The Marriage of Heaven and Hell — A Memorable Fancy 8
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell — A Memorable Fancy 8
William Blake
Once I saw a Devil in a flame of fire, who arose before an Angel that
sat on a cloud, and the Devil uttered these words: "The worship of God
is, honouring His gifts in other men each according to his genius, and
loving the greatest men best. Those who envy or calumniate great men
hate God, for there is no other God."
The Angel hearing this became almost blue, but mastering himself he
grew yellow, and at last white-pink and smiling, and then replied:
"Thou idolater, is not God One? and is not He visible in Jesus
Christ? and has not Jesus Christ given His sanction to the law of ten
commandments? and are not all other men fools, sinners, and nothings?"
The Devil answered: "Bray a fool in a mortar with wheat, yet shall not
his folly be beaten out of him. If Jesus Christ is the greatest man,
you ought to love Him in the greatest degree. Now hear how He has given
His sanction to the law of ten commandments. Did He not mock at the
Sabbath, and so mock the Sabbath's God? murder those who were murdered
because of Him? turn away the law from the woman taken in adultery,
steal the labour of others to support Him? bear false witness when
He omitted making a defence before Pilate? covet when He prayed for
His disciples, and when He bid them shake off the dust of their feet
against such as refused to lodge them? I tell you, no virtue can exist
without breaking these ten commandments. Jesus was all virtue, and
acted from impulse, not from rules."
When he had so spoken, I beheld the Angel, who stretched out his arms
embracing the flame of fire, and he was consumed, and arose as Elijah.
_Note._--This Angel, who is now become a Devil, is my particular
friend; we often read the Bible together in its infernal or diabolical
sense, which the world shall have if they behave well.
I have also the Bible of Hell, which the world shall have whether they
will or no.
One law for the lion and ox is Oppression.
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Complete poem text from the cited public-domain source edition.
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