Page:The poetical works of William Blake; a new and verbatim text from the manuscript engraved and letterpress originals (1905).djvu/247

Rh liii

'Madman,' I have been call'd : 'Fool,' they call thee. I wonder which they Envy — Thee or Me?

MS. Book, p. 25. Probably addressed to Flaxman. Only printed by EY i. 213.

liv

To H——

You think Fuseli is not a Great Painter. I'm glad. This is one of the best compliments he ever had.

MS. Book, p. 25. Gil. i. 181, EY i. 213. Gil. (wrongly) expands title <To Hayley,' while EY think this and the preceding epigram are addressed to Haines. Both are, without doubt, ' To H[unt].' Cp. the latter's references to Fuseli and Blake, Examiner, no. 75, June 4, 1809, and no. 90, Sept. 17, 1809, also Blake's Advertisement (MS. Book, p. 53) : ' Many people are so foolish to think they can wound Mr. Fuseli over my shoulder. They will find themselves mistaken : they could not wound even Mr. Barry so.' 1 Fuseli is] Fuseli 's EY.

lv

To F——

I mock thee not, though I by thee am Mocked: Thou call'st me Madman, but I call thee Blockhead.

MS. Book, p. 26. DGR and WMR ('Coupl. and Frag.' viii, 'Epigrams,' xvii) with title ' To the Same' [i.e. Flaxman], EY ('Coupl. and Frag.' xiv). WBY omits. Cf. Ixxix.

lvi

Can there be anything more mean, More Malice in disguise, Than Praise a Man for doing what That Man does most despise? Reynolds lectures exactly so When he praises Michael Angelo.

MS. Book, p. 26. Cp. prefatory note to 'Epigrams from Blake's copy of Sir Joshua Reynolds' Discourses' U798). Only ptd. by EY i. 213. 3 what] that MS. Book 1st rdg. del. 4 That man] Which he ibid, 5 Reynolds ... so] This Reynolds' lectures plainly shew ibid.