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(Milton, f. 27, l. 44–f. 28, l. 3.)
BUT others of the Sons of Los build Moments and Minutes and Hours, | |
| And Days and Months and Years, and Ages and Periods: wondrous buildings! | |
| And every Moment has a Couch of gold for soft repose— | |
| A Moment equals a pulsation of the artery— | |
| And between every two Moments stands a Daughter of Beulah, | 5 |
| To feed the Sleepers on their Couches with maternal care. | |
| And every Minute has an azure Tent with silken Veils; | |
| And every Hour has a bright golden Gate carvèd with skill; | |
| And every Day and Night has Walls of brass and Gates of adamant, | |
| Shining like precious stones, and ornamented with appropriate signs; | 10 |
| And every Month a silver-pavèd Terrace, builded high; | |
| And every Year invulnerable Barriers with high Towers; | |
| And every Age is moated deep with Bridges of silver and gold; | |
| And every Seven Ages is encircled with a Flaming Fire. | |
| Now Seven Ages is amounting to Two Hundred Years: | 15 |
| Each has its Guard, each Moment, Minute, Hour, Day, Month and Year; | |
| All are the work of Fairy hands of the Four Elements: | |
| The Guard are Angels of Providence on duty evermore. | |
| Every Time less than a pulsation of the artery | |
| Is equal in its period and value to Six Thousand Years; | 20 |
| For in this Period the Poet’s Work is done; and all the great | |
| Events of Time start forth and are conceiv’d in such a Period, | |
| Within a Moment, a Pulsation of the Artery. | |
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