- Title:
- "As the Sun & Moon lead forward the Visions of Heaven & Earth..." (Plate 96)
- Part Of:
Collective Title: Jerusalem: The Emanation of The Giant Albion, Copy E
- Date:
- 1804 to 1820
- Materials & Techniques:
- Relief etching printed in orange ink, with watercolor and pen and black ink on moderately thick, smooth, cream wove paper
- Dimensions:
- Sheet: 13 1/2 x 10 3/8 inches (34.3 x 26.4 cm), Plate: 8 x 5 5/8 inches (20.3 x 14.3 cm)
- Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:
Inscribed in orange ink, upper right: "96"
Lettered inside image: "As the Sun & Moon lead forward the Visions of Heaven & Earth | England, who is Brittannia, entered Albion's bosom rejoicing. | Then Jesus appeared standing by Albion, as the Good Shepherd | By the lost Sheep that he hath found, & Albion knew that it | Was the Lord, the Universal Humanity, & Albion saw his Form | A Man, & they conversed as Man with Man, in Ages of Eternity. | And the Divine Appearance was the likeness & similitude of Los. | Albion said. O Lord what can I do: my Selfhood cruel | Marches against thee, deceitful, from Sinai & from Edom | Into the Wilderness of Judah to meet thee in his pride. | I behold the Visions of my deadly Sleep of Six Thousand Years, | Dazling around thy skirts like a Serpent of precious stones & gold: | I know it is my Self: O my Divine Creator & Redeemer. | Jesus replied. Fear not Albion: unless I die thou canst not live: | But if I die I shall arise again & thou with me. | This is Friendship & Brotherhood: without it Man Is Not. | So Jesus spoke: the Covering Cherub coming on in darkness | Overshadow'd them & Jesus said. Thus do Men in Eternity, | One for another to put off, by forgiveness, every sin. | Albion reply'd. Cannot Man exist without Mysterious | Offering of Self for Another: is this Friendship & Brotherhood? | I see thee in the likeness & similitude of Los my Friend. | Jesus said. Wouldest thou love one who never died | For thee, or ever die for one who had not died for thee. | And if God dieth not for Man & giveth not himself | Eternally for Man, Man could not exist, for Man is Love, | As God is Love: every kindness to another is a little Death | In the Divine Image, nor can Man exist but by Brotherhood. | So saying the Cloud overshadowing divided them asunder. | Albion stood in terror: not for himself but for his Friend | Divine, & Self was lost in the contemplation of faith | And wonder at the Divine Mercy & at Los's sublime honour. | Do I sleep amidst danger to Friends! O my Cities & Counties | Do you sleep! rouze up, rouze up, Eternal Death is abroad! | So Albion spoke, & threw himself into the Furnaces of affliction. | All was a Vision, all a Dream: the Furnaces became | Fountains of Living Waters, flowing from the Humanity Divine. | And all the Cities of Albion rose from their Slumbers, and All | The Sons & Daughters of Albion on soft clouds, Waking from Sleep. | Soon all around remote the Heavens burnt with flaming fires, | And Urizen & Luvah & Tharmas & Urthona arose into | Albion's Bosom: Then Albion stood before Jesus in the Clouds | Of Heaven, Fourfold among the Visions of God in Eternity."
- Credit Line:
- Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
- Copyright Status:
- Public Domain
- Accession Number:
- B1992.8.1(96)
- Classification:
- Prints
- Collection:
- Prints and Drawings
- Subject Terms:
- beard | fire | flames | literary theme | men | nudes | religious and mythological subject | text | women
- Access:
- Accessible in the Study Room [Request]
- Link:
- https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:3531
- Export:
- XML
- IIIF Manifest:
- JSON
William Blake (Tate Britain, 2000-11-02 - 2001-02-04) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]
The Human Form Divine - William Blake from the Paul Mellon Collection (Yale Center for British Art, 1997-04-02 - 1997-07-06) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition] [Exhibition Description]