 |
British Museum Jerusalem Copy A, Frontispiece Los entering Gothic door |
 |
| From A Blake Dictionary by S. Foster Damon |
Blake choose the cities which he used to represent Cathedral Cities because they had associations which could carry symbolic meaning. They could be used to represent attempts to embody spiritual characteristics which could protect Albion from making destructive decisions.
The first mentioned, Selsey, no longer existed but had been destroyed by flooding caused by the encroaching ocean. Her neighbor Chichester became the seat of her bishop, and the location of the courtroom where Blake himself was acquitted of treason in 1804. Damon associated the next mentioned, Winchester, with William Hayley who was instramental in Blake's move to Felpham. Richard Warner of Bath was cited by Damon for his courageous anti-war sermon. Damon continued through Blake's list of churchs mentioning prominent men who were associated with them including John Milton for Ely of Cambridgeshire. Milton, a graduate of Cambridge, fit the title of "Scribe of Los, whose pen no other hand Dare touch!"
Jerusalem, Plate 36 [40],(E 182)
"And these the Twenty-four in whom the Divine Family
Appear'd; and they were One in Him. A Human Vision!
Human Divine, Jesus the Saviour, blessed for ever and ever.
Selsey, true friend! who afterwards submitted to be devourd
By the waves of Despair, whose Emanation rose above
The flood, and was nam'd Chichester, lovely mild & gentle! Lo!
Her lambs bleat to the sea-fowls cry, lamenting still for Albion.
Submitting to be call'd the son of Los the terrible vision:
Winchester stood devoting himself for Albion: his tents
Outspread with abundant riches, and his Emanations
Submitting to be call'd Enitharmons daughters, and be born
In vegetable mould: created by the Hammer and Loom
In Bowlahoola & Allamanda where the Dead wail night & day.
(I call them by their English names: English, the rough basement.
Los built the stubborn structure of the Language, acting against
Albions melancholy, who must else have been a Dumb despair.)
Gloucester and Exeter and Salisbury and Bristol: and benevolent"
Jerusalem, Plate 41 [46], (E 188)
"Bath, mild Physician of Eternity, mysterious power Whose springs are unsearchable & knowledg infinite. Hereford, ancient Guardian of Wales, whose hands Builded the mountain palaces of Eden, stupendous works! Lincoln, Durham & Carlisle, Councellors of Los. And Ely, Scribe of Los, whose pen no other hand Dare touch! Oxford, immortal Bard! with eloquence Divine, he wept over Albion: speaking the words of God In mild perswasion: bringing leaves of the Tree of Life. Thou art in Error Albion, the Land of Ulro: One Error not remov'd, will destroy a human Soul Repose in Beulahs night, till the Error is remov'd Reason not on both sides. Repose upon our bosoms Till the Plow of Jehovah, and the Harrow of Shaddai Have passed over the Dead, to awake the Dead to Judgment. But Albion turn'd away refusing comfort. Oxford trembled while he spoke, then fainted in the arms Of Norwich, Peterboro, Rochester, Chester awful, Worcester, Litchfield, Saint Davids, Landaff, Asaph, Bangor, Sodor, Bowing their heads devoted: and the Furnaces of Los Began to rage, thundering loud the storms began to roar Upon the Furnaces, and loud the Furnaces rebellow beneath And these the Four in whom the twenty-four appear'd four-fold: Verulam, London, York, Edinburgh, mourning one towards another"Milton, Plate 36 [40], (E 137)"My Vegetated portion was hurried from Lambeths shades He set me down in Felphams Vale & prepard a beautiful Cottage for me that in three years I might write all these Visions To display Natures cruel holiness: the deceits of Natural Religion"Jerusalem, Plate 34 [38], (E 180)"Thus speaking; the Divine Family follow Albion: I see them in the Vision of God upon my pleasant valleys. I behold London; a Human awful wonder of God! He says: Return, Albion, return! I give myself for thee: My Streets are my, Ideas of Imagination. Awake Albion, awake! and let us awake up together. My Houses are Thoughts: my Inhabitants; Affections, The children of my thoughts, walking within my blood-vessels, Shut from my nervous form which sleeps upon the verge of Beulah In dreams of darkness, while my vegetating blood in veiny pipes, Rolls dreadful thro' the Furnaces of Los, and the Mills of Satan. For Albions sake, and for Jerusalem thy Emanation I give myself, and these my brethren give themselves for Albion. So spoke London, immortal Guardian! I heard in Lambeths shades: In Felpham I heard and saw the Visions of Albion I write in South Molton Street, what I both see and hear In regions of Humanity, in Londons opening streets. I see thee awful Parent Land in light, behold I see! Verulam! Canterbury! venerable parent of men, Generous immortal Guardian golden clad! for Cities Are Men, fathers of multitudes, and Rivers & Mount[a]ins Are also Men; every thing is Human, mighty! sublime! In every bosom a Universe expands, as wings Let down at will around, and call'd the Universal Tent. York, crown'd with loving kindness. Edinburgh, cloth'd With fortitude as with a garment of immortal texture Woven in looms of Eden, in spiritual deaths of mighty men"Jerusalem, Plate 96, (E 256)"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 Howing 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 Albions Bosom: Then Albion stood before Jesus in the Clouds Of Heaven Fourfold among the Visions of God in Eternity Plate 97 Awake! Awake Jerusalem! O lovely Emanation of Albion Awake and overspread all Nations as in Ancient Time For lo! the Night of Death is past and the Eternal Day Appears upon our Hills: Awake Jerusalem, and come away So spake the Vision of Albion & in him so spake in my hearing The Universal Father. Then Albion stretchd his hand into Infinitude."
Blake's twenty-eight Cathedral Cities
1 Chichester - "lovely mild & gentle"
2 Winchester - "devoting himself for Albion"
3 Gloucester4 Exeter5 Salisbury6 Bristol7 Bath - "best and worst in Heaven and Hell"8 Hereford, "ancient Guardian of Wales"9 Lincoln10 Durham11 Carlisle12 Ely - "Scribe of Los, whose pen no other hand Dare touch!"13 Oxford - "trembled while he spoke, then fainted in the arms"14 Norwich15 Peterboro16 Rochester17 Chester18 Worcester19 Litchfield 20 Saint Davids 21 Landaff22 Asaph23 Bangor 24 Sodor, "Bowing their heads devoted"25 Edinburgh 26 Verulam (Canterbury) 27 London 28 York 
No comments:
Post a Comment