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

      Visions of the Daughters of Albion (1793)

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Plates

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Text

       Table of Contents

      The Argument

      I loved Theotormon

      And I was not ashamed

      I trembled in my virgin fears

      And I hid in Leutha’s vale!

      I plucked Leutha’s flower,

      And I rose up from the vale;

      But the terrible thunders tore

      My virgin mantle in twain.

      Visions

      ENSLAV’D, the Daughters of Albion weep: a trembling lamentation

      Upon their mountains; in their valleys. sighs toward America.

      For the soft soul of America, Oothoon wanderd in woe,

      Along the vales of Leutha seeking flowers to comfort her;

      And thus she spoke to the bright Marygold of Leutha’s vale

      Art thou a flower! art thou a nymph! I see thee now a flower;

      Now a nymph! I dare not pluck thee from thy dewy bed!

      The Golden nymph replied; pluck thou my flower Oothoon the mild

      Another flower shall spring, because the soul of sweet delight

      Can never pass away. she ceas’d & closd her golden shrine.

      Then Oothoon pluck’d the flower saying, I pluck thee from thy bed

      Sweet flower. and put thee here to glow between my breasts

      And thus I turn my face to where my whole soul seeks.

      Over the waves she went in wing’d exulting swift delight;

      And over Theotormons reign, took her impetuous course.

      Bromion rent her with his thunders. on his stormy bed

      Lay the faint maid, and soon her woes appalld his thunders hoarse

      Bromion spoke. behold this harlot here on Bromions bed,

      And let the jealous dolphins sport around the lovely maid;

      Thy soft American plains are mine, and mine thy north & south:

      Stampt with my signet are the swarthy children of the sun:

      They are obedient, they resist not, they obey the scourge:

      Their daughters worship terrors and obey the violent:

      Now thou maist marry Bromions harlot, and protect the child

      Of Bromions rage, that Oothoon shall put forth in nine moons time

      Then storms rent Theotormons limbs; he rolld his waves around.

      And folded his black jealous waters round the adulterate pair

      Bound back to back in Bromions caves terror & meekness dwell

      At entrance Theotormon sits wearing the threshold hard

      With secret tears; beneath him sound like waves on a desart shore

      The voice of slaves beneath the sun, and children bought with money.

      That shiver in religious caves beneath the burning fires

      Of lust, that belch incessant from the summits of the earth

      Oothoon weeps not: she cannot weep! her tears are locked up;

      But she can howl incessant writhing her soft snowy limbs.

      And calling Theotormons Eagles to prey upon her flesh.

      I call with holy voice! kings of the sounding air,

      Rend away this defiled bosom that I may reflect.

      The image of Theotormon on my pure transparent breast.

      The Eagles at her call descend & rend their bleeding prey;

      Theotormon severely smiles. her soul reflects the smile;

      As the clear spring mudded with feet of beasts grows pure & smiles.

      The Daughters of Albion hear her woes. & eccho back her sighs.

      Why does my Theotormon sit weeping upon the threshold;

      And Oothoon hovers by his