39764. "THE FOUR ZOAS," by William Blake: the poem first
published by Ellis and Yeats, The Works of William Blake,
London, 1893, where it appears, under the title of "Vala,"
in vol. iii, with facsimiles of 19 pages. Holograph. A description
of the MS. is given by J. Sampson in the Oxford edition,
The Poetical Works of William Blake, 1913, p. xxxix, and selections
are given in that volume and in some other editions ; and the
whole poem has been republished in E. J. Ellis's edition of
the Poetical Works (London, 1906) ; see vol. ii, pp. 1-240. A
very full and careful description of the MS., with four facsimiles,
is given by G. Keynes in his Bibliography of William Blake
(New York, The Grolier Club, 1921), pp. 32-42. The original title
(title-page, f. 1) was " VALA | OR | The Death and | Judgement | of
the | Ancient Man | A DREAM | of Nine Nights | by William Blake
1797 " , but this was subsequently altered in pencil to " The Four
Zoas | The Torments of Love & Jealousy in | The Death and |
Judgement | of Albion the | Ancient Man | by William Blake
1797." The work, finished in 1797, as the title-page shows, was
later rehandled, probably during the poet's residence at Felpham,
long passages being crossed out or erased with a knife, and lengthy
additions being made. Night VII was entirely recast, and Night I
was concluded after the line numbered 224 in Ellis and Yeats's
edition, the words " Night the Second " (apparently overlooked
by the editors) being inserted in the margin. After the original
conclusion (" End of The First Night," f. 9 b) come two additional
folios (ff. 10, 11) apparently intended to form part of the Night ;
the 15 lines in ink on f. 10 are followed by "End of The First Night"
repeated. The passage on the other side of this folio is written in
pencil, and f. 11 in ink (both sides). These two folios are here bound
in the order adopted by Ellis and Yeats ; but it does not seem beyond
doubt that this is the correct arrangement. Besides the smaller,
but including the two large fragments (see below), there are 70
separate leaves, made up as follows: drawing paper (watermark
" J. Whatman 1794") 21 (one of these a half-sheet); working-
proofs of Blake's illustrations to Young's Night Thoughts (London,
1797) 47 ; and 2 leaves are parts of an engraving by Blake ("Edward
and Elenor," published " 18th Au[gust, 1793, 1]3 Hercules Buildings,
Lambeth"; see A. G. B. Russell, The Engravings of William Blake,
London, 1912, pp. 25-6, 68) cut up. The poem in its original form
was neatly and carefully written in a clear hand, but the additions
are in many cases hurriedly written, sometimes in pencil, and are
not always easy to read. There are numerous pencil drawings,
some of which have been roughly washed, in whole or in part, with
colour. Several of these drawings (e.g. on ff. 19 b, 20, 20 b) have
been wholly or partially washed out, presumably by another hand.
The pages were left unnumbered by Blake, but there is an early
pagination on ff. 2-7 b, 9 and 9 b, disregarding f. 8, which had
been misplaced but is now restored to its true position. At the end
(ff. 71-73) are bound up, in the order in which they are printed by
Ellis and Yeats, three fragments, intended for insertion in various
parts of the poem and printed by Ellis and Yeats as an appendix,
with the title "Fragments." At the top of f. 44 b is an apparently
unpublished prose epigram, which reads:-"The Christian Religion
teaches that No Man is Indifferent to you but that every one is |
Either Your friend or your enemy. he must necessarily be either
the one [of deleted] or the other | And that he will be equally profit-
able both ways if you treat him as he deserves." [Since the above
description was written a careful edition of the whole poem, with
description of the MS. and critical notes, has been published by
G. Keynes and M. Plowman in vol. ii. of the former's The Writings
of William Blake, Nonesuch Press, 1925.]
Paper; ff. ii + 73. 1 ft. 4 1/4 in. x 1 ft. 1 in. Formerly in the posses-
sion of John Linnell, Senior (John Linnell sale-catalogue, Christie,
Manson and Woods, 15 Mar. 1918, lot 206). At the beginning is a
slip with the words " Mr. Linnell Red Hill." The MS. is no. 7 (p. 464)
in W. M. Rossetti's list (2) of Blake's paintings, etc. (A. Gilchrist,
Life of William Blake, London, 1907, pp. 415-496). It contains a
few pencil notes by E[dwin] J[ohn] E[llis]. Presented anonymously.
