Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries.) WILLIAM BLAKE: THE MAN _All Rights Reserved_ [Illustration: THE BURIAL OF MOSES. _Reproduced by kind permission of Mr Sydney Morse._] WILLIAM BLAKE THE MAN BY CHARLES GARDNER AUTHOR OF "VISION AND VESTURE," "THE REDEMPTION OF RELIGION," ETC. "The men that were with me saw not the vision" DANIEL LONDON: J. M. DENT & SONS LIMITED NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & CO. MCMXIX To MONICA Preface 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 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS THE BURIAL OF MOSES _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE GLAD DAY 24 LAVATER 50 THE ANCIENT OF DAYS 100