[Blake's apology for his Catalogue]
Dryden, in Rhyme, cries "Milton only Plann'd."
4 Every Fool shook his bells throughout the Land.
5 Tom Cooke cut Hogarth down with his clean Graving.
6 [How many del.]
Thousands of Connoisseurs [with joy] ran raving.
Having Given great offence by writing in Prose,
I'll write in Rhyme as soft as Bartolloze.
1 Some blush at what others can see no crime in,
2 But nobody [a all del.] sees any harm in Rhyming.
3 Thus Poor Schiavonetti died of the Cromek
A thing that's tied about the Examiner's neck.
7 Thus Hayley on his Toilette seeing the sope,
8 Says, "Homer is very much improv'd by Pope."
Flaxman and Stothard, smelling a sweet savour,
Cry, "Blakified drawing spoils painter and Engraver,"
9 While I, looking up to my Umbrella,
10 Resolv'd to be a very Contrary Fellow,
11 Cry, [Tom Cooke proves del.] looking up from [Circumference del.] Skumference to Center,
12 "No one can finish so high as the original inventor."
Who cries, "All art is a fraud & Genius a trick,
"And Blake is an unfortunate Lunatic"?
I've given great Provision to my Foes,
And now I'll lead my false friends by the nose.
[For fair copy see no. 80. "Having given great offence by writing in Prose..."]