| William Blake (1757–1827). The Poetical Works. 1908. | | | | Selections from ‘The Four Zoas’ | | [Urizen’s Words of Wisdom] |
| | (Four Zoas, Night VII, Revised Version, ll. 109–29.)
AND Urizen read in his Book of Brass in sounding tones:— | |
| ‘Listen, O Daughters, to my voice! listen to the words of wisdom! | |
| Compel the Poor to live upon a crust of bread by soft mild arts: | |
| So shall [you] 1 govern over all. Let Moral Duty tune your tongue, | |
| But be your hearts harder than the nether millstone; | 5 |
| To bring the Shadow of Enitharmon beneath our wondrous Tree, | |
| That Los may evaporate like smoke, and be no more. | |
| Draw down Enitharmon to the Spectre of Urthona, | |
| And let him have dominion over Los, the terrible Shade. | |
| Smile when they frown, frown when they smile; and when a man looks pale | 10 |
| With labour and abstinence, say he looks healthy and happy; | |
| And when his children sicken, let them die: there are enough | |
| Born, even too many, and our earth will soon be overrun | |
| Without these arts. If you would make the Poor live with temper, | |
| With pomp give every crust of bread you give; with gracious cunning | 15 |
| Magnify small gifts; reduce the man to want a gift, and then give with pomp. | |
| Say he smiles, if you hear him sigh; if pale, say he is ruddy. | |
| Preach temperance: say he is overgorg’d, and drowns his wit | |
| In strong drink, tho’ you know that bread and water are all | |
| He can afford. Flatter his wife, pity his children, till we can | 20 |
| Reduce all to our will, as spaniels are taught with art.’ | |
| | | Note 1. 4–9 These lines are additions. In l. 4 ‘you’ is miswritten ‘be’ in the MS. [back] | | |
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