William Blake’s illuminated mythology in America: A Prophecy
The Reversal of the Plagues in America
Near the end of America, Albion’s Angel opens his clouds and musters an enormous host with diseases gathered to cast upon the abyss. At his command the plagues fall towards America like a destructive storm. Blake briefly pictures the interruption of ordinary life: New York’s citizens close their books, Boston’s mariners drop anchor, and a Pennsylvania scribe and Virginia builder put down their tools. The threatened people then rush together amid Orc’s fires. The plagues recoil, strike the English guardians and pass over Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The concluding leaf extends the conflict to Europe, where attempts to close the five gates of a law-built heaven fail against the flames.
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In the sources
An attack ordered from above
DocumentedAlbion’s host brings diseases into the conflict, and the next leaf presents plagues obeying the Angel’s command.
The assault returns to its senders
DocumentedThe Americans gather and the plagues recoil; the following leaf describes the effects upon British guardians and the movement over Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Context & interpretation
These plagues belong to the poem’s visionary action. They are not a medical account, an explanation of historical epidemics or evidence that the American Revolution was caused by supernatural forces.
Original passages
Source 1
America: A Prophecy
And with diseases of the earth to cast upon the AbyssOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: William Blake, America: A Prophecy, Prophecy, Albion’s Angel mustering his hosts; source scan leaf 35 (unpaginated illuminated text)
Actual full scanned leaf inspected and text read within the complete available Preludium/Prophecy sequence. Reproduced title bears1793; physical reproduction date not inferred. / marks a line break.
- Edition
- IMJ-0268-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0268-E001-P0017
- Original scan leaf
- 35
- Recorded leaf number
- 35
- Current Reader position
- 18
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
America: A Prophecy
The red fires ragd! the plagues recoil’d!Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: William Blake, America: A Prophecy, Prophecy, the American response; source scan leaf 37 (unpaginated illuminated text)
Actual full scanned leaf inspected and text read within the complete available Preludium/Prophecy sequence. Reproduced title bears1793; physical reproduction date not inferred. / marks a line break.
- Edition
- IMJ-0268-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0268-E001-P0018
- Original scan leaf
- 37
- Recorded leaf number
- 37
- Current Reader position
- 19
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 3
America: A Prophecy
Drove o’er the Guardians of Ireland and Scotland and WalesOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: William Blake, America: A Prophecy, Prophecy, plagues returning upon the guardians; source scan leaf 39 (unpaginated illuminated text)
Actual full scanned leaf inspected and text read within the complete available Preludium/Prophecy sequence. Reproduced title bears1793; physical reproduction date not inferred. / marks a line break.
- Edition
- IMJ-0268-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0268-E001-P0019
- Original scan leaf
- 39
- Recorded leaf number
- 39
- Current Reader position
- 20
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 4
America: A Prophecy
But the five gates were consum’dOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: William Blake, America: A Prophecy, Prophecy, final leaf; source scan leaf 41 (unpaginated illuminated text)
Actual full scanned leaf inspected and text read within the complete available Preludium/Prophecy sequence. Reproduced title bears1793; physical reproduction date not inferred. / marks a line break.
- Edition
- IMJ-0268-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0268-E001-P0020
- Original scan leaf
- 41
- Recorded leaf number
- 41
- Current Reader position
- 21
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader