The Devil in William Blake

Here is one of the Proverbs of Hell: “What is now proved was once, only imagin’d.” When William Blake inscribed these devilish words in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, he meant to tweak the claims of science. Imagination always came first, while facts and evidence bobbed in its wake. From Blake’s point of view, the proverb laments a fatal historical shift from “only” as all-encompassing to “only” as “merely.” At one time human beings viewed the world as a reflection of their own desires and visions, but now they disbelieve whatever cannot be proved; the Book of Nature has taken the place of the Bible. The scientific revolution brings out the devil in Blake. He wants to write a new bible, to loosen the iron grip of reason and put imagination back on its throne.