A Memorable Fancy Plate 15

(PLATE 15) I was in a printing house in hell & saw the method in which
knowledge is transmitted from generation to generation. In the first chamber
was a dragon-man, clearing away the rubbish from a cave's mouth; within, a
number of dragons were hollowing the cave. In the second chamber was a viper
folding round the rock & the cave, and others were adorning it with gold,
silver and precious stones. In the third chamber was an eagle with wings and
feathers of air: he caused the inside of the cave to be infinite; around were
numbers of eagle-like men, who built palaces in the immense cliffs. In the
fourth chamber were lions of flaming fire, raging around & melting the metals
into living fluids. In the fifth chamber were unnam'd forms, which cast the
metals into the expanse. There they receiv'd by men who occupied the sixth
chamber, and took the forms of book & were arranged in libraries. (PLATES
16-17) The giants who formed this world into its sensual existence and now
seem to live in it in chains, are in truth the causes of its life & the
sources of all activity; but the chains are the cunning of weak and tame minds
which have power to resist energy, according to the proverb, the weak in
courage is strong in cunning. Thus one portion of beings is the prolific, the
other the devouring: to the devourer it seems as if the producer was in his
chains: but it is no so, he only takes portions of existence and fancies that
the whole. But the prolific would cease to be prolific unless the devourer,
as a sea received the excess of his delights. Some will say: 'Is not God
alone the prolific?' I answer: 'God only acts & is, in existing beings or
men'. These two classes of men are always upon earth, & they should be
enemies: whoever tries to reconcile them seeks to destroy existence. Religion
is an endeavour to reconcile the two. Note: Jesus Christ did not wish to
unite, but to seperate them, as in the parable of sheep and goats! & He says:
'I came not to send peace, but a sword.' Messiah or Satan or tempter was
formerly thought to be one of the antediluvians who are our energies.