| William Blake (1757–1827). The Poetical Works. 1908. | | | | Selections from ‘Jerusalem’ | | [The Reasoning Power] |
| | (Jerusalem, f. 10, ll. 7–16.)
AND this is the manner of the Sons of Albion in their strength: | |
| They take the Two Contraries which are call’d Qualities, with which | |
| Every Substance is clothèd; they name them Good and Evil. | |
| From them they make an Abstract, which is a Negation | |
| Not only of the Substance from which it is derivèd, | 5 |
| A murderer of its own Body, but also a murderer | |
| Of every Divine Member. It is the Reasoning Power, | |
| An Abstract objecting power, that negatives everything. | |
| This is the Spectre of Man, the Holy Reasoning Power, | |
| And in its Holiness is closèd the Abomination of Desolation! | 10 | | | |
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