xviii
There souls of men are bought & sold, i And milk fed infancy for gold ; And youth to slaughter houses led, And beauty, for a bit of bread. MS. Book, p. 107. Not in DGR and WMR. Swinb., p. 127. EY and WBY print as second stanza to preceding poem. See note to xvii. I There] The EY, WBY. 2 And] In EY, WBY: milk fed . . . gold] cradled infancy is sold MS. Book st rdg. del. 3 youth] youths Swinb., EY, WBY. 4 beauty] maidens MS. Book st rdg.del.,^v4v^. XIX The Wild Flower's Song As I wander'd the forest, i The green leaves among, I heard a wild flower Singing a song. ' I slept in the Earth 5 In the silent night, I murmur'd my fears And I felt delight. ' In the morning I went, 9 As rosy as morn. To seek for new Joy ; But I met with scorn.' MS. Book, pp. 107, 109. The second and third stanzas on p. 109 at first formed the entire poem : later Blake added on p. 107 the introductory stanza and catchwords (' I slept in the dark, &c.'), and finally the title. I wander'd the] wandered in the all edd. 3 flower] thistle MS. Book st rdg. del. 5 I . . . Earth] I was found in the dark ibid. 7 fears] thoughts R^ (though correctly in DGR), WMR, EY, WBY.
