In the year 1800, Blake was invited by the poet William Hayley to live in Felpham and work as a protégé under Hayley. During this time, approximately 1802, Napoleon had amassed his troops along the Sussex Coast, and a handful of them were staying at a pub in Felpham. As time went on, things were looking good until August of 1803, when Blake came across a soldier by the name of John Schofield, who had perused onto the property tipsy. An argument ensued, with Blake telling Schofield to remove himself from the property. Schofield resisted, and Blake forcefully removed him and brought him to the Fox Inn, which was 50 yards away. To exact revenge, Schofield went to his commanding officer alongside John Cock and lied, saying Blake had "damned the King of England." After this, Blake was arrested and charged with sedition and assault. Blake posted bail and had an attorney paid for by William Hayley. There were 2 grand juries who tried Blake for these accusations, but he was ulltimately acquitted in late 1804.
This legal altercation caused Blake to incorporate not only the judges, but the accusers and involved individuals into his poems Milton and Jerusalem.
Attached is an image of the Fox Inn in Felpham during the current day.
Works Cited:
“Charged with Sedition.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/biography/William-Blake/Charged-with-sedition.
The Fox Inn Image is copyrighted under Alamy Stock Photos, or www.alamy.com