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EDL17.1Hayley11'00; E714| [To William Hayley]
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| Felpham 26th November, 1800
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| Dear Sir,
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| Absorbed by the poets Milton, Homer, Camoens, Ercilla,
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| Ariosto, and Spenser, whose physiognomies have been my delightful
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| study, Little Tom has been of late unattended to, and my
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| wife's illness not being quite gone off, she has not printed any
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| more since you went to London. But we can muster a few in
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| colours and some in black which I hope will be no less favour'd
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| tho' they are rough like rough sailors. We mean to begin
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| printing again to-morrow. Time flies very fast and very
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| merrily. I sometimes try to be miserable that I may do more
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| work, but find it is a foolish experiment. Happinesses have
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| wings and wheels; miseries are leaden legged and their whole
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| employment is to clip the wings and to take off the wheels of
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| our chariots. We determine, therefore, to be happy and do all
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| that we can, tho' not all that we would. Our dear friend
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| Flaxman is the theme of my emulation in this industry, as well
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| as in other virtues and merits. Gladly I hear of his full
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| health and spirits. Happy son of the Immortal Phidias, his lot
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| is truly glorious, and mine no less happy in his friendship and
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| in that of his friends. Our cottage is surrounded by the same
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| guardians you left with us; they keep off every wind. We hear
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| the west howl at a distance, the south bounds on high over our
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| thatch, and smiling on our cottage says: "You lay too low for my
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| anger to injure." As to the east and north I believe they cannot
L17.1Hayley11'00; E714| get past the turret.
L17.2Hayley11'00; E715| My wife joins me in duty and affection to you. Please to
L17.2Hayley11'00; E715| remember us both in love to Mr. and Mrs. Flaxman, and believe me
L17.2Hayley11'00; E715| to be your affectionate,
L17.2Hayley11'00; E715| Enthusiastic, hope-fostered visionary,
L17.2Hayley11'00; E715| WILLIAM BLAKE
EDL17.2Hayley11'00; E715| [From the Gilchrist Life]