This book is an attempt to trace the mental and spiritual growth of William Blake as disclosed in his works. After meditating on these for some years an image of the man has risen in my mind. This I have tried to present with the aid of such biographical details as are to be found in Gilchrist’s Life. My warm thanks are due to Mr and Mrs Sydney Morse for permission to reproduce their beautiful Prayer of the Infant Jesus, and The Burial of Moses. The photographs were taken by Mr Albert Hester. Also I must thank Mr J. M. Dent for the two designs from an original and invaluable Job series in his possession. The rest of the illustrations are from the Print Room of the British Museum.
C. G.
CONTENTS
| PAGE | ||
| Title-Page | [3] | |
| Dedication | [5] | |
| Preface | [7] | |
| Contents | [9] | |
| Illustrations | [10] | |
| CHAPTER | ||
| [I.] | Childhood and Apprenticeship | [11] |
| [II.] | Coming of Age and Marriage | [21] |
| [III.] | The Blue-stockings | [26] |
| [IV.] | Early Married Life and Early Work | [37] |
| [V.] | Wesley, Whitefield, Lavater, and Swedenborg | [46] |
| [VI.] | The Rebels | [81] |
| [VII.] | Action and Reaction | [102] |
| [VIII.] | William Hayley | [114] |
| [IX.] | The Big Prophetic Books | [131] |
| [X.] | Cromek, Sir Joshua, Stothard, and Chaucer | [153] |
| [XI.] | The Supreme Vision | [165] |
| [XII.] | Declining Years and Death | [169] |
| [XIII.] | Epilogue | [189] |
| Index | [195] | |