Three Virgins at the break of day, 1
'Whither, young man, whither away?
Alas for woe! alas for woe!'
They cry, & tears for ever flow.
The one was cloth'd in flames of fire, 5
The other cloth'd in iron wire,
The other cloth'd in tears & sighs,
Dazling bright before my Eyes.
Pickering MS. p. 2.
1, 2] R¹ begins with an amended version of Blake's second draft of the opening of the poem (MS, Book, p. 14, col. 1 del.)—
'Beneath the white thorn stood in May
Three virgins at the break of day;'
DGR, followed by WMR and EY, begins with the triplet—
'Beneath a white thorn's lovely May,
Three virgins at the break of day:—
"Whither, young man, whither away?"'
WBY changes 'a white thorn's' to 'the white-thorn's.' For 'the white thorn's lovely May,' cp. Milton, f. 31, ll. 50-62:—
'First e'er the morning breaks joy opens in the flowery bosoms,
Joy even to tears, which the Sun rising dries; first the Wild-Thyme
And Meadow-sweet downy & soft waving among the reeds,
Light springing on the air, lead the sweet Dance; they wake
The Honeysuckle sleeping on the Oak, the flaunting beauty
Revels along upon the wind; the White-thorn, lovely May,
Opens her many lovely eyes; listening, the Rose still sleeps,
None dare to wake her; soon she bursts her crimson curtained bed
And comes forth in the majesty of beauty; every Flower,
The Pink, the Jessamine, the Wall-flower, the Carnation,
The Jonquil, the mild Lilly, opes her heavens; every Tree
And Flower & Herb soon fill the air with an innumerable Dance,
Yet all in order sweet & lovely; Men are sick with Love.'
3, 4 Alas . . . flow] R' omits. 3 Alas . . . woe] Alas for wo! alas for wo! alas for wo! MS. Book. 5 one] first K DGR, WMR, EY. 6 other] second R', DGR, WMR, EY. cloth'd] was clothed R^. iron wire] sweet desire MS. Book 1st rdg. del. 7 other cloth'd] third was clothed RS DGR, WMR, EY. tears and sighs] sighs & tears MS. Book 1st rdg. del.
