The Devonshire Manuscript/Nowe fare well love and theye lawes forever

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The Devonshire Manuscript
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Me list no more to sing ffor to love her for her lokes lovelye
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 75r

 f. [75r] 

1    Nowe fare well love and theye lawes forever.
2    thye baytid hookis shall tangle me no more
3    to sore a profe hathe called me from{_o} thye lore
4    to surer helthe / welthe my wyttis to endever
5    In blynde error whylist I dede per{p+}seuer
6    thye sharpe repulse that pryckith so sore
7    hathe taught me to sett in tryfflis no store /
8    but skape fvrthe for libretye is lever .
9    {es}{g'} therefor farewell go truble yonger hertes
10    and in me clayme no more autorytye
11    with{w+t+} Idle youth goo vse thye propretye
12    And therevpon go spende thy brittle dartes{es}
13    for hidreto I have loste mye tyme
14    me liste no longr b rottyn bowes to clyme/

fs

Commentary edit

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt,[1] this poem was entered by H8. The speaker renounces love and tells it to go trouble younger hearts. The grafted and rotten bough image is a common image in courtly lyrics. For other examples of this image in the manuscript, see “Yff reason govern fantasye” (45r), “This rotyd greff will not but growe” (47v), and “Tanglid I was yn loves snare” (79v-80r).

The poem also appears in Tottel's Miscellany under the title “A renouncing of loue” (item 99).[2]

Works Cited edit


Textual Notes edit

Texts Collated edit

LEge09, STC13860_07, AAH04

Collation edit

1 Nowe] AAH04 LEge09 STC_13860_07 fare well] ffarewell AAH04 LEge09 FArewell, STC_13860_07 love and theye] Loue, and all thy STC_13860_07 theye] all thie AAH04 all thy LEge09 lawes] Lawes AAH04 forever.] for ever AAH04 LEge09 for euer. STC_13860_07
2 thye] thie AAH04 thy LEge09 Thy STC_13860_07 baytid] baited AAH04 bayted LEge09 STC_13860_07 hookis] hookes AAH04 LEge09 hokes STC_13860_07 tangle] tangill LEge09 more] more. STC_13860_07
3 to sore a profe hathe called] Senec and Plato call AAH04 Senec and plato call LEge09 Senec, and Plato call STC_13860_07 thye] thie AAH04 thy LEge09 STC_13860_07 lore] lore: STC_13860_07
4 to surer helthe / welthe my wyttis] To parfit wealth my wit for STC_13860_07 surer helthe /] perfect AAH04 perfaict LEge09 welthe] wealthe AAH04 welth LEge09 wyttis] witt for AAH04 wit for LEge09 endever] endevour AAH04 endeuer. STC_13860_07
5 In] in AAH04 blynde] blynd AAH04 blinde STC_13860_07 error] errour AAH04 LEge09 STC_13860_07 whylist] when AAH04 LEge09 STC_13860_07 dede] did AAH04 LEge09 dyd STC_13860_07 perseuer] persever AAH04 parseuer: STC_13860_07
6 thye] thie AAH04 thy LEge09 Thy STC_13860_07 sharpe] sharppe AAH04 sherpe LEge09 sharp STC_13860_07 repulse] repulce LEge09 repulse, STC_13860_07 pryckith] pricketh AAH04 LEge09 STC_13860_07 so] aye so AAH04 STC_13860_07 ay so LEge09 sore] sore: STC_13860_07
7 hathe] Hath AAH04 hath LEge09 STC_13860_07 taught] Taught STC_13860_07 to sett in tryfflis] in trifles that I set STC_13860_07 tryfflis] tryfles AAH04 tryfels LEge09 store /] store AAH04 LEge09 store: STC_13860_07
8 but] and AAH04 LEge09 But STC_13860_07 skape] scape AAH04 LEge09 STC_13860_07 fvorthe for libretye] forthe syns lybertie AAH04 fvorthe for] fourth syns LEge09 forth thence: since STC_13860_07 libretye] libertie LEge09 STC_13860_07 lever.] Lever AAH04 lever LEge09 leuer. STC_13860_07
9 therefor] therefore AAH04 Therefore LEge09 Therfore, STC_13860_07 farewell] fare well AAH04 farewell: STC_13860_07 go] goe AAH04 goo LEge09 truble] trouble AAH04 LEge09 STC_13860_07 hertes] hartes AAH04 hartes: STC_13860_07
10 and] And STC_13860_07 clayme] claime STC_13860_07 more] mroe AAH04 autorytye] aucthoritie AAH04 authoritie LEge09 auctoritie. STC_13860_07
11 with] With STC_13860_07 Idle] idill LEge09 ydle STC_13860_07 youth] youthe AAH04 yeuth LEge09 goo] go AAH04 STC_13860_07 thye] thie AAH04 thy LEge09 STC_13860_07 propretye] propertie AAH04 LEge09 propartie: STC_13860_07
12 And] and AAH04 therevpon go] theare on AAH04 theron LEge09 STC_13860_07 spende] spend AAH04 LEge09 STC_13860_07 thy] thie many AAH04 brittle] many brittill LEge09 many brittle STC_13860_07 dartes] dertes LEge09 dartes. STC_13860_07
13 for] ffor AAH04 for hidreto] For, hytherto though STC_13860_07 hidreto] hetherto thoughe AAH04 hetherto though LEge09 have] haue AAH04 STC_13860_07 loste] lost STC_13860_07 loste mye] spendlost all my LEge09 mye] all my AAH04 my STC_13860_07 tyme] tyme: STC_13860_07
14 me liste no longr b] Me lyst no lenger STC_13860_07 liste] lustithe AAH04 lusteth LEge09 longr b] longer AAH04 longr b rottyn bowes] lenger rotten boughes LEge09 rottyn] rotten AAH04 STC_13860_07 bowes] boughes AAH04 clyme /] clyme AAH04 LEge09 clime. STC_13860_07