| William Blake (1757–1827). The Poetical Works. 1908. | | | | Selections from ‘Jerusalem’ | | [Albion’s Spectre] |
| | (Jerusalem, f. 54, ll. 15–24.)
BUT the Spectre, like a hoar-frost and a mildew, rose over Albion, | |
| Saying: ‘I am God, O Sons of Men! I am your Rational Power! | |
| Am I not Bacon and Newton and Locke, who teach Humility to Man, | |
| Who teach Doubt and Experiment? and my two wings, Voltaire, Rousseau? | |
| Where is that Friend of Sinners, that Rebel against my Laws, | 5 |
| Who teaches Belief to the Nations and an unknown Eternal Life? | |
| Come hither into the desert and turn these stones to bread! | |
| Vain, foolish Man! wilt thou believe without Experiment, | |
| And build a World of Phantasy upon my great Abyss, | |
| A World of Shapes in craving lust and devouring appetite?’ | 10 | | | |
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