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Creator:
Print made by William Blake, 1757–1827
Hand colored by William Blake, 1757–1827
Text by Edward Young, 1683–1765
Published by Richard Edwards, active 1796–1797
Title:
'The thunder, if in that the Almighty dwells' (Page 80)
Part Of:

Collective Title: Young's Night Thoughts

Date:
1797
Materials & Techniques:
Etching, line engraving, and letterpress, with hand coloring in watercolor on moderately thick, slightly textured, cream wove paper
Dimensions:
Spine: 17 1/2 inches (44.5 cm), Sheet: 16 5/8 x 13 inches (42.2 x 33 cm), Plate: 15 1/4 x 12 7/8 inches (38.7 x 32.7 cm)
Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:

Lettered on facing page: "81 | His essence; local is his throne, as meet, | To gather the dispersed, as standards call | The listed from afar; to fix a point-- | A central point, collective of his sons; | Since finite every nature but his own. | The nameless HE, whose nod is nature's birth; | And nature's shield the shadow of his hand; | Her dissolution his suspended smile; | The great FIRST LAST! pavilion'd high HE sits | In darkness, from excessive splendor; borne | By gods unseen, unless through lustre lost: | His glory, to created glory bright, | As that, to central horrors; HE looks down | On all that soars, and spans immensity. | Though night unnumber'd worlds unfold to view; | Boundless creation! what art thou? a beam, | A mere effluvium of his majesty: | And shall an atom of this atom world | Mutterin dust and sin the theme of heaven? | Down to the centre should I send my thought | Through beds of glittering ore, and glowing gems; | Their beggar'd blaze wants lustre for my lay, | Goes out in darkness: if on towering wing, | I send it through the boundless vault of stars; | The stars, though rich, what dross their gold to THEE! | Great--good--wise--wonderful--eternal KING! | If to those conscious stars thy throne around, | Praise ever-pouring, and imbibing bliss; | And ask their strain; they want it, more they want, | Poor their abundance, humble their sublime,"

Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1992.8.10(34)
Classification:
Prints
Collection:
Prints and Drawings
Subject Terms:
grass | lightning | literary theme | man | men | meteorology | religious and mythological subject | science | storm | text | water
Access:
Accessible by appointment in the Study Room [Request]
Note: The Study Room is open by appointment. Please visit the Study Room page on our website for more details.
Link:
https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:3564
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