88

in her account Enitharmon gives Albion the lines "I have refus'd to

look upon the Universal Vision./And wilt thou slay with death him

who devotes himself to thee" (K. I. 274-275). Ahania's account gives

a complementary reason for the loss of the "Universal Vision" in

the sense that Ahania depicts Luvah's role in the fall while Enitharmon

depicts Vala's. Thus, Ahania continues, Albion sleeps, dreams and

falls:

"The Dark'ning Man walk'd on the steps of fire

before his halls,

45 "And Vala walk'd with him in dreams of soft

deluding slumber.

"He looked up & saw thee. Prince of Light,

[with del.] thy splendor faded,

"[But saw not Los nor Enitharmon for Luvah hid

them in shadow

"[Of del.)In a soft cloud outstretch'd across,

& Luvah dwelt in the cloud, del.]

(K. III. 44-48)

Vala, the spiritualizing power of mundane passion, is with Albion "in dreams of soft deluding slumber" as he walks on the "steps of fire before his halls." Then, from Albion's' Wearied intellect" rises a "Shadow" of "living gold, pure perfect holy" in "white linen" (K. III. 50-51). In such images Albion's component, mundane passion takes on differentiated form:

"Then Man ascended mourning into the splendors of

his palace,

"Above him rose a Shadow from his wearied intellect

"Of living gold, pure, perfect, holy; in white linen

pure he hover'd,

"A sweet entrancing self delusion, a wat'ry vision

of Man

"Soft exulting in existence, all the Man absorbing.

(K. III. 49-53)

A parallel can be drawn between the ascent of Albion to his mansion and his ascent to the throne of God. As Albion 'returns', so to speak, from the throne of God his intellect is exhausted but