Ballads, Founded on Anecdotes Relating to Animals, with Prints designed and Engraved by William Blake

1805. Chichester: J.Seagrave for Richard Phillips, 1805.

Small 8vo, (6), 212, (1, index)pp., with 5 plates designed and engraved by Blake. Overall a clean and very pleasing copy in contemporary calf, upper cover skillfully rehinged. Extra-illustrated with a portrait of Hayley engraved by Ridley after Romney (1798?).

§ First edition, with plates 1-3 in the first state. The only copy we have ever seen with an added portrait of Hayley, engraved by Ridley from the Romney original.

An important book in the Blake canon, being his second version of the Ballads after the extremely rare 1802 edition. “For this 1805 volume, Hayley added twelve ballads to the four first published in 1802. Blake engraved new plates of his designs for three of the 1802 ballads (plates 1-3) and both designed and engraved new illustrations for two of the additional ballads (plates 4-5). Blake and Phillips were to “go equal shares . . . in the expense and the profits” (Blake’s letter to Hayley of 22 January 1805, Erdman page 763). Robert Southey’s mocking review of Hayley’s poems and Blake’s illustration to “The Dog” (Plate 1) appeared in the Annual Review for 1805.” Bentley, BB, 465. Easson and Essick, WBBI, Vol. I, VIII. Bindman, Complete Graphic Works of Blake, 403-407. (Inventory #: 126368)