d. It is an interesting fact, mention of which ought not to
be omitted, that at the sale of Rossetti's library, which took place
a little while after his decease, the scrap-book acquired in the way I
describe was sold for one hundred and five guineas.

The sum was a large one, but the little book was undoubtedly the most
valuable literary relic of Blake then extant. About the time when a new
edition of Gilchrist's _Life_ was in the press, Rossetti wrote:

My evenings have been rather trenched upon lately by helping
Mrs. Gilchrist with a new edition of the _Life of Blake_....
I don't know if you go in much for him. The new edition of
the _Life_ will include a good number of additional letters
(from Blake to Hayley), and some addition (though not great)
to my own share in the work; as well as much important
carrying-on of my brother's catalogue of Blake's works. The
illustrations will, I trust, receive valuable additions
also, but publishers are apt to be cautious in such
expenses. I am writing late at night, to fill up a fag-end
of bedtime, and shall write again on this head.

Rossetti's "own share" in this work consisted of the writing of the
supplementary chapter (left by Gilchrist, with one or two unimportant
passages merely, at the beginning), and the editing of the poems. When
there arose, subsequently, some idea of my reviewing the book, Rossetti
wrote me the following letter, full of disinterested solicitude:

You will be quite delighted with an essay on Blake by Jas.
Smetham, which occurs in vol ii.; it is a noble thing; and
at the stupendous design called _Plague_ (vol. i.). I have
extracted a passage properly belonging to the same essay,
which is as fine as English _can_ be, and which I am sorry
to perceive (I think) that Mrs. G. has omitted from the body
of the essay because quoted in another place. This essay is
no less than a masterpiece. I wrote the supplementary
chapter (vol. i.), except a few opening paragraphs by
Gilchrist,--and in it have now made some mention of Smetham,
an old and dear friend of mine.

You will admire Shields's paper on the wonderful series of
Young's _Night Thoughts_. My brother and I both helped in
this new edition, but I added little to what I had done
before. I brought forward a portentous series of passages
about one "Scofield" in Blake's _J