New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-07
WILLIAM BLAKE.
A u-DIcIOTS MONOGRAPH.


WILLIAM BLAKE: His Life, Character and
Genins By Alfred T. story. limo PIP: 100
London: Swan. Sonnenschein & CO. New YORK:
Macmillan d co.
The quickest way in which to inspire confidence
is TO have confidence in ones self. My mis-
sion js visionary" said William Blake; IAN
cndeavor TO bring back the Golden Age.
That he was inspired in his mission ne
never doubted: hence in great measure his sue
cess In imposing upon others The extent OF MS
imposition however-and we use the word IN any
but its offensive sense-depends upon the mystl-
cism Of his reader Messrs. Ellis and Yeats whose
milky edition Of Blake accompanied By memoir
and an Interpretation, was recently reviewed III
The Tribune were prepared by the nature oil 'her
symDathes 20 unrescWcdly accept thelr "u'"o'
as the poetic prophet Of new evangeL The prll'-
cipal outcome Of their labors with Hlake's WORKS
.as the assertion that he had embodied in the lat
tor n vell-knit symbolic organism. Mr.. story VINO
follows the three stately volumes of these eui'oiS
with modest little monograph Of less IMAM ~
pages has some Of the enthusiasm OF MS prov
cessors and some their faith; but underneath ms
attitude of admiration perceive what M'SS'9'
Ellis and Yeats lackol-a strain OF comma" Se"N''
OF their dealings with Bakes symbolism ne say
candidly that they push it too far. 'and make 700
complex a systep, of it," BLAKE we ieei o'
WINGED" ne continues never evolved all that con-
fused and labOrous system; his genius was 'oo III
tuitive too instantaneous for that
tho latters sanity but he still has the courage 10
make the following declaration in regard 10 ''e
Jerusalem" the work which Blake n''''''
thought his greatest "Sooth to say there al
whole pages that afford no hint or ghnnl'r .,
meaning Int roll on line after line. in waves ana
pillows of sound unfathomabIe as TO any SV"S1
they may contain as the ocean itself. mat i'"IN
Omission Is worth volumes of obscure com
mentarv upon still more obscure poems anu II
proves Mr. Story's qualifications TO speak OF he &c
centric artist and poet. 1t is to the latter ''' 'S
hook is chiefly devoted. In a forthcoming volume
Mr. Story proposes to treat of Bakes art Inc H'St
balr NJ the present publication traverses the not
sneciallv eventful span of his life presenting sue
cinc,ly data already known to students Du' ho'
heretofore found in such convenient FORM 1t may
be observed in passing that Mr.. story seems us
nosed 10 lend credence to the amazing Adam anu
Eve episode which has been employed destruc'-
,v.,v nv so MANY critics of Blake's mentality
re incident was not he says "wholly improbable
as the act of a person of BlaKes Known Nic"S
and temperament", In his survey oil the poenis
Mr. Story's conclusions are that Blake ma"
sn,andor of imagination, intense spirituality pro-
fundjtv of thought. and magnificent incoherency OF
exnression He had a message" but 1t was TOO
great for him. mo man in his day ana genera
tion-no man, perhaps, that ever stood on our '@''
Iisb earth-sruggled so hard to deliver the uuti
that was in him. How nigh his delverance was
n becoming a mere nullity and abortion we know.
and vet IL was prONiueHtldliS saw" ''N'
isnornny. Through the smoke and vapor Oh ms
fiery effort. through the roaring ana cohiuseu
thunder Of his wrathfu spirit. see the tongue
of clear fame ascendng-we hear the voice pro-
claiming Thus was he enabled in some sort 10 de-
liver his message possibly 10 deliver II 1uiV-
albeit the utterance was accompanied by so niuoH
ternestuous uproar and such wild rush OF
words that one is at times almost deafened we
have quoted thus copously from Mr.. story be-
cause the moderation and good judgment the eX-
tracts illustrate are the best and most original
characteristics of his book. He adds nothing 10
our knowledge of Blake but he gives pleasure d!
the reasonableness of his point of view IL is
s,en gained in the clarifying of the poets fame
when one who reveres him can praise without
adulation and criticise without bigotry There Is
no better introduction extant to the study OF Blake
than this unpretentous sketch.