CATALOGUE OF BLAKE'S ENGRAVED DESIGNS

image to the lines (111-113): ** The youth of England hid in gloom,
curse the pained heavens, compelled Into the deadly night to see the
form of Albion's Angel. Their parents brought them forth*" Orc
has made the breach; but, as we see in the concluding part of the
poem, he is for the time being frustrated.

268. Title-page.

The title, America a Prophecy, is written across a cloud with dark
sky around it. Between America and Prophecy is a design ; a woman,
left, teaches a child to read, an old man, right, is immersed in a book
and pays no heed to two ** joys,” male and female, bidding him lift
his eyes. Below the cloud a storm descends on human forms lying
dead, one of whom a woman tries to revive with kisses. Beneath,
Lambeth. Printed by Wiiliam Blake in the year 1793.

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269. Preludium.

At the top of the page, under Preludium, a tree, left, sends out its
branches. To its roots is chained, hand and foot, the naked form of
Orc, on whom his parents, Los and Enitharmon, also nude, look with
grief and horror. Below is the text, by the side of which, left, the
roots of the tree hang twisting above the crouching form of a man.
A snake curls along under the text.

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Los has chained Orc with the chain of jealousy, and repents but
cannot free him.

Cf. The Four Zoas, Night V., 11. 150-172. Lo! the young limbs
had strucken root into the rock, strong Fibres had from the Chain of
Jealously inwove themselves, etc. (See also No. 349.)

270. Page 2. Below the text, a youthful figure (Orc) with flaming hair
is about to spring up from the imprisoning earth, with its roots of
vegetation (error).

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271. Page 3. The text is headed A Prophecy. The A sprouts into ears
of corn, the Prophecy into twisting tendrils. Above soars a nude man
carrying the fetters from which he has freed himself. In the middle
of the text a floating figure blows a trumpet, out of which burst great
flames ; and from rushing flames below three figures are fleeing.

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