Page:Works of William Blake; poetic, symbolic, and critical (1893) Volume 2.djvu/294

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280
MILTON I.

(Orc's human remains) was cut clear off from Golgonooza, for both accusation of sin and mere naturalism are cut from symbolic art, yet he rolled down in it with his companions. Golgonooza is not only delineative art but interpretative art iu its milder, passive, or feminine aspect. It is the moony space of Enitharnion, and it is where Los's furnaces stand, but it is also Divine analogy, into which wandering Reuben was led at last ("Jerusalem," p. 85, l. 1, &c).

Reuben's symbolic equivalence to Satan is through Hand and Albion, not through Orc and Los, though every spectre when alone and "ravening" is Satanic and of the Eating Cancer, or evil aspect of the Polypus.

One aspect of Divine analogy is the "body" or system of Moses ("Jerusalem," p. 49, l. 58). In the passage where this is told several other suggestions containing the explanation are to be found.

Beth Peor, the mountain whose counterpart is the valley where this body is built, is in the loins of Los, place of war. Compare "Vala," Night I., 1. 442, and "Jerusalem," p. 67, l. 29. War reaches the valley also, — having its own male and female aspect, as told in "Jerusalem," p. 43, l. 7. A little way above in the same page, l. 31, a line will be recognized as also belonging to "Milton," p. 35, l. 2. The whole page 67 of "Jerusalem" is closely woven into the subject of "Milton," the struggle of classic with symbolic art.

P. 12, ll. 10 to 14. Milton takes off the robe of promise and ungirds himself of the oath of God. This is presumably the "oath of the covenant" — the covenant being that referred to in "Jerusalem," p. 61 (a very late page written during the time when "Milton" was being printed), 1. 25, — "If you forgive another so shall Jehovah forgive you." When he goes to self-annihilation he ceases to seek forgiveness, or any- thing else ; on the contrary, he fulfils the covenant, and thus is no more bound by it, for self-annihilation and the forgiveness of sins are the same thing ("Jerusalem," p. 98), l. 23. He passes out of pure or passive spiritual existence into spiritual