Date: Sun, 26 Nov 1995 09:35:07 -0800
From: Ralph Dumain <rdumain-AT-igc.apc.org>
Subject: WILLIAM BLAKE AGAINST CAPITAL ACCUMULATION


WILLIAM BLAKE AGAINST CAPITAL ACCUMULATION, ITS LOGIC & RELIGION

(compiled by Ralph Dumain for WB's birthday)

Till a system was formed, which some took advantage of, & enslav'd
the vulgar by attempting to realize or abstract the mental deities
from their objects: thus began Priestood; Choosing forms of worship
from poetic tales.  And at length they pronounc'd that the Gods had
order'd such things.  Thus men forgot that All deities reside in 
the human breast.  

     [The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, 11 (1790-1793)] 

Thus one portion of being is the Prolific, the other the Devouring:
to the Devourer it seems as if the producer was in his chains; but 
it is not so, he only takes portions of existence and fancies that 
the whole.

But the Prolific would cease to be Prolific unless the Devourer, as
a sea, received the excess of his delights.

Some will say: "Is not God alone the prolific?" I answer: "God only
Acts & Is, in existing beings or Men."

These two classes of men are always upon earth, & they should be 
enemies: whoever tries to reconcile them seeks to destroy 
existence.

Religion is an endeavor to reconcile the two.  

     [The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, 15-17]

Opposition is true Friendship.  

     [The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, 20]

"With what sense does the parson claim the labour of the farmer?
"What are his nets & gins & traps; & how does he surround him
"With cold floods of abstraction, and with forests of solitude,
"To build him castles and high spires, where kings & priests may 
    dwell 

     [Visions of the Daughers of Albion, 5: 17-20 (1793)]

Lo, a shadow of horror is risen
In Eternity! Unknown, unprolific,
Self-clos'd, all-repelling: what Demon
Hath form'd this abominable void,
This soul-shudd'ring vacuum? Some said
"It is Urizen." But unknown, abstracted,
Brooding, secret, the dark power hid.

     [The First Book of Urizen, chap. I, no. 1 (1794)] 

"Shall not the Councellor throw his curb
"Of Poverty on the laborious,
"To fix the price of labour,
"To invent allegoric riches?

     [The Song of Los: Asia, 6: 15-19 (1795)]

"Shall we worship this Demon of smoke,"
Said Fuzon, "this abstract non-entity,
"This cloudy God seated on waters,
"Now seen, now obscur'd, King of sorrow?"

     [The Book of Ahania, chap. I, no. 2 (1795)]

A Tyrant is the Worst disease & the Cause of all others.

     [Annotations to Bacon, p. 67 (circa 1798)]

You cannot regulate the price of Necessaries without destruction.

     [Annotations to Bacon, p. 68-9] 

The Kingdom of Heaven is the direct Negation of Earthly 
domination.  

     [Annotations to Bacon, p. 137]

Bacon calls Intellectual Arts Unmanly.  Poetry, Painting, Music 
are in his opinion Useless & so they are for Kings & Wars & shall 
in the End Annihilate them.

     [Annotations to Bacon, p. 143-4]

It is not True what a Cruel Man says.

     [Annotations to Bacon, p. 193] 

Cunning & Morality are not Poetry but Philosophy; the Poet is 
Independent & Wicked; the Philosopher is Dependent & Good. 

     [Annotations to Boyd's Dante, pp. 45-6 (circa 1800)]

The Bible says That Cultivated Life Existed First.  Uncultivated 
Life comes afterwards from Satan's Hirelings.  Necessaries, 
Accommodations & Ornaments are the whole of Life.  Satan took away 
Ornament First.  Next he took away Accommodations, & Then he became
Lord & Master of Necessaries.

     [Annotations to Reynolds, p. i (circa 1808)]

Liberality!  we want not Liberality.  We want a Fair Price & 
Proportionate Value & a General Demand for Art.

     [Annotations to Reynolds, p. ii]

To Generalize is to be an Idiot.  To Particularize is the Alone 
Distinction of Merit.  General Knowledges are those Knowledges that
Idiots possess. 

     [Annotations to Reynolds, p. xcviii]

What is General Nature?  is there Such a Thing?  what is General 
Knowledge?  is there such a Thing?  Strictly Speaking All Knowledge
is Particular."   

     [Annotations to Reynolds, p. 61]

----------------------------------------

Dedicated to the memory of William Blake, born in London
28 November 1757 and died several times since.

All quotations from BLAKE: COMPLETE WRITINGS edited by Geoffrey 
Keynes.  London: Oxford University Press, 1971.  References give
plate and line no. unless otherwise indicated, followed by year.

More to come.


POSTSCRIPT:

"Truth can never be told so as to be understood, and not be 
believ'd."  [The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, 10:9]


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