Copyright
Not e copyrigh t 200 0 b y Dove r Publications , Inc .
Al l right s reserve d unde r Pa n America n an d Internationa l Copyrigh t Conventions .
Bibliographical Note
Thi s Dove r edition , firs t publishe d i n 2000 , i s a collectio n o f reproduction s o f al l 11
o f th e watercolo r illustration s containe d i n th e wor k William Blake's Water-Colour Designs
for the Poems of Thomas Gray, originall y publishe d i n 197 i n a limite d editio n o f 51
copie s b y th e Triano n Pres s for th e Willia m Blak e Trust , London . A ne w introductor y
Not e ha s bee n speciall y prepare d for thi s edition .
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Blake , William , 1757-1827 .
[Willia m Blake' s water-colou r design s for th e poem s o f Thoma s Gray }
Blake' s water-colour s for th e poem s o f Thoma s Gra y : wit h complet e text s /
Willia m Blake .
p .
cm .
Originall y published : Willia m Blake' s water-colou r design s for th e poem s o f
Thoma s Gra y ( 3 v.) . Boissia , Clairvaux , Jur a : Triano n Pres s for th e Willia m Blak e
Trust , 1972 . Wit h ne w introd .
ISB N 0-486-40944- 9 (pbk. )
1 .
Blake , William , 1757-1827Catalogs . 2 . Gray , Thomas , 1716-1771
IllustrationsCatalogs . 3 . Englis h poetryIllustrationsCatalogs . I . Title : Water -
colour s fo r th e poem s o f Thoma s Gray . II . Gray , Thomas , 17161771 . Poems .
Selections . III . Title .
ND1942.B5 5 A 200
759.2dc2
99-08687
Manufacture d i n th e Unite d State s o f Americ a
Dove r Publications , Inc. , 1 Eas t 2n d Street , Mineola , N.Y . 1150
Publisher' s Not e
Ther e i s a stor y tol d abou t Willia m Blake by hi s distinguishe d nineteenth-centur y biograph -
e r Alexande r Gilchrist,
tha t casts a tellin g ligh t on th e tru e visionar y characte r o f thi s rare
genius . Whe n youn g Willia m wa s jus t a lad o f fourteen , hi s shopkeepe r father determine d tha t
th e boy' s artisti c leaning s woul d bes t be serve d b y an apprenticeshi p i n th e engraver' s art , a
highl y respecte d profession o f th e time , a s well a s a mean s t o "assurin g dail y brea d fo r th e
future. " Willia m Wynn e Rylan d wa s interviewe d t o be William' s maste r i n th e trade , "a n
artis t o f genuin e talen t an d eve n genius . . .. [An d w]it h th e view o f securin g th e teachin g an d
exampl e o f s o skille d a hand , Blak e wa s take n b y hi s father t o Ryland ; bu t th e negotiatio n
failed. Th e bo y himsel f raise d an unexpecte d scruple . . . . 'Father, ' sai d th e strang e boy , afte r
th e tw o ha d lef t Ryland' s studio , ' I d o no t lik e th e man' s face : it
looks
as if
he
will live to be
hanged!'
Appearance s were a t tha t tim e utterl y agains t th e probabilit y o f such an event .
Rylan d wa s the n a t th e zenit h o f hi s reputatio n [and ] engrave r t o th e kin g . .. But , twelv e
year s afte r thi s interview , th e unfortunat e artis t . . . go t int o embarrassment s . . . commit[ing ]
a forger y on th e East Indi a Companyan d th e prophec y [was ] fulfilled."
Suc h mystica l event s were no t unusua l i n th e lif e o f Willia m Blak e (1757-1827) , poet ,
painter , seer , an d philosopher ; indeed , the y were commonplace . Thi s dream y individualis t
reportedl y ha d hi s firs t visio n a t abou t th e age o f ten . On e da y durin g a solitar y wal k on
Peckha m Rye , youn g Willia m looke d u p an d sa w " a tre e fille d wit h angels , brigh t angeli c
wing s bespanglin g ever y boug h lik e stars. " Thes e childhoo d incident s hel p "elucidat e th e vis -
it s fro m th e spiritua l worl d o f late r years, i n whic h th e grow n ma n believe d a s unaffectedly a s
eve r ha d th e bo y o f ten. " I t was , i n fact, thes e visions tha t "wer e a s real t o hi m a s objects o f
sense, whic h . . . became a distinguishin g feature o f hi s genius. "
A s suggeste d abov e b y hi s father's searc h fo r a prope r teache r fo r hi s precociou s son, Willia m
wa s practicall y bor n an artis t an d bega n t o dra w a s soo n a s h e coul d hol d a pencil . An d a t abou t
th e age o f eleven o r twelve , he bega n t o writ e verse, " a rarer precocit y tha n tha t o f sketching ,
an d rare r stil l i n allianc e wit h th e latte r tendency . Poem s composed i n hi s twelft h yea r came
t o be include d i n a selectio n privatel y printe d i n hi s twenty-sixth. " Eventuall y hi s father di d
fin d a suitabl e apprenticeshi p fo r hi s so n wit h Jame s Basire , engrave r t o th e Societ y o f
Antiquaries . Thi s prove d t o b e an artisticall y uninspirin g seven-year associatio n fo r th e youn g
Blak e i n tha t Basire's talen t tende d towar d th e humdrum , bu t usefu l i n placin g th e tool s an d
method s a t hi s disposa l tha t woul d serv e hi s ar t fo r a lifetime . I n th e summer , Basire allowed
Blake th e congenia l tas k o f drawin g th e monument s i n th e old churche s o f London , especial-
l y Westminste r Abbey, whereb y th e studen t acquire d a passionat e lov e fo r Gothi c ar t tha t pro -
foundl y influenced hi s life .
Eventually , Blake found a vocatio n doin g engravin g fo r booksellers , an d throug h thi s net -
wor k o f acquaintance s me t Joh n Flaxman , wh o woul d prov e a clos e an d loyal friend , an d some -
thin g o f a patron . H e rightl y sa w Blak e a s an "Origina l Genius, " whose "poem s ar e gran d a s
Alexande r
Gilchris t (18281861) was bor n th e year after Blak e died , an d enjoyed th e uniqu e advantag e o f interviewin g sur -
vivin g friend s an d relative s o f Blak e fo r hi s biography . Gilchris t i s also generall y accorde d equa l credi t wit h th e poe t an d crit -
ic Algerno n Charle s Swinburn e (1837-1909 ) fo r helpin g t o rescu e Blak e jus t whe n th e "blac k waters " o f oblivio n threatene d
t o engul f him . A substantia l portio n o f th e materia l fo r thi s Publisher' s Note , a s wel l a s th e quote s tha t punctuat e it , are from
The Life of William Blake b y Alexande r Gilchris t (Dove r Publications , Inc. , 1998 ; th e boo k was originall y publishe d i n Londo n
