Page:Life of William Blake, Gilchrist.djvu/360

 reduction, by Blake, of a portion of the Canterbury Pilgrimage,—including eight of the principal figures in the left-hand corner,—which forms the frontispiece to a duodecimo volume, published at Newberry's famous shop in St. Paul's Churchyard. The little book, with its small specimen or taste, as as it were, of the original composition, was evidently intended to spread a knowledge of the larger engraving. The title runs thus: 'The Prologue and Characters of Chaucer's Pilgrims, selected from the Canterbury Tales, intended to illustrate a particular design of Mr. William Blake, which is engraved by himself, and may be seen at Mr. Colnaghi's, Cockspur Street; at Mr. [James] Blake's, No. 28, Broad Street, Golden Square; and at the publisher's, Mr. Harris, Bookseller, St. Paul's Churchyard. Price two shillings and sixpence. 1812.' The brief introductory preface is not from Blake's hand; possibly from that of the friendly pedagogue, Malkin. 'To the genius and fancy of that celebrated man, Mr. Blake,' writes the editor, after a notice of Southwark and the Tabard Inn, 'it occurred, that though the names and habits of men altered by time, yet their characters remained the same; and as Chaucer had drawn them four hundred years past, he might as justly delineate them at the present period, and by a pleasant picture, bring to our imagination the merry company setting out upon their journey. As the Canterbury Tales may be too long a story for modern amusement, I have selected the Prologue and the characters' (the whole Introduction, in short) 'that the heads as represented by Mr. Blake may be compared with the lineaments drawn by Chaucer, and I think the merit of the artist will be acknowleged.' A double text is given on opposite pages: the original from Speght's edition of 1687, and a modernized version, or free translation, from Mr. Ogle's edition of 1741. The frontispiece is well engraved in Blake's style, with necessary and skilful variations from the large engraving; the distribution of light being different, and some of the details improved,—the towers and spires