The Devonshire Manuscript, Greting to you bothe yn hertye wyse

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The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 79r (Image: DMSEG, CC BY-SA 3.0) |
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The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 79v (Image: DMSEG, CC BY-SA 3.0) |
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f. [79r]

1    Greting to you bothe yn hertye wyse
2    as vnknowen I sende and this mye entente
3    as I do here / you to aduertyse
4    {es}{p+} lest that perchaunce yor deades you do repente
5    {es}{_a} the vnknowen mann dredes not to be shente
6    but sayes as he thinkes{es}. so fares yt bye me
7    that nother ffere nor hope in no degree

8    The bodye and the sowle to holde to giddre
9    yt is but right and reson well the same
10    and ffryndelie the on to love the other
11    yt incresith yor brute and also yor fame /
12    but marke well my wordes{es} for I fere no blame
13    truste well yor selves but ware ye trust no mo.
14    for suche as ye think yor frinde maye fortune be yor ffie

15    beware hardelye are ye have anye nede
16    {_o}{es} and to frindes reconsilide trust not greatelye
17    ffor theye that ons with{w+t+} hastie spede
18    {_o}{_e} exilid themselvis out of yor companye
19    though thye torne againe and speke swetelye
20    {es}{_e} fayning themselvis to be yor frindes faste
21    beware of them{_e} for theye will disscyeve you at laste

22    fayre woodes{es} words  makis ffoolys fayne
23    and bering in hande causithe moche woo
24    for tyme tryeth trothe therefore refrayne
25    and from{_o} suche as be redye to doo
26    none doo I name but this I kno
27    that bye this faute cause causith moche
28    therefore beware if yo do kno anye suche

29    {_a}{es} {es} To wise folkes fewe wordes is ann old saying
30    therefore at this tyme I will write nomore
31    but this short lesson take fore a warnin{_i}ge
32    bye soche light frindes{es} sett littill store
33    yf ye do othere wise ye will repent yt sore
34    and thus of this lettre making an ende
35    to the boddye and the sowle I me com{_o}mende

f. [79v]

36    wrytin lyfles at the manner{n'} place
37    of him that hathe no chabre nore no were doth dwell
38    {_i}{_a} but wandering in the wilde worlde wanting that he hast
39    and nother hopis nor ffearis heven nor hell.
40    but lyvith at adventure ye kno him full well
41    the twentie daye of mar{m'}che he wrote yt yn his house
42    and hathe him recom{_o}mendyd to the kat and the mowse /

fs

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt,1] this poem was entered by [H8. Rebholz notes that this epistle addresses the human body and soul, and in fact the speaker may be a ghost warning lovers to beware of false friends.2] Numerous examples of the false-friend theme appear in the manuscript: [“Pacyence of all my smart” (21r) discusses a friend-turned-foe theme; “What nedythe lyff when I requyer” (43r-44r) depicts friends and lovers becoming enemies; and “My nowne Iohn poyntz,” (85v-87r) describes the narrator who feels he must isolate himself in the country (away from the deceitful court).

Works Cited

• ↑ R.A. Rebholz, ed. Sir Thomas Wyatt: The Complete Poems. London: Penguin, 1978. 243-44.
• ↑ ibid., 507.

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