either side of the throne above, and in the two angels
with the scroll at the left-hand corner. Behind these two figures you
again have its use accentuating by repetition the peaceful line of the
hacks of the sheep. The same thing can be seen in Plate XXXI, B, where
the parallelism of the back lines of the sheep and the legs of the
seated figures gives a look of peace contrasting with the violence of
the messenger come to tell of the destruction of Job's sons. The
emphasis that parallelism gives to the music of particular lines is well
illustrated in all Blake's work. He is a mine of information on the
subject of line rhythm. Compare A with Plate XXXI, C; note how the
emotional quality is dependent in both cases on the parallelism of the
upward flow of the lines. How also in Plate I he has carried the
vertical feeling even into the sheep in the front, introducing little
bands of vertical shading to carry through the vertical lines made by
the kneeling figures. And in the last plate, "So the Lord blessed the
latter end of Job more than the beginning," note how the greater
completeness with which the parallelism has been carried out has given a
much greater emphasis to the effect, expressing a greater exaltation and
peace than in Plate XXXI, A. Notice in Plate XXXI, D, where "The just,
upright man is laughed to scorn," how this power of emphasis is used to
increase the look of scorn hurled at Job by the pointing fingers of his
three friends.

Of the use of this principle in curved forms, the repetition of the line
of the back in stooping figures is a favourite device with Blake. There
will be found instances of this in Plate XXXII, E and G. (Further
instances will be found on reference to Plates VII, VIII, XIII, and
XVII, in Blake's Job.) In the last instance it is interesting to note
how he has balanced the composition, which has three figures kneeling on
the right and only one on the left. By losing the outline of the third
figure on the right and getting a double line out of the single figure
on the left by means of the outline of the mass of hair, and also by
shading this single figure more strongly, he has contrived to keep a
perfect balance. The head of Job is also turned to the left, while he
stands slightly on that side, still further balancing the three figures
on the right. (This does not show so well in the illustration here
reproduced as in the original print.)

[Illustration: Plate XXXI.

Thus did Job con