Notebook of William Blake

The Notebook [Butlin #201] consists of 58 leaves and contains autograph drafts by Blake of poems and prose with numerous sketches and designs, mostly in pencil. Containing two pages of preface, alongside 94 pages of sketches, each page is approximately 159 x 197mm. The original leaves were later bound with a partial copy (ff. 62–94) of 'All that is of any value in the foregoing pages' that is Rossettis' transcription of Blake's notebook (added after 1847).See: Rossetti Manuscript online: [http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Add_MS_49460 1] [http://www.rossettiarchive.org/docs/3-1862.blms.radheader.html 2]

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 004-.jpg

At first the Notebook belonged to Blake's favourite younger brother and pupil Robert who made a few pencil sketches and ink-and-wash drawings in it. After death of Robert in February 1787, Blake inherited the volume beginning it with the series of sketches for many emblematic designs on a theme of life of a man from his birth to death. Then, reversing the book he wrote on its last pages a series of poems of {{circa|1793}}. He continued the book in 1800s returning to the first pages. All together the Notebook contains about 170 poems plus fragments of prose: Memoranda (1807), Draft for Prospectus of the Engraving of Chaucer's Canterbury Pilgrims (1809), Public Address (1810), A Vision of the Last Judgment (1810). The latest work in the Notebook is a long and elaborated but unfinished poem The Everlasting Gospel dated c. 1818.

On the page 4 is placed a short humorous poem "When a Man has Married a Wife..." and a picture above showing of a man and woman rising from bed in a sparsely furnished room that could be Blake's own. The line of text obscured by the picture "Ideas of Good & Evil" served probably as a title to 64 following picture emblems, 17 of which were used for the book "For Children: The Gates of Paradise". D. G. Rossetti,D. G. Rossetti (in Gilchrist, 1863/1880). A. C. Swinburne,Swinburne, 1868. and W. B. YeatsYeats, 1893/1905. in their publications of Blake's poetry used this as a title for the series of poems from the manuscripts. In 1905 John Sampson issued the first annotated publication of all these poems and created a detailed descriptive Index to 'The Rossettt MS.'.Sampson, 1905. It follows by some other scholarly publications edited by Geoffrey Keynes (1935 & 1957/66), David V. Erdman (1965/82/88) & together with D. K. Moore (1977), Alicia Ostriker (1977), Gerald E. Bentley Jr. (1977), etc.

In the introduction of his publication D. G. Rossetti gave to these poems a following presentation:

{{blockquote|"The shorter poems, and even the fragments, afford many instances of that exquisite metrical gift and rightness in point of form which constitute Blake's special glory among his contemporaries, even more eminently perhaps than the grander command of mental resources which is also his. Such qualities of pure perfection in writing verse, as he perpetually, without effort, displayed, are to be met with among those elder poets whom he loved, and such again are now looked upon as the peculiar trophies of a school which has arisen since his time; but he alone (let it be repeated and remembered) possessed them then, and possessed them in clear completeness. Colour and metre, these are the true patents of nobility in painting and poetry, taking precedence of all intellectual claims; and it is by virtue of these, first of all, that Blake holds, in both arts, a rank which cannot be taken from him."D. G. Rossetti (in Gilchrist, 1863/1880).|}}

The section of {{circa|1793}} contains 63 poems that include drafts versions of 16 poems entered the collection of Songs of Experience, which have been placed here in the following order:

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook 25 - Tyger - 1st draft.jpg", p. 109 ]]

Some of these drafts are significantly different from their last versions, for example "Infant Sorrow" of the Notebook is much more expanded and composed of nine quatrains instead of two that were chosen for the Songs of Experience. Also it is interesting to compare the most famous Blake's poem "The Tyger" with its two earlier Notebook versions (see: "The Tyger", 1st draft and 2nd draft).

The genre of most of the poems of this section can be defined as Songs and Ballads. Some of them reflect the political and social climate of that time:

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook 12 - Why should I care for the men of thames.jpg...", p. 113 rev]]

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook 14- Silent Silent Night.jpg...", p. 113 rev]]

✶✶✶

{{blockquote|

Why should I care for the men of thames

Or the cheating waves of charterd streams

Or shrink at the little blasts of fear

That the hireling blows into my ear

Tho born on the cheating banks of Thames

Tho his waters bathed my infant limbs

The Ohio shall wash his stains from me

I was born a slave but I go to be freeErdman 1988, p. 473.}}

✶✶✶

{{blockquote|

Silent Silent Night

Quench the holy light

Of thy torches bright

For possessd of Day

Thousand spirits stray

That sweet joys betray

Why should joys be sweet

Used with deceit

Nor with sorrows meet

But an honest joy

Does itself destroy

For a harlot coyErdman 1988, p. 471.}}

Some other of these poems rather belong to the genre of Satiric verses and epigrams, like the following:

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook 56 - Motto to the Songs of Inn & of Exp.jpg, p. 101 rev]]

Motto to the Songs of Innocence and of Experience

{{blockquote|

The Good are attracted by Mens perceptions

:And Think not for themselves

:Till Experience teaches them to catch

:And to cage the Fairies and Elves

And then the Knave begins to snarl

And the Hypocrite to howl

And all his good Friends shew their private ends

And the Eagle is known from the OwlErdman 1988, p. 499.}}

This motto, which was never engraved by Blake, is not found in any copy of the Songs of Innocence and of Experience.

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 007.jpg, p.7]]

There are 10 poems in the Notebook written during Blake's life in Felpham, a village in West Sussex. Here is the one of his most characteristic poems of that period:

✶✶✶

{{blockquote|

Mock on Mock on Voltaire Rousseau

Mock on Mock on! tis all in vain!

You throw the sand against the wind

And the wind blows it back again

And every sand becomes a Gem

Reflected in the beams divine

Blown back they blind the mocking Eye

But still in Israels paths they shine

The Atoms of Democritus

And Newtons Particles of light

Are sands upon the Red sea shore

Where Israels tents do shine so brightErdman 1988, pp. 477–478.}}

The most of 92 texts of this section are epigrams, gnomic verses or fragments addressed to Blake's friends and enemies, to painters and poets as well as some different historical or mythological characters and even to God. Here are typical examples:

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook 1808 - 04 Was I angry with Hayley who usd me so ill.jpg, p. 23]]

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook 1808 - 85 To God.jpg", p. 73]]

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook 1808 - 26 The Angel that presided oer my birth.jpg, p. 32]]File:Blake manuscript - Notebook 1808 - 66 Ill give you the end of a golden string.jpg, p. 46]]

✶✶✶

{{blockquote|

Was I angry with Hayley who usd me so ill

Or can I be angry with Felphams old Mill

Or angry with Flaxman or Cromek or Stothard

Or poor Schiavonetti whom they to death botherd

Or angry with Macklin or Boydel or Bowyer

Because they did not say O what a Beau ye are

At a Friends Errors Anger shew

Mirth at the Errors of a FoeErdman 1988, p. 504.}}

To God

{{blockquote|

If you have formd a Circle to go into

Go into it yourself & see how you would doErdman 1988, p. 516.}}

In the following short fragment Blake speaks of himself and his own spiritual experience in his babyhood:

✶✶✶

{{blockquote|

The Angel that presided oer my birth

Said Little creature formd of Joy & Mirth

Go love without the help of any King on EarthErdman 1988, p. 502.}}

There is also a draft of famous Blake's motto from his poem Jerusalem The Emanation of the Giant Albion:

✶✶✶

{{blockquote|

I give you the end of a golden string,

:Only wind it into a ball:

It will lead you in at Heavens gate,

:Built in Jerusalems wall.Erdman 1988, p. 231.}}

But there in "Jerusalem" at the beginning of the chapter 4 ("To the Christians") it is given in a combination with other 4 mysterious lines:

The Notebook is full of Blake's sketches and designs almost on every page. Here is the index of the first 25 pages (see illustrations below):

... and so on.

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 002-Daphna-Central emblem.jpg|Daphna? p.2

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 009-Robert Blake.jpg|attrib. to Robert Blake: "Lady Macduff fleeing one of Macbeth's henchmen", p.9

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 012-Head of a King.jpg|Head of a King? p.12

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 015-Traveller-detail-up-left.jpg|Urinating man, p.15

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 015-Flying Monster.jpg|Flying Monster, p.15

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 015-Man & Dog-detail.jpg|Man & Dog, p.15

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 016.jpg|Flying Monsters & Traveller, p.16

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 016-Traveller and Woman with children.jpg|Traveller and Woman with children, p.16

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 017-Two Monsters.jpg|Two Monsters, p.17

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 017-Encounter with Death.jpg|Encounter with Death, p.17

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 018-Horseman.jpg|Horseman, p.18

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 019-Head of a Woman.jpg|Woman's Head, p.19

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 020-Dispute.jpg|Dispute, p.20

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 021-Head of a Man.jpg|Man's Head, p.21

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 021-The Sick Rose.jpg|The Sick Rose, p.21

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 023-Cage-Central eblem.jpg|Cage on a tree, p.23

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 024-Scene-Central eblem.jpg|Scene, p.24

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 025-pestilence-central emblem.jpg|Pestilence? p.25

Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 047-Portrait.jpg|Portrait, p.47

Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 054-Profile of a Man.jpg|Man's Profile, p.54

Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 067-Profile of himself.jpg|Selfportrait, p.67

File:Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 070-face.jpg|Sad Face, p.70

Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 074-Tom Paine-detail.jpg|Tom Paine, p.74

Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 082-Head of a Woman.jpg|Catherine Blake? p.82

These sketches often serve as the sources for Blake's later works, illustrations of his books, engravings, watercolors, etc. Here are some examples:

The volume was presented by Catherine Blake (Blake's widow) in 1827 to William Palmer, brother of Blake's pupil, Samuel Palmer. It was bought from him by Dante Gabriel Rossetti 30 April 1847. Later it was purchased by F. S. Ellis (at Rossetti's sale, T. G. Wharton, Martin & Co., 5 July 1882, lot 487) and by Ellis and Scruton (at Ellis's sale, Sotheby's, 18 Nov 1885, lot 608). Sold by Dodd, Mead and Co. of New York (f. ib) to William Augustus White (d. 1928) of Brooklyn, 26 Jan 1887. Inherited by his daughter, Mrs Frances Hillard Emerson (d. 1957) of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Presented by Mrs F. H. Emerson. Now in the possession of British Library: Add MS 49460.

• Never pain to tell thy love

{{reflist}}

• 2nd vol. of Life of William Blake, by Alexander Gilchrist, D. G. Rossetti, W. M. Rossetti, Anne Gilchrist (Chapter: Ideas of good and evil), 1863 & 1880.
• A. C. Swinburne. William Blake, a critical essay (Chapter: Lyrical poems), 1868.
• The Poems of William Blake, ed. by W. B. Yeats, 1893, rev. 1905.
• The poetical works of William Blake; a new and verbatim text from the manuscript engraved and letterpress originals; With variorum readings and bibliographical notes and prefaces, edited by Sampson, John, Clarendon Press Oxford, 1905.
• The Note-book of William Blake, ed. G. Keynes, 1935
• Blake Complete Writings, ed. G. Keynes, Nonesuch press 1957, OUP 1966/85
• The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake, ed. by David V. Erdman, Anchor Books, 1965/1982/1988 (see also at the [http://www.blakearchive.org/exist/blake/archive/erdgen.xq?id=b6 Blake archive])
• Erdman, Errors in the 1973 edition of The Notebook . . ., Blake Newsletter, ix, 1975, pp. 39, 40
• G. E. Bentley Jr., Blake Books, Oxford, 1977, pp. 321–34 and passim.
• William Blake The Complete Poems, ed. Alicia Ostriker, Penguin Books 1977
• The Notebook of William Blake, ed. D. V. Erdman and D. K. Moore, New York, 1977
• M. L. Greenberg, "The Rossettis transcription of Blake's notebook", and "William Michael Rossetti's transcription and William Bell Scott's tracings from Blake's notebook", The Library, 6th ser., iv, 1982, pp. 249–72, and vi, 1984, pp. 254–76.

{{Wikisource|Notebook}}

• [http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Add_MS_49460 Add MS 49460.]
• [http://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-notebook-of-william-blake The Notebook of William Blake on the British Library's website] showing 112 pages, with related articles and collection items

{{William Blake|lit}}

Category:Works by William Blake

Category:Poetry by William Blake

Category:William Blake

Category:British Library additional manuscripts