The Devonshire Manuscript/Hey Robyn Ioly Robyn tell me

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The Devonshire Manuscript
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The knot which fyrst my hart did strayn It was my choyse It Was my chaunce
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 24r
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 24v

 f. [24r] 

1    Hey Robyn Ioly Robyn tell me and thys
2    how thy lady dose and thou{{th}+u+} shalt know          of myn


3    My lady ys wnkynd per{p1}dy
4    Alas why ys she soo
5    she lowes a nother better{t'} then I
6    and yett she wyll say noo

7    I fynd no shech doblenes
8    for1 I fynd women trew
9    my lady lovyth me dowtles
10    and wyll chang for no new2

11    Thow art happy yf ytt doth last
12    bot I say as I fynd
13    that womens lou ys but A blast
14    and tornyth as the wynd

15    Yf that be trew yett as thou sayst
16    that women turn their hart
17    then spek better of them thov mayst
18    In hop to hau thy partt

f. [24v] 

19    Such folke shal tak no hurt by louee
20    that can abyd their torn
21    bot I Alas can no ways prou
22    In lou butt lak and mornn{_n}

23    yet yff thow wylt Avoyd the harm
24    Lern thys leson off me
25    at others fyers thy self to Warn
26    and lett them warn wyth the

ffynys quod{q+d+} s a i r3

Notes & Glosses edit

     1. It is possible that an e is indicated after "for."
     2. This phrase resonates. See "Sum tyme I syghe sumtyme I syng" (20v).
     3. One possibility is that the author is "sair," as in "sayer," a person who says, but Harrier argues that it may read "58i3," a code for Wiat.[1]

Commentary edit

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt,[2] this poem was entered by H3. Rebholz observes that this poem may be an expansion of a popular song: a slightly different version of the first three stanzas appears in Henry VIII's song-book[3] and Feste sings another version of the poem in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (IV, 2, 78-9).[4] H10 enters a seven-line excerpt of the poem on 22v.

This poem is is also one of seventeen entries where Margaret Douglas marks: “and thys.” Paul Remley has suggested that these annotations relate to another in-text annotation of hers, “lerne but to syng it” (81r), and may indicate a group of texts to be learned for entertaining.[5]

Works Cited edit


Textual Notes edit

Texts Collated edit

LDev035, LEge02, LHen1

Collation edit

1 Hey] He LDev035 A LHen1 Hey Robyn Ioly Robyn tell me/] A Robyn/ Ioly Robyn/ tell me LEge02 Robyn] robyn LHen1 Ioly Robyn tell me/] gentyll robyn/ tell me LDev035 gentyl robyn/ tel me LHen1 how] howe LDev035 lady dose] leman doeth/ LEge02 lemman doth/ LHen1 dose] dothe/ LDev035 thou] thow LHen1 shalt] shalte LDev035 shall LEge02 shal LHen1 know/] knowe LDev035 LEge02 know/ of] know off LHen1 myn] myne LHen1
1.1 ] A robyn gentil robyn gentyl LHen1
1.2 ] thy lemman doth LHen1
1.3 ] and thow shal know of myne LHen1
1.4 ] A robyn gentil robyn LHen1
1.5 ] tel me how thy lemman doth LHen1
1.6 ] and thow shalt know of myne LHen1
2 My] my LHen1 lady] ladye LDev035 ys] is LEge02 ys wnkynd] is vnkynde LDev035 ys wnkynd perdy] us vnkynde I wis LHen1 wnkynd] vnkynd LEge02 perdy] perdye LDev035 perde LEge02
3 Alas] allas LDev035 alac LHen1 Alas why ys she soo] alack whi is she so LEge02 ys] is LDev035 LHen1 soo] so LHen1
4 she] She LDev035 lowes] loves LDev035 loveth LEge02 louyth LHen1 a nother] another LDev035 LHen1 an othre LEge02 better] Beter LDev035 then] than LHen1 I] me LEge02 LHen1
5 yett] yet LDev035 LEge02 LHen1 wyll] will LEge02 LHen1 say] saye LDev035 noo] W LDev035 no LEge02 LHen1
5.1 ] Responce LEge02 r robyn LHen1
6 I fynd no shech doblenes] LDev035 fynd] fynde LEge02 fynd no shech] can not thynk such LHen1 shech] suche LEge02 doblenes] doublenes LEge02 dobylnes LHen1
7 for] LEge02 for I fynd women trew] LDev035 fynd] fynde LEge02 women] wo men LHen1 trew] true LEge02
8 my] In faith my LHen1 my lady lovyth me dowtles] LDev035 lovyth] loveth LEge02 louith LHen1 dowtles] well LHen1
9 and] she LHen1 and wyll chang for no new] LDev035 wyll] will LEge02 LHen1 chang] chaunge LEge02 change LHen1 new] newe LEge02
9.1 ] le plaintif LEge02 A robyn LHen1
10 Thow] Thou LEge02 Thow art happy yf ytt doth last] LDev035 LHen1 yf ytt] while that LEge02 doth] doeth LEge02
11 bot] but LEge02 bot I say as I fynd] LDev035 LHen1
12 that womens lou ys but A blast] LDev035 LHen1 lou ys but A] love is but a LEge02
13 and tornyth as the wynd] LDev035 LHen1 tornyth] torneth LEge02 as] lik LEge02 wynd] wynde LEge02
14 Yf that be trew yett as thou sayst] LDev035 LEge02 LHen1
15 that women turn their hart] LDev035 LEge02 LHen1
16 then spek better of them thov mayst] LDev035 LEge02 LHen1
17 In hop to hau thy partt] LDev035 LEge02 LHen1
17.1 ] Responce LEge02
18 Such] Suche LEge02 Such folke shal tak no hurt by louee] LDev035 LHen1 folke] folkes LEge02 shal] shall LEge02 tak] take LEge02 hurt] harme LEge02 louee] love LEge02
19 that can abyd their torn] LDev035 LHen1 abyd their] abide their LEge02
20 bot] But LEge02 bot I Alas can no ways prou] LDev035 LHen1 Alas] alas LEge02 ways] way LEge02 prou] prove LEge02
21 In lou butt lak and mornn] LDev035 LHen1 In lou] in love LEge02 butt] but LEge02 lak] lake LEge02 and] & LEge02 mornn] morn LEge02
21.1 ] le plaintif LEge02
22 yet yff thow wylt Avoyd the harm] LDev035 LHen1 yet yff thow wylt Avoyd the] But if thou wilt avoyde thy LEge02 harm] harme LEge02
23 Lern] lerne LEge02 Lern thys leson off me] LDev035 LHen1 thys] this LEge02 leson off] lessen of LEge02
24 at] in LEge02 at others fyers thy self to Warn] LDev035 LHen1 others] othre LEge02 fyers] fieres LEge02 Warn] warme LEge02
25 and lett them warn wyth the] LDev035 LHen1 lett] let LEge02 them] theim LEge02 warn] warme LEge02 wyth] with LEge02