Author: HAYLEY (William):
Title: The Triumphs of Temper. A Poem. In Six Cantos. The Twelfth Edition, Corrected. With New Original Designs, By Maria Flaxman.
Description: Chichester: Printed by J. Seagrave; For T. Cadell and W. Davies.., 1803. Small 8vo, 161 x 94 mms., pp. [iii] - xii, 165 [166 blank], with six designs by Maria Flaxman engraved by William Blake, bound in contemporary sheepskin, gilt border on covers, gilt spine, red leather label; spine rubbed with loss of gilt, but a good copy.Blake worked on these plates for the first six months of 1803. In his letter to Thomas Butts of 10 January 1803, Blake reports that he was "now engaged in Engraving 6 small plates for a New Edition of Mr Hayleys Triumphs of Temper. from drawings by Maria Flaxman sister to my friend the Sculptor" (Erdman page 723). At the end of the month, on 30 January, Blake informs his brother James of the commission and state that he would be paid "10 G[uineas]" for each plate (Erdman page 726). By the end of June, the engravings were evidently complete, for Hayley sent a copy of the twelfth edition to Lady Harriet Hesketh, William Cowper's cousin. In a letter of 1 July, she tells Hayley of her disappointment with the prints. In a letter to John Flaxman of 7 August 1803, Hayley, presumably referring to Hesketh's comments, states: "I am sorry to say that the Ladies (& it is a Ladys Book) find fault with the Engravings— our poor industrious Blake has received sixty Guineas for them from my Bookseller & I believe both the artist & the paymaster are dissatisfied on the occasion" (Bentley, Records page 157). In the same letter, Hayley also reports that he and Blake made the decision to omit from the engravings the figure of Minerva represented in one of Maria Flaxman's original designs. In response, John Flaxman remarked in a letter to Hayley of 24 August 1803 that one of his half-sister's drawings depicting "Serena viewing herself in the Glass when dressed for the Masquerade whilst her Maid adjusts her train" was overlooked for engraving (Bentley, Records page 166). First published in 1781, Hayley's The Triumphs of Temper was reprinted at least ten times before the end of the 18th century, but this edition is probably the one most collectors of Hayley would like to have. Hayley's mock-heroic have some resemblance to Alexander Pope's verse, but not the wit: his aim is clearly didactic, that of instructing young girls and women the value of tempering their lives in order to please their husbands. Thomas Stothard was the first to provide illustrations for the poem in the sixth edition of 1788. I quote from the William Blake Archive online: "Blake worked on these plates for the first six months of 1803. In his letter to Thomas Butts of 10 January 1803, Blake reports that he was "now engaged in Engraving 6 small plates for a New Edition of Mr Hayleys Triumphs of Temper. from drawings by Maria Flaxman sister to my friend the Sculptor" (Erdman page 723). At the end of the month, on 30 January, Blake informs his brother James of the commission and state that he would be paid "10 G[uineas]" for each plate (Erdman page 726). By the end of June, the engravings were evidently complete, for Hayley sent a copy of the twelfth edition to Lady Harriet Hesketh, William Cowper's cousin. In a letter of 1 July, she tells Hayley of her disappointment with the prints. In a letter to John Flaxman of 7 August 1803, Hayley, presumably referring to Hesketh's comments, states: "I am sorry to say that the Ladies (& it is a Ladys Book) find fault with the Engravings— our poor industrious Blake has received sixty Guineas for them from my Bookseller & I believe both the artist & the paymaster are dissatisfied on the occasion" (Bentley, Records page 157). In the same letter, Hayley also reports that he and Blake made the decision to omit from the engravings the figure of Minerva represented in one of Maria Flaxman's original designs. In response, John Flaxman remarked in a letter to Hayley of 24 August 1803 that one of his half-sister's drawings depicting "Serena viewing herself in the Glass when dressed for the Masquerade whilst her Maid adjusts her train" was overlooked for engraving (Bentley, Records page 166)."

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