Page:The poetical works of William Blake; a new and verbatim text from the manuscript engraved and letterpress originals (1905).djvu/251

Rh lxvii

To S———d

You all your Youth observ'd the Golden Rule, Till you're at last become the golden fool : I sport with Fortune, Merry, Blithe and Gay, Like to the Lion sporting with his Prey. Take you the hide & horns which you may wear, Mine is the flesh — the bones may be your share.

MS. Book, p. 30. Only in EY (i. 214) 'addressed to I——— d (Who was I ———d ?).' A similar misreading of Blake's capital S for I occurs in their text of Ixxvi. This and the preceding epigram refer of course to Stothard. In its original form this epigram was written in the third person, ' he ' for ' you,' ' his ' for ' your,' and ' He has ' for ' Take you ' in 1. 5. 1 Youth] life EY. 5 Take you] You have EY.

lxviii

Mr Stothard to Mr Cromek

For Fortune's favours you your riches bring, But Fortune says she gave you no such thing. Why should you be ungrateful to your friends, Sneaking, & backbiting, & Odds-&-Ends?

MS. Book, p. 31. Swinb. p. 53, EY i. 214. 1 favours] favour Swinb. 3 be ungrateful] prove ungrateful Swinb.; be unfaithful EY.

lxix

Mr Cromek to Mr Stothard

Fortune favours the Brave, old proverbs say ; But not with Money; that is not the way. Turn back, turn back ; you travel all in vain ; Turn through the iron gate down sneaking lane.

MS. Book, p. 31. Swinb. p. 53, EY i. 215, WHY ('Coupl.' 6) without title. 4 sneaking lane] Sneaking Lane Swinb. Rh