O dear Mother outline of knowledge most sage

by William Blake

Blake manuscript - Notebook - page 061

Edited text:^[2]

* * *
  
‘O DEAR Mother Outline! of wisdom most sage,
What’s the first part of painting?’ She said: ‘Patronage.’
‘And what is the second, to please and engage?’
She frowned like a fury, and said: ‘Patronage.’
5‘And what is the third? She put off old age,
And smil’d like a siren, and said: ‘Patronage.

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The original text:^[3]

* * *

O dear Mother outline of knowledge most sage^[4]
Whats the First Part of Painting she said Patronage^[5]
And what is the second to Please & Engage^[6]
She frownd like a Fury & said Patronage
5 And what is the Third she put off Old Age
And smild like a Syren & said Patronage

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Notes

1. Keynes considers this as a part of previous poem.
2. The Poetical Works of William Blake, including the unpublished French Revolution together with the Minor Prophetic Books and Selections from The Four Zoas, Milton & Jerusalem; edited with an introduction and textual notes by John Sampson, Hon. D.Litt. Oxon., 1862–1931. London, New York: Oxford University Press, 1908.
3. "The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake", ed. by David V. Erdman, Anchor Books, 1988, p. 515.
4. A variant of the preceding stanzas, perhaps meant to replace them, perhaps to follow them, in “Barry a Poem”.
5. 1-2 Then Reynolds said O woman most sage O dear Mother outline be not in a Rage 1st rdg
6. 3 mispunctuated in Keynes; the sense would require: “And what is the second—to Please & Engage?”