Page:The poetical works of William Blake; a new and verbatim text from the manuscript engraved and letterpress originals (1905).djvu/268

226 cv

English Encouragement of Art : Cro- mek's opinions put into rhyme

If you mean to Please Everybody, you will Menny wouver both Bunglishness & skill ; For a great conquest are Bunglers, And. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . like mad ranters ! Like displaying oil and water in a lamp, 5 'Twill hold forth a huge splutter with smoke and damp ; For it 's all sheer loss, as it seems to me, Of displaying up a light when we want not to see.

MS. Book, p. 41. EY i. 223 (with ' Encouragers' for 'Encouragement' and 'opinion' for 'opinions' in title) print the earlier and clearer version which reads : —


 * 'If you mean to please everybody you will
 * Set to work both ignorance and skill.
 * For a great multitude are ignorant,
 * And skill to them seems raving and rant.
 * Like putting oil and water in a lamp,
 * 'Twill make a great splutter with smoke and damp.
 * For there is no use as it seems to me
 * Of lighting a lamp, when you don't wish to see.'

2 Menny wouver] read manoeuvre. See note to civ, 1. 4. 4 Obscurely written. *5 in] into EY. *8 Of] For EY.

cxvi

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 Flog'd into following the Style of a Fool. The errors of a wise man make your Rule, 5 Rather than the Perfections of a Fool.

MS. Book, p. 42. The last couplet is separated from the two preceding by a sketch. DGR and WMR print the second and third couplets as separate epigrams ; EY i. 223, 11. 1-4, and 5, 6 as distinct pieces ; WBY the last couplet only. 3 God] heaven EY. 4 To. . . Fool] To learn to admire the works of a Fool MS. Book 1st rdg. del.