OPPOSER OF CHANGE

Blake Archive
Book of Urizen
Plate 5

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is credited with the idea that
the only constant in life is change. Of the few fragments of his writings 
remain, there is one in which he says:

"Everything changes and nothing remains still; and you cannot step twice into the same stream."

From wikipedia we learn more:  

"Heraclitus’ quote is perhaps best known through its interpretation in the dialogue “Cratylus” by Plato.

Socrates: "Heraclitus, I believe, says that all things pass and nothing stays, and comparing existing things to the flow of a river, he says you could not step twice into the same river." (Plato Cratylus 402)

In popular parlance Heraiclitus' insight is often restated as "Change is the only constant."

Blake's Zoa Urizen was opposed to change. The portrait Blake gives us of Urizen shows an individual whose effort was directed toward controlling the future, limiting the actions of others, and producing rules which would prevent change from happening. We are told that Urizen was fond of writing books to supervise the behavior of others in various spheres.

Apparently Urizen devoted significant time to producing his Book of Brass which (as Damon tells us) contains laws for establishing an ideal society.

Book of Urizen, Plate 4, (E 71)

4: From the depths of dark solitude. From
The eternal abode in my holiness,
Hidden set apart in my stern counsels
Reserv'd for the days of futurity,
I have sought for a joy without pain,                            

For a solid without fluctuation"

The perfect society for Urizen would be static. It would not allow for any change because that would obviate the control of the future which Urizen required.

Four Zoas, Night VII,  Page 80, (E 355)
"And Urizen Read in his book of brass in sounding tones    

Listen O Daughters to my voice Listen to the Words of Wisdom
So shall [ye] govern over all let Moral Duty tune your tongue 
But be your hearts harder than the nether millstone
To bring the shadow of Enitharmon beneath our wondrous tree   
That Los may Evaporate like smoke & be no more
Draw down Enitharmon to the Spectre of Urthona
And let him have dominion over Los the terrible shade

Compell the poor to live upon a Crust of bread by soft mild arts
Smile when they frown frown when they smile & when a man looks pale
With labour & abstinence say he looks healthy & happy
And when his children Sicken let them die there are enough
Born even too many & our Earth will be overrun
Without these arts If you would make the poor live with temper
With pomp give every crust of bread you give with gracious cunning 
Magnify small gifts reduce the man to want a gift & then give with pomp 
Say he smiles if you hear him sigh If pale say he is ruddy
Preach temperance   say he is overgorgd & drowns his wit
In strong drink tho you know that bread & water are all
He can afford   Flatter his wife pity his children till we can   

Reduce all to our will as spaniels are taught with art"

Four Zoas, Night VI, Page 73, (E 350) 

"Here will I fix my foot & here rebuild
Her Mountains of Brass promise much riches in their dreadful bosoms

So he began to dig form[ing] of gold silver & iron   
And brass vast instruments to measure out the immense & fix
The whole into another world better suited to obey
His will where none should dare oppose his will himself being King
Of All & all futurity be bound in his vast chain" 

In implementing the perfect autocratic society under his own dominance Urizen found himself opposed by Orc the embodiment of revolution. Urizen  wrote the Book of Iron describing the ruin and sorrow which results from the conflict between established systems and the impetus of change.

Four Zoas, Night VII, Page 79, (E 355)

"Urizen answerd Read my books explore my Constellations 
Enquire of my Sons & they shall teach thee how to War
Enquire of my Daughters who accursd in the dark depths
Knead bread of Sorrow by my stern command for I am God
Of all this dreadful ruin   Rise O daughters at my Stern command

Rending the Rocks Eleth & Uveth rose & Ona rose       
Terrific with their iron vessels driving them across
In the dim air they took the book of iron & placd above
On clouds of death & sang their songs Kneading the bread of Orc
Orc listend to the song compelld hungring on the cold wind
That swaggd heavy with the accursed dough. the hoar frost ragd   
Thro Onas sieve   the torrent rain pourd from the iron pail
Of Eleth & the icy hands of Uveth kneaded the bread
The heavens bow with terror underneath their iron hands
Singing at their dire work the words of Urizens book of iron
While the enormous scrolls rolld dreadful in the heavens above   
And still the burden of their song in tears was poured forth
The bread is Kneaded let us rest O cruel father of children
But Urizen remitted not their labours upon his rock" 

Urizen's books are not to be taken lightly. What he writes has a life of its own. Even if it is discarded or replaced it continues to exert its influence. Man, through his inner Urizen, repeatedly writes of the conflicts resulting from the need to preserve the past and the need to enter the future.

Four Zoas, Night  VI, Page 71, (E 348) 

"But still his books he bore in his strong hands & his iron pen   
For when he died they lay beside his grave & when he rose   
He siezd them with a gloomy smile for wrapd in his death clothes  
He hid them when he slept in death when he revivd the clothes
Were rotted by the winds the books remaind still unconsumd

Still to be written & interleavd with brass & iron & gold 
Time after time for such a journey none but iron pens           
Can write And adamantine leaves recieve nor can the man who goes

Page 72 
The journey obstinate refuse to write time after time"  

Albion appealed to Urizen to put aside his anger but he clung to his books until he was trapped in a labyrinth of unsolvable Mystery. Although Urizen escaped, his book of Iron remained behind. Nothing could abide the wrath of Orc or the resolve of Urizen.

Four Zoas, Night VII, Page 78, (E 353) 
"For Urizen fixd in Envy sat brooding & coverd with snow
His book of iron on his knees he tracd the dreadful letters
While his snows fell & his storms beat to cool the flames of Orc
Age after Age till underneath his heel a deadly root
Struck thro the rock the root of Mystery accursed shooting up   
Branches into the heaven of Los they pipe formd bending down
Take root again whereever they touch again branching forth
In intricate labyrinths oerspreading many a grizly deep

 Amazd started Urizen when he found himself compassd round
And high roofed over with trees. he arose but the stems          
Stood so thick he with difficulty & great pain brought
His books out of the dismal shade. all but the book of iron
Again he took his seat & rangd his Books around
On a rock of iron frowning over the foaming fires of Orc

And Urizen hung over Orc & viewd his terrible wrath              
Sitting upon an iron Crag at length his words broke forth 

Four Zoas, Night IX, Page 120, (E 389) 

 "The Eternal Man sat on the Rocks & cried with awful voice

O Prince of Light where art thou   I behold thee not as once
In those Eternal fields in clouds of morning stepping forth 
With harps & songs where bright Ahania sang before thy face
And all thy sons & daughters gatherd round my ample table
See you not all this wracking furious confusion
Come forth from slumbers of thy cold abstraction come forth
Arise to Eternal births shake off thy cold repose 
Schoolmaster of souls great opposer of change arise
That the Eternal worlds may see thy face in peace & joy
That thou dread form of Certainty maist sit in town & village
While little children play around thy feet in gentle awe
Fearing thy frown loving thy smile O Urizen Prince of light

Image of dread whence art thou whence is this most woful place
Whence these fierce fires but from thyself No other living thing
In all this Chasm I behold. No other living thing
Dare thy most terrible wrath abide   Bound here to waste in pain" 

Blake resolved his conundrum in the final pages of The four Zoas. The various aspects of the Eternal Man were restored to their original positions and functions. Urizen was reunited with his emanation. Damon states that "Orc burns himself out, especially when Urizen stops trying to control him; and he becomes Luvah again." 

Four Zoas, Night IX, Page 125, (E  394)

"The seed is harrowd in while flames heat the black mould & cause
The human harvest to begin Towards the south first sprang 
The myriads & in silent fear they look out from their graves

Then Urizen sits down to rest & all his wearied Sons
Take their repose on beds they drink they sing they view the flames
Of Orc in joy they view the human harvest springing up
A time they give to sweet repose till all the harvest is ripe    

And Lo like the harvest Moon Ahania cast off her death clothes
She folded them up in care in silence & her brightning limbs
Bathd in the clear spring of the rock then from her darksom cave
Issud in majesty divine   Urizen rose up from his couch
On wings of tenfold joy clapping his hands his feet his radiant wings
In the immense as when the Sun dances upon the mountains
A shout of jubilee in lovely notes responding from daughter to daughter
From son to Son as if the Stars beaming innumerable
Thro night should sing soft warbling filling Earth & heaven
And bright Ahania took her seat by Urizen in songs & joy         

The Eternal Man also sat down upon the Couches of Beulah
Sorrowful that he could not put off his new risen body
In mental flames the flames refusd they drove him back to Beulah
His body was redeemd to be permanent thro Mercy Divine

Page 126 
And now fierce Orc had quite consumd himself in Mental flames
Expending all his energy against the fuel of fire
The Regenerate Man stoopd his head over the Universe & in   
His holy hands recievd the flaming Demon & Demoness of Smoke
And gave them to Urizens hands the Immortal frownd Saying        

Luvah & Vala henceforth you are Servants obey & live
You shall forget your former state return O Love in peace
Into your place the place of seed not in the brain or heart"

While writing Jerusalem later in his career Blake returned to the theme of conflict between Urizen's desire to preserve the status quo and Orc's inclination to foster change. While Golgonooza was being built contentions between Los and the Spectre continued. However the Spectre had been forced to see the consequences of his own actions.

Jerusalem, Plate 10, (E 154)
"So spoke the Spectre shuddring, & dark tears ran down his shadowy face
Which Los wiped off, but comfort none could give! or beam of hope
Yet ceasd he not from labouring at the roarings of his Forge
With iron & brass Building Golgonooza in great contendings
Till his Sons & Daughters came forth from the Furnaces
At the sublime Labours for Los. compelld the invisible Spectre   
Plate 11
To labours mighty, with vast strength, with his mighty chains,
In pulsations of time, & extensions of space, like Urns of Beulah
With great labour upon his anvils, & in his ladles the Ore
He lifted, pouring it into the clay ground prepar'd with art;
Striving with Systems to deliver Individuals from those Systems; 
That whenever any Spectre began to devour the Dead,
He might feel the pain as if a man gnawd his own tender nerves."