5 Gibbon arose with a lash of steel,
And Voltaire with a wracking wheel :
The schools, in Clouds of learning roU'd,
Arose with War in iron & gold.
9 ' Thou lazy Monk,' they said afar,
' In vain condemning Glorious War,
And in thy Cell thou shall ever dwell.
Rise, War, & bind him in his Cell ! '
13 The blood red ran from the Grey Monk's side,
His hands & feet were wounded wide.
His body bent, his arms & knees
Like to the roots of ancient trees.
17 'I see, I see,' the Mother said,
' My Children will die for lack of bread.
What more has the merciless tyrant said ? '
The Monk sat down on her stony bed.
5-8 Gibbon . . . gold] Variants of this stanza are : —
(a) Sideways, middle column, top of page :
- 'Gibbon plied his lash of steel,
- Voltaire turned his wracking wheel,
- Charlemaine & his barons bold
- Stood by, and mocked in iron & gold.'
(b) Sideways, in right-hand margin, at top of page :
- ' The Wheel of Voltaire whirl'd on high,
- Gibbon aloud his lash does ply,
- Charlemaine & his Clouds ofWar [ & his barons bold, ist rdg. del.]
- Must[er around] the Polar Star.'
In printing the above, as ' Readings rejected by Blake,' EY in (a) 2 read ' And Voltaire ' for ' Voltaire,' (a) 3 ' warriors ' for ' barons,' (b) 4 'Must now arouse the polar bear ' for ' Muster around the Polar Star.' These words are partially hidden by the binding. 5 arose] armed EY. 6 wracking] racking EY. 7 The . . . roll'd] Charlemagne and his warriors bold EY. 9, 10 Thou . . . War]
- ' Seditious Monk said Charlemaine
- The Glory of War thou condemn'st in vain.'
MS. Book 15/ rdg. del., EY reading in last line : —
- 'The glory of war thou cursedst in vain.'
18 will] shall EY. 20 sat down] sat him down EY.
