"And above Albions Land was seen the Heavenly Canaan..." (Plate 71)
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)
Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:
Lettered inside image: "And above Albion's Land was seen the Heavenly Canaan, | As the Substance is to the Shadow : and above Albion's Twelve Sons | Were seen Jerusalem's Sons: and all the Twelve Tribes spreading | Over Albion. As the Soul is to the Body, so Jerusalem's Sons | Are to the Sons of Albion : and Jerusalem is Albion's Emanation. | What is Above is Within, for everything in Eternity is translucent; | The Circumference is Within: Without, is formed the Selfish Center: | And the Circumference still expands going forward to Eternity, | And the Center has Eternal States! these States we now explore. | And these the Names of Albion's Twelve Sons, & of his Twelve Daughters | With their Districts. Hand dwelt in Selsey, & had Sussex & Surrey | And Kent & Middlesex: all their Rivers & their Hills of flocks & herds; | Their Villages, Towns, Cities, Sea-Ports, Temples, sublime Cathedrals; | All were his Friends & their Sons & Daughters intermarry in Beulah, | For all are Men in Eternity, Rivers, Mountains, Cities, Villages. | All are Human, & when you enter into their Bosoms you walk | In Heavens & Earths; as in your own Bosom you bear your Heaven | And Earth, & all you behold: tho' it appears Without it is Within | In your Imagination, of which this World of Mortality is but a Shadow. | Hyle dwelt in Winchester, comprehending Hants, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, | Their Villages, Cities, Sea Ports, their Corn fields & Gardens spacious, | Palaces, Rivers & Mountains, and between Hand & Hyle arose | Gwendolen & Cambel who is Boadicea: they go abroad & return | Like lovely beams of light from the mingled affections of the Brothers : | The Inhabitants of the whole Earth rejoice in their beautiful light. | Coban dwelt in Bath, Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, | Obey'd his awful voice: Ignoge is his lovely Emanation; | She adjoin'd with Gwantoke's Children, soon lovely Cordelia arose, | Gwantoke forgave & joy'd over South Wales & all its Mountains. | Peachey had North Wales, Shropshire, Cheshire & the Isle of Man, | His Emanation is Mehetabel, terrible & lovely upon the Mountains. | Brertun had Yorkshire, Durham, Westmoreland, & his Emanation | Is Ragan: she adjoin'd to Slade, & produced Gonorill far beaming. | Slade had Lincoln, Stafford, Derby, Nottingham, & his lovely | Emanation Gonorill rejoices over hills & rocks & woods & rivers. | Huttn had Warwick, Northampton, Bedford, Buckingham, | Leicester & Berkshire; & his Emanation is Gwinefred beautiful. | Skofeld had Ely, Rutland, Cambridge, Huntingdon, Norfolk, | Suffolk, Hartford & Essex: & his Emanation is Gwinevera | Beautiful, she beams towards the east, all kinds of precious stones | And pearl, with instruments of music in holy Jerusalem. | Kox had Oxford, Warwick, Wilts; his Emanation is Estrild: | Join'd with Cordelia she shines southward over the Atlantic. | Kotope had Hereford, Stafford, Worcester, & his Emanation | Is Sabrina: join'd with Mehetabel she shines west over America. | Bowen had all Scotland, the Isles, Northumberland & Cumberland: | His Emanation is Conwenna, she shines a triple form | Over the north with pearly beams gorgeous & terrible, | Jerusalem & Vala rejoice in Bowen & Conwenna. | But the Four Sons of Jerusalem that never were Generated | Are Rintrah and Palamabron and Theotormon and Bromion. They | Dwell over the Four Provinces of Ireland in heavenly light, | The Four Universities of Scotland, & in Oxford & Cambridge & Winchester. | But now Albion is darkened & Jerusalem lies in ruins: | Above the Mountains of Albion, above the head of Los. | And Los shouted with ceaseless shoutings, & his tears poured down | His immortal cheeks, rearing his hands to heaven for aid Divine! | But he spoke not to Albion: fearing lest Albion should turn his Back | Against the Divine Vision: & fall over the Precipice of Eternal Death. | But he receded before Albion, & before Vala weaving the Veil | With the iron shuttle of War among the rooted Oaks of Albion: | Weeping & shouting to the Lord day & night; and his Children | Wept round him as a flock silent Seven Days of Eternity."
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1992.8.1(71)
Classification:
Prints
Collection:
Prints and Drawings
Subject Terms:
wings | bird | swan | literary theme | religious and mythological subject | mythological figures | women | woman | vines | leaf | text | text | nudes | nude
Currently On View:
Not on view
Exhibition History:
William Blake (Tate Britain, 2000-11-02 - 2001-02-04)The Human Form Divine - William Blake from the Paul Mellon Collection (Yale Center for British Art, 1997-04-02 - 1997-07-06)