William Blake

“ Swelld limbs with no outline that you can descry
That Stink in the Nose of a Stander by
But all the Pulp washd painted finishd with labour
Of an hundred journeymens how dye do Neighbour
A Pretty Epigram
A Pretty Epigram for the Entertainment of
those who have Paid Great Sums in the
Venetian & Flemish Ooze
Nature & Art in this together Suit
What is Most Grand is always most Minute
Rubens thinks Tables Chairs & Stools are Grand
But Rafael thinks A Head a foot a hand
"These are the Idiots chiefest arts..." ”

“ Outline Theres no outline Theres no such thing
10All is Chiaro Scuro Poco Piu its all Colouring
Snap. Snap! he has lost shadow & substance too
He had them both before now how do ye do
A great deal better than I was before
Those who taste colouring love it more & more
"Great Men & Fools do often me Inspire..."
Great Men & Fools do often me Inspire
But the Greater Fool the Greater Liar
"Some people admire the work of a Fool..." ”

“ Thy never can Rafael it Fuseli it nor Blake it
5
If they cant see an outline pray how can they make it
When Men will draw outlines begin you to jaw them
Madmen see outlines & therefore they draw them
"You say their Pictures well Painted be..."
You say their Pictures well Painted be
And yet they are Blockheads you all agree
Thank God I never was sent to school
To be Flogd into following the Style of a Fool
"The Errors of a Wise Man make your Rule..."
The Errors of a Wise Man make your Rule
Rather than the Perfections of a Fool
"Great things are done when Men & Mountains meet..." ”

“ For the dog at the wintry door
"When Klopstock England defied..." On the Virginity of the Virgin Mary & Johanna Southcott
Whateer is done to her she cannot know
And if youll ask her she will swear it so
Whether tis good or evil none's to blame
No one can take the pride no one the shame ”

“ If you have formd a Circle to go into
Go into it yourself & see how you would do
"Since all the Riches of this World..." ”

“ It is not like a lawyer serving a writ
"Her whole Life is an Epigram smack smooth & nobly pend..."
Her whole Life is an Epigram smack smooth & nobly pend
Platted quite neat to catch applause with a sliding noose at the end [21]
"When a Man has Married a Wife..." ”

“ Seem a Child & be a Child
And the Phoenix is beguild
But if thou seem'st a Fairy thing
Then it flies on glancing Wing
WILLIAM BLAKE
_____________________________
↑ "“When Klopstock England defied” N 1 (pencil) G. Keynes in his edition omitted 4 lines after line 28 as illegible. D. Erdman printed them in full. He dated the poem as ca 1797-99, and mentioned the well known fact that "Klopstock had been declaring to English visitors that their language was incapable of the epic grandeur of hexameters, and be had spoken with scorn of English writers' coarseness of tone traceable to Swift. ”

“ For now 1st rdg del↑ Blakes apology for his Catalogue N 62-63, 65
First and much revised draft on pp 62 and 63; title on p 62; fair copy, without title, on p 65; Keynes, pp 595-596, separates out the first draft (with one mistake, the including of “with joy” in line 4) , gives a composite of first and revised drafts on pp 554-555, and the fair copy on pp 555-556, but without all Blake's renumbering of lines for rearrangement. ”

“ And Blake is an unfortunate Lunatic
The title was then crowded in above this addition, “Blakes apology” being his defense against the Examiner.↑ “"Cosway Frazer & Baldwin of Egypts Lake..." N 37
7 tother] one 1st rdg del
8 Virtuous] Righteous 1st rdg del↑ 1 as a genius] as an [Artist] ms rdg↑ A peck of poisons not a peck of salt 1st rdg↑ “He has observd the Golden Rule...” This epigram is written above of the title The Golden Rule and four erased lines that could be read as:
The Golden Rule. ”