William Blake - The Greatest Works of William Blake (With Complete Original Illustrations)

Table of Contents

Man has no notion of moral fitness but from Education. Naturally he is only a natural organ subject to Sense.

Man cannot naturally perceive but through his natural or bodily organs.

Man by his reasoning power can only compare & judge of what he has already perceiv’d.

From a perception of only 3 senses or 3 elements none could deduce a fourth or fifth.

None could have other than natural or organic thoughts if he had none but organic perceptions.

Man’s desires are limited by his perceptions; none can desire what he has not perceiv’d.

The desires & perceptions of man, untaught by anything but organs of sense, must be limited to objects of sense.

------------------------

Man’s perceptions are not bound by organs of perception; he perceives more than sense (tho’ ever so acute) can discover.

Reason, or the ratio of all we have already known, is not the same that it shall be when we know more.

[Ed: Plates 12 to 17 occur only in certain, later editions.]

[Proposition III is missing.]

The bounded is loathed by its possessor. the same dull round, even of the universe, would soon become a mill with complicated wheels.

If the many become the same as the few when possess’d, More! More! is the cry of a mistaken soul; less than All cannot satisfy Man.

If any could desire what he is incapable of possessing, despair must be his eternal lot.

The desire of Man being infinite, the possession is Infinite & himself Infinite.

If it were not for the Poetic or Prophetic Character the Philosophic & Experimental would soon be at the ratio of all things, and stand still, unable to do other than repeat the same dull round over again.

He who sees the Infinite in all things sees God. He who sees the Ratio only sees himself only.

Therefore God becomes as we are, that we may be as he is.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Does the Eagle know what is in the pit?

Or wilt thou go ask the Mole:

Can Wisdom be put in a silver rod?

Or Love in a golden bowl?

The daughters of Mne Seraphim led round their sunny flocks.

All but the youngest; she in paleness sought the secret air.

To fade away like morning beauty from her mortal day:

Down by the river of Adona her soft voice is heard:

And thus her gentle lamentation falls like morning dew.

O life of this our spring! why fades the lotus of the water?

Why fade these children of the spring? born but to smile & fall.

Ah! Thel is like a watry bow. and like a parting cloud.

Like a reflection in a glass. like shadows in the water.

Like dreams of infants. like a smile upon an infants face,

Like the doves voice, like transient day, like music in the air;

Ah! gentle may I lay me down, and gentle rest my head.

And gentle sleep the sleep of death. and gentle hear the voice

Of him that walketh in the garden in the evening time.

The Lilly of the valley breathing in the humble grass

Answer’d the lovely maid and said; I am a watry weed,

And I am very small, and love to dwell in lowly vales;

So weak, the gilded butterfly scarce perches on my head.

Yet I am visited from heaven and he that smiles on all.

Walks in the valley. and each morn over me spreads his hand

Saying, rejoice thou humble grass, thou new-born lilly flower,

Thou gentle maid of silent valleys. and of modest brooks;

For thou shalt be clothed in light, and fed with morning manna:

Till summers heat melts thee beside the fountains and the springs

To flourish in eternal vales: then why should Thel complain,

Why should the mistress of the vales of Har, utter a sigh.

She ceasd & smild in tears, then sat down in her silver shrine.

Thel answerd. O thou little virgin of the peaceful valley.

Giving to those that cannot crave, the voiceless, the o’ertired.