Viva Brighton Issue #60 February 2018
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ART<br />
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all Blake’s difficulties. Blake felt<br />
increasingly that all the engraving<br />
and other commissions had<br />
encroached upon his creative<br />
independence. By April 1803<br />
Hayley was being stigmatised<br />
by Blake as ‘the Enemy of my<br />
Spiritual Life while he pretends<br />
to be the Friend of my Corporeal’.<br />
Soon Blake had resolved<br />
‘not to remain another winter’<br />
in Felpham, and by July 1803<br />
he had determined to return to<br />
London to ‘carry on my visionary<br />
studies… unannoy’d’.<br />
Alas, on 12th August, 1803<br />
everything got a whole lot<br />
worse. A private soldier in the<br />
1st Regiment of Dragoons, one<br />
John Scolfield, entered Blake’s<br />
garden. Unaware that he was<br />
there at the invitation of the<br />
gardener, Blake ordered Scolfield<br />
to leave. Scolfield refused,<br />
angry words were exchanged,<br />
and Blake manhandled the<br />
soldier out of the garden ‘by<br />
the elbows… and pushed him<br />
forward down the road’. Three<br />
days later, Scolfield went before<br />
the Chichester Justice of the<br />
Peace and accused Blake of<br />
seditious expressions favouring<br />
the French and damning the<br />
King of England, not to mention<br />
assault. Having gone back<br />
to London, Blake returned to<br />
Chichester to stand trial. Fortunately,<br />
several witnesses testified<br />
on Blake’s behalf and he was<br />
acquitted on all charges. Hayley’s<br />
moral and financial support<br />
at this time did much to repair<br />
their fractured relationship.<br />
The story of Blake’s time in<br />
Sussex is told in an absolutely<br />
splendid exhibition at Petworth<br />
House that runs until 25th<br />
March. Petworth is proud of<br />
being the only major country<br />
house to hold original works<br />
by William Blake which were<br />
collected in the artist’s lifetime<br />
or, in one case, acquired from his<br />
widow.<br />
Petworth’s own holdings are<br />
supplemented by extensive<br />
loans from, among others, the<br />
Victoria and Albert Museum,<br />
the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge,<br />
the British Museum, Tate and<br />
Manchester City Galleries. All<br />
the court documents relating to<br />
Blake’s trial are also on display.<br />
David Jarman<br />
William Blake in Sussex: Vision<br />
of Albion is at Petworth House<br />
until the 25th of March. Entry<br />
by advance booking only: 0344<br />
2491895 / nationaltrust.org.uk<br />
William Blake, William, plate 29 from Milton a Poem, 1804-1811 © The Trustees of the British Museum<br />
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