entirely novel and economic method which enabled the poet-artist, with the assistance of his wife, to produce the books entirely by their own hands, save only the making of the paper. This plan was simply to write the text and draw the designs on plates of copper, with an impervious ink, and to destroy the remaining surface of the plate by a strong acid, thus leaving the text and design in relief like that of a stereotyped plate. From this he printed in the ordinary way, colouring the proofs by hand. In this way the "Songs of Innocence" found their way into print in 1789, and in this way all Blake's literary works were produced with the single exception of the first part of a poem on the French Revolution which was printed in the ordinary manner. "The Songs of Innocence," twenty in number, contain some of Blake's sweetest writing. In 1793 the poet removed to No. 13, Hercules Buildings, Lambeth. In 1800 he went to live at Felpham, Sussex, to be near William Hayley, the illustrations for whose life of Cowper he had undertaken to engrave. He returned to London, and took up his abode at 17, South Moulton Street, in 1804.

With the exception of the "Songs of Experience," published 1794, which have been aptly called "Sad Antiphons of the Songs of Innocence," and a few short poems written at different times, undated, and which are generally classed as later poems, the remainder of Blake's literary works are of so mystical a character as to baffle the critic and bewilder the student. These include "The Book of Thiel" 1789, "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" 1790, "Visions of the Daughters of Albion" 1793, a series of prophetic books entitled “America” 1793, "Europe"

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1794, "The Book of Urizen" (Part I.) 1794, "Asia and Africa" issued under the general title "The Song of Los" (Time) 1795, "The Book of Ahamia 1795, "Jerusalem" 1804, and "Milton" 1804. these works, so absolutely unintelligible to the ordinary reader, Blake himself had the profoundest admiration. In his preface to "Jerusalem," written at Felpham, between 1800 and 1803, he speaks of it as "dictated" to him, and on another occasion he refers to it as "the grandest poem that this world contains," adding, "I may praise it since I dare not pretend to be any other than the secretary-the authors are in eternity." At another time he wrote, "I have written this poem from immediate dictation, twelve, or sometimes twenty or thirty lines at a time, without premeditation and even against my will." These were the last of the prophetic books which were published, if we except "The Ghost of Abel," published in 1822, though by no means the last that Blake wrote. It is said that he produced a larger mass of writings than the works of Shakespeare and Milton combined, but without being able to find publishers for them.

The remaining years of Blake's life were devoted to the production of designs and engravings illustrative of the writings of others. Of these he had already produced five hundred and thirty-seven designs to illustrate Young's "Night Thoughts," of which, however, only some forty-three were published, and these in 1797. These were followed in 1804-5 by twelve designs in illustration of Blair's poem The Grave"; in 1809-10 by his "Canterbury Pilgrims," and in 1826 by his "Inventions to the Book of Job"-the finest monument of his genius,

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issued at £10 10s. John Linnell, by whose generous assistance this work was published, now drew Blake's attention to Dante's "Divine Commedia," as a subject for illustration, and Blake, though so far advanced in years, turned his attention to the study of the Italian language, learning sufficient to enable him to produce nearly one hundred water-colour designs to illustrate that great poem, seven of which he engraved. This work Blake did not live to finish, though he was wont to be propped up in bed to go on with the designs. The last recorded work of his pencil was a picture of his wife. He had been executing a coloured reproduction of a favourite design, "The Ancient of Days," from the prophecy of "Europe," for which he had received a commission, when he said to his wife, who was standing by his side," Stay! keep as you are; you have ever been an angel to me; I will draw you!" The result is described as "" a frenzied sketch of some power, highly interesting, but not like." The great artist died at No. 3, Fountain Court, Strand, whither he had removed in 1820-1, on the 12th August, 1827, on which day it is recorded that "he composed and uttered songs to his Maker;" saying to his wife as she stood near him, "My beloved, they are not mine; no, they are not mine!" He told her they would not be separated, but that he should always be about her to take care of her, that he was going to a country which he had all his life wished to see, and that he was happy, hoping for salvation through Jesus Christ. Just before his death, it is said, "his countenance became fair, his eyes brightened, and he burst out into singing of the things he saw in heaven," after which his great spirit broke the fetters

which had only half-bound him to the material, and passed into the freedom of the spiritual so quietly that the precise moment of his emancipation could not be determined. For the story of Blake's life and for many specimens of his later verse, the public are indebted to Mr. Alexander Gilchrist, whose splendid "Life of Blake," in two volumes, published by Messrs. Macmillan & Co., is the main source of information and repository of examples. A more interesting work on a more interesting subject it would be difficult to name.

Blake's poetry is unique in English literature, and it is of a kind that either requires no explanation or baffles all. He was a man of extremes, producing, on the one hand, perhaps the simplest writing in our language, and, on the other, certainly the most obscure. Into the question of his sanity there is no need to enter here; there is no madness in the works upon which his poetic fame will rest. The three volumes, "The Poetical Sketches," "The Songs of Innocence," and "The Songs of Experience," contain the poems for which his memory will be cherished and honoured. At his best he is simple to transparency, refined to delicacy, choice to chastity, as melodious as the nightingale, as bright as the wayside flower, and as fresh as the morning dew. The student who comes upon his work while wandering amid the arid wastes of his time, is like the traveller who finds a green retreat in desertplaces, where beside still waters, and beneath the shadow of the grateful palm, the camels halt, the flocks are watered, and the weary rest.

ALFRED H. MILES.

POETICAL SKETCHES.

1783.

WILLIAM BLAKE.

I. SONG.

OW sweet I roam'd from field to field,

How

And tasted all the summer's pride,
Till I the Prince of Love beheld,
Who in the sunny beams did glide!

He show'd me lilies for my hair,

And blushing roses for my brow;
He led me through his gardens fair
Where all his golden pleasures grow.

With sweet May-dews my wings were wet,
And Phoebus fired my vocal rage;

He caught me in his silken net,

And shut me in his golden cage.

He loves to sit and hear me sing,

Then, laughing, sports and plays with me;

Then stretches out my golden wing,

And mocks my loss of liberty.

II. SONG.

Y silks and fine array,

MY

My smiles and languish'd air,

By love are driven away;

And mournful lean Despair

Brings me yew to deck my grave:

Such end true lovers have.