And Was Jerusalem Builded Here?

And was Jerusalem builded here?

The first half of William Blake’s hymn “Jerusalem” consists of four questions:

“And did those feet in ancient times, walk upon England’s mountains green?

 And was the holy Lamb of God, in England’s pleasant pastures seen?

 And did the countenance divine, shine forth amongst these clouded hills?

 And was Jerusalem builded here, amongst these dark, satanic mills?

Why did he ask such odd questions and what are the answers?

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On the north side of the River Thames, next to Westminster Bridge, stands a statue of Boudicea, Queen of the Iceni who the plaque records died in 61AD, “after leading her people against the Roman invader.” Boudicea, spear in hand stands atop a chariot, behind which stand two dishevelled, half naked girls. The two girls are not mentioned on the plaque but the symbolism is that they represent Boudicea’s daughters, who had been raped by Roman solders and that it was this outrage which caused Boudicea to lead her people in an uprising against the Romans, which was quickly joined by the whole of the British nation.

Britain had been conquered by Rome in 43AD when -after two previous failed invasions – they came back with overwhelming force. By 61AD she was supposed to be a settled part of the Empire. Never before had the Roman Emperor suffered such a challenge in a place he thought was already beaten. In Milton’s words (faintly adapted):

“His utmost power with adverse power opposed

  in dubious battle upon the plains of Britain

  and shook his throne, what though the field be lost”

The field was eventually lost but Rome had indeed been shaken and accepted that Britain could no longer be run in the way all other parts of the Empire were run. Instead of direct rule by Roman consuls a system was devised for Britain whereby power was devolved down to the local kings or tribal chieftain, who came to operate under and within parameters set by Roman consuls. Gradually the system came to work and the country remained largely at peace.

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Centuries past and a kind of peace existed within the borders of the Roman World. However it was a peace of a downtrodden majority resigned to their lot under a brutal and corrupt elite. A system that was built on mass slavery and which was sustained by the savagery which the rulers showed towards those who crossed them. The Roman Empire held its borders but within them its institutions declined and its population fell. To the east of Rome’s borders by contrast the barbarian hordes were ever increasing in their numbers and gradually came to be less and less intimidated by the reputation of the once legendary legions.