'Twas the Greeks' love of war i?
Turn'd Love into a Boy,
And Woman into a Statue of Stone —
And away fled every Joy.
17-20 'Twas . . . Joy] Swinb. calls this 'the last (rejected) stanza,' but
there is no trace of deletion in the MS. Book. 17 Greeks'] Greek
Swinb. 18 Turn'd] That turned Swinb. Love] Cupid EY, WBY.
20 And] WBY omils. fled] flew EY, WBY.
cxvi
1 I asked my Dear Friend Orator Prig :
'What's the first part of Oratory?' He said : 'A great
wig.'
'And what is the second?' Then, dancing a jig
d bowing profoundly, he said : ' A great wig.'
5 ' And what is the third ? ' Then he snored like a pig, 5
And, puffing his cheeks out, replied ; ' A great wig.'
So if a Great Painter with Questions you push
'What's the first part of painting?' he'll say: 'A Paint-
Brush.'
9 ' And what is the second ? ' with most modest blush,
He'll smile like a cherub, and say : ' A paint-brush.'
' And what is the third ? ' he'll bow like a rush,
With a leer in his Eye, he'll reply: 'A Paint-brush.'
13 Perhaps this is all a Painter can want: 13
But, look yonder — that house is the house of Rem-
brandt ! &c.
MS. Book, p. 60. DGR, WMR ('Epig.' i) with title in WMR of ' Orator
Prig.' EY (' Coupl.' xxi). Following the ' &c.' which indicates that more
of this piece was written elsewhere Blake has added the words 'to come
in Barry : a Poem.'
1 my] of my DGR, WMR. 2 part of] thing in EY. 6 And . . . out]
And thrust out his cheeks and MS. Book 1st ydg. del. , EY. 7 So . . . push]
So if tp a painter the question you push DGR, WMR, EY. 8 he'll] he'd
EY. II he'll] He will EY. 12 he'll] and DGR, WMR, EY. 13 all
a] all that a EY.
