The Devonshire Manuscript/A my herte a what eilith the

←ffortune dothe frown

hate whom ye list for I kare not→

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 78v

f. [78v]

1    A my herte a what eilith the
2    to sett so light my libretye
3    making ^me bonde when{_e} I was fre
4    a my herte a . &c

5    {_o}{{th}+u+} when thou ware rid from all distresse
6    voyde of all paine & pen{_e}sifnesse
7    to chose againe a new mistresse
8    a my hert &c

9    when thou{{th}+u+} ware well thou{{th}+u+}  could not holde
10    to to^rne agayne that{{th}+t+} ware to bolde
11    thus to renue my sorrowes olde
12    a my herte &c

13    thou knoist full well that{{th}+t+} but of late
14    I was to^rnid out of loves gate
15    and now to guide me to this{{th}+is+} mate
16    amy hert &c

17    I hopte full well all had be don{_o}n
18    but nowe my hope is tane & woin
19    to my to^rmen{_e}t to yelde so sone
20    a my harte &c

fs

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H8. The speaker complains to his heart that it has once more bound him to a new mistress so soon after being freed from a painful love.

H8's shorter lines for the refrain separate each section visually and thus display clear stanza divisions.

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

DBLa02

Textual Notes

1 herte] harte DBla02 a] A DBla02 eilith] eileth DBla02
2 sett] set DBla02 so light my] soo Lyght be DBla02 libretye] libertye DBla02
3 making] makyng DBla02 me] myee DBla02 bonde] bounde DBla02 when] where DBla02
4 herte] harte DBla02 a. & c] A what ayleth the DBla02
5 when thou ware rid] Where thow warte ryde DBla02 from] frome DBla02 distresse] Dist DBla02
6 voyde] voide DBla02 paine] payne DBla02 & pensifnesse] and pensyfnes DBla02
7 chose] chauoose DBla02 againe] agayne DBla02 mistresse] mestres DBla02
8 hert] harte DBla02 & c] a what Ayleth the DBla02
9 when] When DBla02 thou ware] thow warte DBla02 thou] thow DBla02 could] couldes DBla02 holde] hold DBla02
10 torne] turne DBla02 that ware] thow warte DBla02
11 renue] renew DBla02 sorrowes] Sorowes DBla02
12 a] A DBla02 herte] harte DBla02 & c] a what Ayleth the DBla02
13 thou] Thow DBla02 knoist] knowest DBla02 late] Late DBla02
14 tornid out of loves] turned owt of Loues DBla02
15 and] & DBla02 guide] gyde DBla02
16 amy] a my DBla02 hert] harte DBla02 & c] a what Ayleth the DBla02
17 hopte] hopped DBla02 be donn] ben doone DBla02
18 nowe] now DBla02 hope] hoppe DBla02 is] Is DBla02 & woin] and wone DBla02
19 torment] turment DBla02 to] To DBla02 yelde] yeld DBla02 so] soo DBla02 sone] Sone DBla02
20 harte] hart DBla02 & c] a what ayleth the DBla02