germany | Are the temples among his pillars, Britain is Los's Forge: | America North & South are his baths of living waters. | Such is the Ancient World of Urizen in the Satanic Void, | Created from the Valley of Middlesex by London's River. | From Stone-henge and from London Stone, from Cornwall to Cathnes, | The Four Zoas rush around on all sides in dire ruin. | Furious in pride of Selfhood the terrible Spectres of Albion | Rear their dark Rocks among the Stars of God: stupendous | Works! A World of Generation continually Creating, out of | The Hermaphroditic Satanic World of rocky destiny."