[43] And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
[44] And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
[45] And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
[46] And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
[47] Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
[48] And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
[49] And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
[50] And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counseller; and he was a good man, and a just:
[51] (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. [52] This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
[53] And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.
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| British Library Four Zoas Manuscript Page 12 |
Four Zoas, Night I, PAGE 12, (E 306)
"Night darkend as she spoke! a shuddring ran from East to West
A Groan was heard on high. The warlike clarions ceast. the Spirits
Of Luvah & Vala shudderd in their Orb: an orb of blood!
Eternity groand & was troubled at the Image of Eternal Death
The Wandering Man bow'd his faint head and Urizen descended
And the one must have murderd the other if he had not descended
Indignant muttering low thunders; Urizen descended
Gloomy sounding, Now I am God from Eternity to Eternity
Sullen sat Los plotting Revenge. Silent he eye'd the Prince
Of Light. Silent the prince of Light viewd Los. at length a brooded
Smile broke from Urizen for Enitharmon brightend more & more
Sullen he lowerd on Enitharmon but he smild on Los
Saying Thou art the Lord of Luvah into thine hands I give
The prince of Love the murderer his soul is in thine hands
Pity not Vala for she pitied not the Eternal Man
Nor pity thou the cries of Luvah. Lo these starry hosts
They are thy servants if thou wilt obey my awful Law
Los answerd furious art thou one of those who when most complacent
Mean mischief most. If you are such Lo! I am also such
One must be master. try thy Arts I also will try mine
For I percieve Thou hast Abundance which I claim as mine
Urizen startled stood but not Long soon he cried
Obey my voice young Demon I am God from Eternity to Eternity
Thus Urizen spoke collected in himself in awful pride
Art thou a visionary of Jesus the soft delusion of Eternity
Lo I am God the terrible destroyer & not the Saviour
Why should the Divine Vision compell the sons of Eden
to forego each his own delight to war against his Spectre
The Spectre is the Man the rest is only delusion & fancy
So spoke the Prince of Light & sat beside the Seat of Los
Upon the sandy shore rested his chariot of fire
Ten thousand thousand were his hosts of spirits on the wind:
Ten thousand thousand glittering Chariots shining in the sky:
They pour upon the golden shore beside the silent ocean.
Rejoicing in the Victory & the heavens were filld with blood
The Earth spread forth her table wide. the Night a silver cup
Fill'd with the wine of anguish waited at the golden feast
But the bright Sun was not as yet; he filling all the expanse
Slept as a bird in the blue shell that soon shall burst away
Los saw the wound of his blow he saw he pitied he wept
Los now repented that he had smitten Enitharmon he felt love
Arise in all his Veins he threw his arms around her loins
To heal the wound of his smiting
They eat the fleshly bread, they drank the nervous wine"
Los finds his act of violence in smiting Enitharmon has
repercussions far beyond the injury which it did
to her. Enitharmon calls forth Urizen to oppose Los. The two
children of Enion and Tharmas are related to the id. Urizen in
this instance functions as the superego. He assumes the role of
rule maker and enforcer in order to attempt to deny Los the ability to function as the
intuition or spiritual sense.Blake intimates that the blow that Los struck was equivalent to Jesus commending his spirit into the hands of God as he died on the cross. Los' act, inadvertently, initiated a process in which he would follow the journey which Jesus through death and rebirth. The wound that Los opened, broadened and deepened as Urizen and Los attempted to take control of the psyche of man.
Several characteristics of Urizen are delineated in this passage. First is his inflated image of himself as 'God from Eternity to Eternity.' Second is his belief that he can negotiate with his fellow Zoas to gain power by setting them against each other. Third is his use of deceit to assume the appearance of friendly cooperation.
Los, although powerless to stop the flow of Urizen's development, is able of become aware of the best way he can act in response. First he understands that his own action has precipitated the situation. Second he feels sorrow and regret for his act of violence. Third he feels love toward the object of his aggression. Fourth he acts to repair the damage he has done.
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