The Devonshire Manuscript, What no perde ye may be sure

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The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 19r (Image: DMSEG, CC BY-SA 3.0) |

f. [19r]

1    What no per{p+}de ye may be sure
2    # thynk not to make me to yor lure
3  {es} {w+t+}  with wordes & chere so contraryng
4    Swet & sower conterwayyng
5    to moche yt were styll to endure
6    trothe ys trayde where craft ys in vre1
7    But tho ye haue had my hartes{es} cure
8    trow ye I dote with{w+t+} owt endyng
9    What no Per{p+}dye
10  {p3}{w+t+}  Tho that with payn I do procure
11    ffor to fforgett that ons was pure
12    with{w+t+}in my heart 2 shall styll that thyng
13    Vnstable vnsure And waveryng
14    Be in my mynd with{w+t+}owt recure
15    What no per{p+}dye

fynys quod {q+d+}Wyatts

Notes & Glosses

1. Further work might determine whether this is a traditional or popular sentiment.
2. A heart-shaped pictograph, with dots as eyes and a line as a mouth.

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt,1] this poem was entered by [H2. In the poem the speaker describes a lady’s truth being tested and found wanting. The lover refuses to continue doting on her and finds his loyalty and endurance pushed to its limit.

A heart-shaped pictograph appears on line twelve in place of the word "heart," which reads: "within my heart shall styll that thyng." The image appears to have two dots to represent eyes and a line to represent a mouth.

Works Cited

• ↑ R.A. Rebholz, ed, Sir Thomas Wyatt: The Complete Poems (London: Penguin, 1978), 74-75.

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

LEge46

Collation

1      perde] perdy LEge46
2      thynk] thinck LEge46     yor] your LEge46
3      &] and LEge46     contraryng] contrarieng LEge46
4      Swet &] swete and LEge46     sower] sowre LEge46     conterwayyng] contrewaing LEge46
5      moche yt] much it LEge46     styll] still LEge46
6      trothe ys trayde] trouth is tryed LEge46     ys] is LEge46
7      But tho] but though LEge46     haue] have LEge46     had] haved LEge46     hartes] hertes LEge46
8      with owt] withoute LEge46     endyng] ending LEge46
9      Perdye] perdy LEge46
10      Tho] Though LEge46     payn] pain LEge46
11      ffor] for LEge46     fforgett] forgett LEge46
12      heart] hert LEge46     styll] still LEge46     thyng] thing LEge46
13      Vnstable] vnstable LEge46     And] and LEge46     waveryng] wavring LEge46
14      Be] be LEge46     mynd] mynde LEge46     withowt] withoute LEge46

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