iii
Till thou dost [conquer] the distrest,
Thou shalt never have peace within thy breast.
Four Zoas. Written in pencil on the right-hand margin of the verso of the third sheet of Night vi.
I conquer] With regard to this word EY comment: 'One word, illegible in the original, looks like nothing but an impossible term, and causes the couplet to read as follows : —
"Till thou dost (?) injure the distrest
Thou shalt never have peace within thy breast."
After fruitless efforts, we reluctantly leave the deciphering of the word that cannot be injui-e to future editors. It would have biographical interest.'
In the opinion of Mr. John Linnell, Jun., the doubtful word might be intended for ' compose,' ' conquer,' ' inspire,' or ' improve.' From a photo- graph of this passage, kindly supplied to me by Mr. Linnell, I read the word as ' conquer,' but was unable to see how this could make good sense. Since then I have come to the conclusion that this is the right reading, connecting the couplet with a passage in The Four Zoas. The lines are worthy of quotation, not only as a specimen of Blake's shrewd satire, but as an interesting illustration of the note of Elizabethan imitation surviving in his prophetic writings as late as 1797, or nearly twenty years after the date of his boyish effort 'King Edward the Third.' The argument of this passage seems to me explanatory of that of the couplet. Both are con- temptuous advice, addressed to the worldly-wise man, as to the attitude to be cultivated towards the poor and oppressed— in fact the antithesis of Blake's own sentiment : —
'Can I see another's woe,
And not be in sorrow too?*
This passage, which occurs in Night vii, runs: —
' Compell the poor to live upon a Crust of bread by soft mild arts ;
So shall we gove[r]n over all: let Moral duty tune your tongue ;
But be your hearts harder than the nether millstone.
Smile when they frown, frown when they smile; and when a man looks pale
With labour & abstinence say he looks healthy & happy.
And, when his children sicken, let them die ; there are enough
Born, even too many, & our Earth will be overrun
Without these arts. If you would make the poor live with temper.
With pomp give every crust of bread you give, with gracious cunning
Magnify small gifts: reduce the man to want a gift, & then give with pomp.
Say he smiles if you hear him sigh. If pale, say he is ruddy.
Preach temperance. Say he is overgorg"d, & drowns his wit
In strong drink ; tho' you know that bread & water are all
