Light springing on the air, lead the sweet dance; they wake And comes forth in the majesty of beauty; every flower, Such is a vision of the lamentation of Beulah over Ololon. *When Los joined with me he took me in his fiery whirlwind; My vegetated portion was hurried from Lambeth's shades; He set me down in Felpham's vale, and prepared a beautiful Cottage for me, that, in three years, I might write all these visions; To display Nature's cruel holiness; the deceits of Natural Religion. Walking in my cottage garden, sudden I beheld The virgin Ololon, and address'd her as a daughter of Beulah :'Virgin of Providence! fear not to enter into my cottage!' CHAPTER XXII. A KEEN EMPLOYER. 1805-7. [ÆT. 48-50.] To Hayley succeeded a patron who will give even less pecuniary help, but a more efficient introduction to the public. This was R. H. Cromek, hitherto an engraver, now turning print-jobber and book-maker, who, at this period, discovered Blake. The slighted artist sorely needed a discoverer; he and his wife being now, according to Cromek, 'reduced so low as to be obliged to live on half a guinea a week.' 'Living' must here mean board; for weekly rent alone would amount to that sum. Thus interpreted, the statement is not an exaggerated one of Blake's straitened resources at this and other periods of his life. During 1804 to 1805 had been produced that series of Drawings illustrative of Blair's Grave, by which, from the accident of their having been afterwards really published and pushed in the regular way, Blake is most widely knownknown at all, I may say-to the public at large. It is the only volume, with his name on its title-page, which is not 'scarce.' These drawings Blake had intended engraving and publishing himself. They were seen, however, admired, and purchased, by engraver Cromek-' engraver, printseller, publisher, author-and Yorkshireman.' He gave, according to Smith, the insignificant sum of one guinea each for them,' but, in fact, about a guinea and a half; 'on the express understanding,' adds Smith, 'that the artist was to engrave them for a projected edition of The Grave.' This, involving a far more considerable remuneration, would have made the total payment for the designs tolerably adequate. Robert Hartley Cromek, a native of Hull, now a man of five and thirty, had been a pupil of Bartolozzi, and, during the past ten years, had engraved, with credit, many bookplates after Stothard. He was one in the numerous band whom that graceful artist's active fingers kept employed; for, as may well be believed, it is vastly quicker work the making of designs than the engraving them. Among Cromek's doing are some of the plates to an edition of The Spectator (1803), to Du Roveray's edition of Pope (1804), and one in an early edition of Rogers' Pleasures of Memory. With a nervous temperament and an indifferent constitution the painful confinement of his original profession ill agreed. An active, scheming disposition, combined with some taste for literature and superficial acquaintance with it, tempted him to exchange, as many second-rate engravers have done, the steady drudgery of engraving for the more profitable, though speculative, trade of print-publisher and dealer, or farmer of the talents of others. He had little or no capital. This edition of Blair's Grave, with illustrations by Blake, was his first venture. And twenty guineas for twelve of the most original designs of the century, and not unintelligible designs, though from Blake's mystic hand, was no bad beginning. Even in this safe investment, however, the tasteful Yorkshireman showed bolder discernment of unvalued genius than the stolid trade ever hazarded. In 1805 the Prospectus was issued; from which it appears, it was then intended for Blake to engrave the illustrations. The Prospectus was helped by an elaborate opinion in favour of the Designs from Fuseli's friendly pen, whose word then carried almost judicial weight. As collateral guarantee was added an authorized statement of their cordial approval by President West, and ten other academicians; among them Cosway, Flaxman, Lawrence, Nollekens, Stothard. These were credentials by which the practical Cromek set some store. He had submitted the drawings to those academic dons, disinterestedly anxious to be assured 'how far he was 'warranted in calling the attention of connoisseurs to what 'he himself imagined to be a high and original effort of 'genius;' not, of course, with any eye to the value of such testimonials with the public. Accomplished Thomas Hope -Anastasius Hope-and virtuoso Mr. Locke, of Norbury, also 'pledged their character as connoisseurs' (according to Malkin) in their favour, 'by approving and patronizing these designs.' Blake was looking forward 'with anxious delight' to the congenial task of engraving his 'Inventions,' and did engrave one or two. A print in his peculiar, vigorous manner, from his favourite design-Death's Door-I have seen. But shrewd Cromek's eye had been educated in the school of graceful Bartolozzi. By him, Blake's old-fashioned, austere style was quickly perceived to be not in unison with public taste, and far less likely to draw subscribers than a lucid version of his wild grandeur by some competent hand. To the initiated, an artist's rendering of his own conception-that, say, of an Albert Dürer, a Lucas von Leyden, a Hogarth-has always the infinitely superior claim, in its first-hand vigour, freshness, and air as of an original. Such engravings are, in fact, originals. Cromek selected for his purpose Lewis Schiavonetti, a native of Bassano, in Venetia, who, on coming to England, had put himself under Bartolozzi, Cromek's master. In that studio, probably, the two became acquainted. Schiavonetti rose above all Bartolozzi's other pupils; above the master too; developing an individual style, which united grandeur with grace, boldness, draughtsman-like power, and intelligence with executive delicacy and finish. It was a happy choice of engraver on Cromek's part, and with his views. The large outlay requisite to secure the Italian's service was pretty sure of ultimate return, with good interest. Cromek's sagacity cannot, indeed, be denied. It resulted in the wedding of remarkable powers of engraving to high design, worthy of them. In his brief course, Schiavonetti was generally most unfortunate in having subjects to engrave not deserving of his skill. A previous engraving from Michael Angelo's noble Cartoon of Pisa, the plates to The Grave, and a subsequent etching from Stothard's Canterbury Pilgrims, are the only examples of a fitly-directed exercise of his powers. By them alone can they now be estimated. On another ground, Cromek's decision can hardly be blamed. Schiavonetti introduced Blake's designs to a wider public than himself could ever have done. On the other hand, the purchaser of the designs having made a certain engagement, it was not open to him, in honour or common honesty, because it was an unwritten one, to depart from it for his own advantage, without Blake's consent, or without making compensation to the artist for his pecuniary loss. In point of fact, Cromek jockeyed Blake out of his copyright. And Blake was naturally mortified and incensed at the loss of profitable and happy employment to which the new arrangement sentenced him, and at becoming a mere conduit for the enrichment of two fellowengravers. Allan Cunningham, who also had had relations with Cromek, and had kindly reasons for judging him leniently, tells us the speculator, in paying Blake twenty guineas for the twelve designs, gave a price which, though small, was more than what he usually received for such productions.' This is what Cromek, or his widow, told Cunningham; but the statement is incorrect. True, Blake's gains were always small. A guinea to a guinea and a half each was his price for the water-colour drawings sold to Mr. Butts and others. But then he did not lose his copyright; he was always at liberty to make duplicates and to engrave them. Clearly, he did make more by those; more, also, by the Songs of Innocence and of Experience, and the other series of designs which he |