Books and Manuscripts

[Blake, William] Young, Edward
The Complaint, and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts
London: Printed by R. Noble, for R. Edwards, 1797. First edition illustrated by William Blake. Large 4to, 16 5/8 x 13 in. (422 x 330 mm). viii, 2, (2), 3-95, (3) pp.; including ad at front, and with 'Explanation' leaf, which is frequently lacking. Illustrated with four engraved sectional title-pages and 39 splendid engraved pictorial borders, by and after Blake. Full modern crimson niger, black morocco spine labels, stamped in blind and in gilt; top edge trimmed, other edges untrimmed; scattered light spotting to leaves; a few small repaired short closed tears in bottom edge; bottom edge of pp. 23/24 expertly repaired; some very light off-setting to text from plates. Bentley and Nurmi 422; Bentley, Blake Books 515

Originally published between 1742-45, this first illustrated edition of Edward Young's popular poem features 43 engravings by a then little-known journeyman printer, William Blake. In preparation for the illustrations, Blake completed 537 preparatory watercolors over two years, 200 of which he planned to engrave. Although Blake set out to illustrate all nine parts of Young's verse, only four parts were completed before the project was cancelled, due in part to the extraordinary expense and the volume's poor reception.