Plate 72

PLATE 72

And the Thirty-two Counties of the Four Provinces of Ireland

Are thus divided: The Four Counties are in the Four Camps

Munster South in Reubens Gate, Connaut West in Josephs Gate

Ulster North in Dans Gate, Leinster East in Judahs Gate

Plate 72

It would help immensely in understanding this paragraph to study the

link on the four provinces of Ireland.  It would also help to be familiar

with the 12 tribes of Israel of which Blake picked out Reuben, Dan,

Joseph and Judah, for reasons best discenible by Bible scholars.  Blake

Plate 72 of course was familiar with both subjects.

For Albion in Eternity has Sixteen Gates among his Pillars    

But the Four towards the West were Walled up & the Twelve

That front the Four other Points were turned Four Square

By Los for Jerusalems sake & called the Gates of Jerusalem

Because Twelve Sons of Jerusalem fled successive thro the Gates

But the Four Sons of Jerusalem who fled not but remaind     

Are Rintrah & Palamabron & Theotormon & Bromion

"The Four that remain with Los to guard the Western Wall"

I haven't been able to find out exactly who the twelve Sons of Jerusalem

were; in addition to this reference the Concordance shows 'Sons of

Jerusalem successively in Plates 55, 58, 71, 72, and 74;

Rintrah, Theotormon, Bromion, and Palambron can be found in the  

beginning of Milton: the Bard's Song (especially Plate 6).

Jerusalem has four walls; the Western one signifiying the body,

materiality, Tharmas.  It's this Western Wall that cannot get into

Jerusalem. One cannot get into Jerusalem through the Western Wall.

"The Four that remain with Los to guard the Western Wall"

And these Four remain to guard the Four Walls of Jerusalem

Whose foundations remain in the Thirty-two Counties of Ireland

And in Twelve Counties of Wales, & in the Forty Counties      

Of England & in the Thirty-six Counties of Scotland

And the names of the Thirty-two Counties of Ireland are these

Under Judah & Issachar & Zebulun are Lowth Longford

Eastmeath Westmeath Dublin Kildare Kings County

Queens County Wicklow Catherloh Wexford Kilkenny                 

And those under Reuben & Simeon & Levi are these

Waterford Tipperary Cork Limerick Kerry Clare

And those under Ephraim Manasseh & Benjamin are these

Galway Roscommon Mayo Sligo Leitrim

And those under Dan Asher & Napthali are these         

Donnegal Antrim Tyrone Fermanagh Armagh Londonderry

Down Managhan Cavan. These are the Land of Erin

(Erdman 226-7)

All these Center in London & in Golgonooza. from whence

They are Created continually East & West & North & South

And from them are Created all the Nations of the Earth           

Europe & Asia & Africa & America, in fury Fourfold!

[Continually Building. Continually Decaying because of

Love & JealousyWomen the comforters of Men become the

Tormentors & Punishers]

This pungent sentence is perhaps the key to the above

confusing images in Blake's mind.  It's certainly a key to

'female love' which was the central facet of his use of

sexes in his thought and his myth.

And Thirty-two the Nations: to dwell in Jerusalems Gates

O Come ye Nations Come ye People Come up to Jerusalem

Return Jerusalem & dwell together as of old! Return

Return! O Albion let Jerusalem overspread all Nations            

As in the times of old! O Albion awake! Reuben wanders

The Nations wait for Jerusalem. they look up for the Bride

France Spain Italy Germany Poland Russia Sweden Turkey

Arabia Palestine Persia Hindostan China Tartary Siberia

Egypt Lybia Ethiopia Guinea Caffraria Negroland Morocco          

Congo Zaara Canada Greenland Carolina Mexico

Peru Patagonia Amazonia Brazil. Thirty-two Nations

And under these Thirty-two Classes of Islands in the Ocean

All the Nations Peoples & Tongues throughout all the Earth

And the Four Gates of Los surround the Universe Within and       

Without; & whatever is visible in the Vegetable Earth, the same

Is visible in the Mundane Shell; reversd in mountain & vale

And a Son of Eden was set over each Daughter of Beulah to guard

In Albions Tomb the wondrous Creation: & the Four-fold Gate

Towards Beulah is to the South[.] Fenelon, Guion, Teresa,    

Whitefield & Hervey, guard that Gate; with all the gentle Souls

Who guide the great Wine-press of Love; Four precious stones that

    Gate:

[Women the comforters of Men become the

Tormentors & Punishers]  (Erdman 226-8)

So looking at this Plate in general might we suppose he's intimating 
that 'female love' has driven him to this horrendous distraction.