During the
time that Blake was most reproachful about the treatment he has
received at the hands of Cromek for cheating him out of the
earnings he should have received for engraving his designs of
Blair's The Grave, he made a unique entry into his
notebook.
British Museum
Blake's Notebook
Page 88
|
British Museum
Blake's Notebook
Page 89
|
Miscellaneous Prose, Memoranda from Notebook, PAGE 88, (E 696)
"South Molton Street
Sunday August . 18O7 My Wife was told by a Spirit to look
for her fortune by opening by chance a book which she had in her
hand it was Bysshes Art of Poetry. She opend the following
I saw 'em kindle with Desire
While with soft sighs they blew the fire
Saw the approaches of their joy
He growing more fierce & she less coy
Saw how they mingled melting rays
Exchanging Love a thousand ways
Kind was the force on every side
Her new desire she could not hide
Nor would the shepherd be denied
The blessed minute he pursud
Till she transported in his arms
Yields to the Conqueror all her charms
His panting breast to hers now joind
They feast on raptures unconfind
Vast & luxuriant such as prove
The immortality of Love
For who but a Divinity
Could mingle souls to that degree
And melt them into Extasy
Now like the Phoenix both expire
While from the ashes of their fire
Spring up a new & soft desire
Like charmers thrice they did invoke
The God & thrice new Vigor took
BEHN
I was so well pleased with her Luck that I thought I would try my
Own & opend the following
As when the winds their airy quarrel try
Justling from every quarter of the Sky
This way & that the Mountain oak they bear
His boughs they shatter & his branches tear
PAGE 89
With leaves & falling mast they spread the Ground
The hollow Valleys Eccho [the] to the Sound
Unmovd the royal plant their fury mocks
Or shaken clings more closely to the rocks
For as he shoots his lowring head on high
So deep in earth his fixd foundations lie
DRYDENS VIRGIL"
The book in
which they found these verses which affirmed and comforted them
was a popular work by Edward Bysshe which was first published in
1702 and revised several times.
The Art of English Poetry contains sections on writing
poetry, quotes from numerous poets arranged by themes, and a
rhyming dictionary. In this electronic copy of the 1737 edition you can locate the passage Catherine selected: Vol i, Page 139. William's selection is included on Page 9 in Vol ii of the 1762 edition.
This is the poem Blake wrote in the notebook following the poetry he copied from The Art of English Poetry.
British Museum
Blake's Notebook
Page 4
|
Songs & Ballads, From Notebook, (E 481)
"I rose up at the dawn of day
Get thee away get thee away
Prayst thou for Riches away away
This is the Throne of Mammon grey
Said I this sure is very odd
I took it to be the Throne of God
For every Thing besides I have
It is only for Riches that I can crave
I have Mental Joy & Mental Health
And Mental Friends & Mental wealth
Ive a Wife I love & that loves me
Ive all But Riches Bodily
I am in Gods presence night & day
And he never turns his face away
The accuser of sins by my side does stand
And he holds my money bag in his hand
For my worldly things God makes him pay
And hed pay for more if to him I would pray
And so you may do the worst you can do
Be assurd Mr Devil I wont pray to you
Then If for Riches I must not Pray
God knows I little of Prayers need say
So as a Church is known by its Steeple
If I pray it must be for other People
He says if I do not worship him for a God
I shall eat coarser food & go worse shod
So as I dont value such things as these
You must do Mr Devil just as God please"
1 comment:
Legend on picture:
"When a Man has Married a Wife
he finds out whether
Her knees & elbows are only
glued together"
Post a Comment