Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 05.djvu/192

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Blake 184 Blakely

life, though he was never a Swedenborgian, is first discernible. 5. *'The French Revolution,' Book i. 1791 (not thought worth reprinting by any of Blake's editors). 6. 'Gates of Paradise,' 1793, engraved but not coloured, consisting of seventeen plates of emblems, each with a title or motto and rhymed 'Keys of the Gates,' described by Allan Cunningham as 'a sort of devout dream, equally wild and lovely.' 7. 'Songs of Experience,' 1794. His 'Prophetic Books' are: 8. 'Visions of the Daughters of Albion,' 1793. 9. 'America,' 1793. 10. 'Europe: a Prophecy,' 1794. 11. 'The Book of Urizen,' 1794 (containing Asia and Africa). 12. 'The Song of Los,' 1795. 13. 'The Book of Ahania,' 1795. 14. 'Jerusalem,' 1804. 15. 'Milton,' 1804. (There are different degrees of beauty in the samples of all these books; not only because Blake himself bestowed different degrees of finish and richness but also because Mrs Blake worked upon some. There are copies, indeed, which appear to have been coloured by her after her husband's death. For descriptions and interpretations see Swinburne's William Blake: a Critical essay, 1868.) 16. *'Descriptive Catalogue, 1809. 17. 'Prospectus,' 1793. 18. Four undated 'Sibylline Leaves, viz. 'The Laocoon',' 'Ghost of Abel,' 'On Homer's Poetry,' 'On Virgil.' 19. 'There is no Natural Religion' (eight? leaves with design). 20. 'Outhoon,' of which there appears to be no copy in existence. 21. 'Tiriel,' first printed in W. M. Rossetti's 'Aldine British Poets.' 22. 'Ideas of Good and Evil,' from Blake's note-book, first printed in Gilchrist's 'Blake,' vol. ii. 23. Prose from the same, viz. 'Public Address' and 'Vision of the Last Judgment.' Reprints of Blake's works have appeared as follows: 'Songs of Innocence and Experience,' edit. by Dr. G Wilkinson (much altered), 1839. 'Selections,' emendated, comprising nearly everything except 'Prophetic Books, edited by D. G. Rossetti. forming vol. ii. of Gilchrist's 'Life of Blake,' 1863 and 1880. 'Songs of Innocence and Experience, with other Poems' (verbatim), 1866. 'Poetical Sketches,' edit. by R. H. Shepherd (verbatim), 1868. 'Poetical Works, Lyrical and Miscellaneous,' edit., with prefatory memoir, by W. M. Rossetti, 1874 (verbatim). A facsimile, but without colour, of the 'Jerusalem.' 1877, Pearson. Also one of the 'Marriage of Heaven and Hell,' colour-printed. Camden Hotten. A reproduction of the 'Illustrations to the Book of Job' with prefatory memoir by C. E. Norton. Boston, 1875. And lastly, a volume of 'Etchings from Blake's Works,' with descriptive text by William Bell Scott, 1878.

[Malkin's Father's Memoirs of his Child (Introduction to), 1806; Smith's Nollekens and his Times, comprehending Memoirs of several contemporary Artists, vol ii. 1828; Cunningham's Lives of the most eminent British Painters, &c., 1830. Gilchrist's Life of William Blake, with Selections from his writings, &c., 1863, contains impressions from some of the original plates of 'Songs of Innocence and Experience,' the 'Job,' some of the 'visionary heads,' 'Gates of Paradise,' &c., 2nd edit. 1880, with additional letters, illustrations, and a memoir of the author.]

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BLAKELY, FLETCHER (1783–1862), Irish remonstrant minister, was born on 13 May 1783 at Ballyroney, county Down. He was the youngest son of Joseph Bleakly, a farmer, and was named after the Rev. William Fletcher, presbyterian minister of Ballyroney (d. 1824), who gave him his early training; both his parents died when he was very young. In 1799 he entered Glasgow College (at which time he spelled his name Bleakly), where he graduated. On 19 Sept. 1809 he was ordained by Bangor presbytery as minister of Moneyrea, county Down, in succession to Samuel Patton. Fletcher had trained him in Calvinism, but he did not long retain this form of theology. He became by degrees a Unitarian of what was then a very advanced type in Ireland, being the first avowed humanitarian preacher in Ulster (after 1813; see Mon. Rep. 1813. p.515). Under his influence Moneyrea was so marked a home of heterodox opinion that it passed into a proverb, 'Moneyrea, where there is one God and no Devil.' When, in 1821, the English unitarians sent John Smethurst (1792-1859) on a mission to Ulster, the Moneyrea meeting-house was the first that was opened to him; the Arian pulpits were (with five exceptions) refused to him. In 1829 Blakely, with his whole congregation, joined the remonstrant secession from the synod of Ulster; he had throughout the previous synodical debates been one of the most powerful coadjutors of Henry Montgomery, the leader of the New Light party, and assisted him in forming the remonstrant synod. On 27 April 1836 a public testimonial bore witness to his successful advocacy of the rights of conscience and human freedom.' In his own neighbourhood he did much for popular education, for the cause of tenant right, and for the promotion of the flax industry. He was a joint-editor (1830-3) of the 'Bible Christian,' and published two or three tracts and sermons, especially: 1. 'A Dialogue,' Belf. 1817, 8vo (anon.), on the bible and other standards of faith (not seen; it was answered by a covenanting minister, not Paul). 2. 'The