Page:The poetical works of William Blake; a new and verbatim text from the manuscript engraved and letterpress originals (1905).djvu/205

Rh When I saw that rage was vain, 9 And to sulk would nothing gain, Turning many a trick & wile I began to soothe & smile. And I sooth'd day after day, 13 Till upon the ground I stray; And I smil'd night after night, Seeking only for delight. And I saw before me shine 17 Clusters of the wand'ring vine ; And, beyond, a mirtle tree Stretch'd its blossoms out to me. But a Priest with holy look, 21 In his hands a holy book, Pronounced curses on his head Who the fruits or blossoms shed. I beheld the Priest by night ; 25 He embrac'd my mirtle bright: I beheld the Priest by day, Where beneath my vines he lay. Like a serpent in the day 29 Underneath my vines he lay : Like a serpent in the night He embrac'd my mirtle bright. -12 When. . . smile] This stanza is an afterthought. ii Turn- ing .. . wile] I began to MS. Book st rdg. del. ; Seeking many an artful wile MS. Book znd rdg. del. ; Twining many a trick and wile Swinb. 13 sooth'd] grew MS. Book ist rdg. del. ; Swinb. retains this; smil'd MS. Book 2nd rdg. del. ; EY omit. 14 stray] lay Swinb., EY, WBY. smil'd] grew MS. Book ist rdg. del., Swinb. 17, 18 And. . . vine] ' But upon the earthly ground No delight was to be found.' MS. Book first beginning of this stanza del. EY put asterisks for 'was to.' 17 And I. . .] From this point onwards I give the earlier (and preferable) form of the remaining stanzas ; and print in a final note the revised form of stanzas 6-9. These changes are all dependent upon the substitution of ' many a Priest ' for ' a Priest ' in 1. 21. 21 But a Priest] My father then MS. Book 2rd rdg. look] book EY book (? look) WBY (Notes), p. 240. 24 fruits] fruit Swinb., EY. 28 vines] vine EY. 29-32 I beheld. . . bright] The two couplets of this stanza were originally written in M 2