SELF-KNOWLEDGE

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Malevolence

In the following two passages we see how Blake applied to his associates the growing understanding of the motivating forces which were within himself . He saw in their behaviour that they were dominated by forces were within themselves, but unknown to those who possessed them. Blake increased his understanding of himself by observing in Hayley and Reynolds things which they did not know about themselves but were expressed overtly.

Blake confessed that he didn't know what he was getting into when he moved to Felpham at Hayley's invitation. He anticipated better circumstances because he was attempting to leave a stressful situation in London. Blake soon found that Hayley's motivations were not directed by the spirit but by purely material concerns. He intended to move Blake away from writing visionary poetry as he felt led to do, and into activities designed for monetary gain.

Blake felt that Hayley's rejection of the leadership of the spirit worked against his gaining understanding of the 'natural hidden' forces which were working against him.

In th case of Reynolds, Blake recognized that he was using his position as president of the Royal Academy to attempt to destroy the reputations of the very artists whom Blake most admired.

To Blake the praise that Reynolds gave to Rafael and Michelangelo could be recognized as attempts to to poison admiration of their skills as a means of revenge against their vision and artistic ability. The praise that he afforded them was not for what they valued in art but for what they abhorred. The harm that Reynolds did was to the public and to the students who accepted his evaluation. If it was behavior of which he was unconscious, he was allowing his lack of self-knowledge to determine his relationship to others. Whether unintentionally or maliciously he allowed his own failure to resolve his inner conflicts to do harm.

Letters, To Butts, (E 723)

"When I came down here I was more sanguine than I am at present but it was because I was ignorant of many things which have since occurred & chiefly the unhealthiness of the place Yet I do not repent of coming, on a thousand accounts. & Mr H I doubt not will do ultimately all that both he & I wish that is to lift me out of difficulty. but this is no easy matter to a man who having Spiritual Enemies of such formidable magnitude cannot expect to want natural hidden ones"

Annotations to Reynolds, (E 642)

  "I consider Reynolds's Discourses to the Royal Academy as the
Simulations of the Hypocrite who Smiles particularly where he
means to Betray.  His Praise of Rafael is like the Hysteric Smile
of Revenge   His Softness & Candour. the hidden trap. & the
poisoned feast, He praises Michael Angelo for Qualities which
Michael Angelo Abhorrd; & He blames Rafael for the only Qualities
which Rafael Valued,  Whether Reynolds. knew what he was doing.
is nothing to me; the Mischief is just the same, whether a Man
does it Ignorantly or Knowingly:"