The Devonshire Manuscript, In faythe methynkes yt ys no Ryght

|

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 21v (Image: DMSEG, CC BY-SA 3.0) |
| --- |
|

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 22r (Image: DMSEG, CC BY-SA 3.0) |
| |

f. [21v]

1    3 In faythe methynkes{es} yt ys no Ryght
2    to hate me thus ffor lovyng ye
3    so fayre a face so full off spyght
4    who wold have thowght suche crueltye
5    But syns there ys no Remedye
6    that by no meanes{es} ye can me love
7    I shall you leve & other prove

8    Ffor yff I have for my good wyll
9    no reward eles{es} but cruelltye
10    in faythe thereoff I can no skyll
11    sythe that{{th}+t+} I lovyd ye honestlye
12    But take hede I wyll tyll I dye
13    or that I love so well Aogayn
14    Syns women vse so muche to fayn

f. [22r]

15    And sure I thynke yt ys best way
16    to love for love Alyke Agayn
17    & not to make ernest off play
18    as I to love & she to ffayn
19    ffor syns fansy so muche dothe rayn
20    the suryst way nedes{es} take I must
21    as fyrst to preve and after trust1

22    By trustyng I was Dysceavyd
23    for when I thowght myself most sure
24    another had me Begylyd
25    & shortly made her to hys lure
26    but now that{{th}+t+} she ys past Recure
27    & thus fro me hathe tane her flyght
28    Best let her go & take hytt lyght

29    Shuld I take thowght when she ys glad
30    or shuld I wake when she dothe slepe
31    yet may I say that ons I had
32    & nother sobbe nor syghe nor wepe
33    nor for her love on knee to crepe
34    ffor surely thys ryght well I wott
35    happyest ys he that hathe her nott

ffynys quod{q+d+}A. I.s

Notes & Glosses

1. This phrase resonates; see "ys yt possyble" (14r), for example.

Commentary

The attribution to "A.I" in the text may refer to Anthony Lee (who was often called the Earl of Idledom). H2, the poem's scribe, maintains his consistency in the presentation of the poem with his previous entries; specifically, he keeps equal spacing and organization of stanzas on the recto and verso pages. The poem's speaker laments the cruelty he receives in return for his service to the lady.

Where this page came from

This page was imported from Wikibooks. From “The Devonshire Manuscript” on Wikibooks, by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changed here: set as a page; navigation and edit links left out; each image under its own licence, credited in its caption.

Nobody has written it yet — it is the source material at a new address, which is why search engines are asked to skip it and why no one earns from it. It is up for grabs: take it on, and it is yours to rewrite and to earn from.