41

Los repents, and fuses with her to heal the wound (K. I. 351-354). The sexual violence and erratic surges of emotion are all character­istic of the fall into division and moral blindness.

Los complements Enitharmon's song of the fall with his prophetic vision of the coming cycle; Christ's sacrifice and resurrection. He beholds "the fallen Man/Seeking to comfort Vala" (K. I. 284-285) at the beginning of the cycle, and his prophetic consciousness speaks of the intervention of Christ,

Los tells Enitharmon that Albion is asleep:

"But we, immortal in our own strength, survive by stern

debate

"Till we have drawn the Lamb of God into a mortal form.

"And that he must be born certain, for One must be

All

295 "And comprehend within himself all things both small &

great.

"We therefore, for whose sake all things aspire to be

& live,

"Will so receive the Divine Image that amongst the

Reprobate

"He may be devoted to destruction from his mothers

womb.

"I see, invisible descend into the Gardens of Vala,

300                    "Luvah walking on the winds; I see the invisible knife,

301                    "I see the shower of blood, I see the swords & spears of futurity.

(K. I. 291-301)

Albion is in the "deadly sleep" of the `night' of eternity and his component energies "survive by stern debate" until the "Lamb of God" is drawn down to a "mortal form," destined "to destruction from his mother's womb." The "invisible knife" that cuts off "the Mantle of Luvah from/The Lamb of God" (K. VIII. 350-351), or reveals infinite being at the crucifixion, is depicted by Los. The "shower of blood" foreshadows the apocalypse of Night the Ninth: "Blood issu'd out in rushing volumes, pouring in whirlpools fierce/From out the flood gates