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The Devonshire Manuscript
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O ye louers that hygh vpon the whele Suche Wayn thowght / as wonted to myslede me /
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 30v

 f. [30v] 

1    3 It was my choyse yt was no chaunce /
2    that browght my hart in others holde /
3    Wherby ytt hath had Sufferaunce /
4    lenger perde then Reason wold /
5    syns I ytt Bownde{d,} where ytt was ffree /
6    me thynkes{es} ywys of Ryght yt shold /
7    Acceptyd be

8    Acceptyd be with{w+t+} owte Refuse /
9   {{th}+e+} {{th}+t+} Vnles that fortune have the power /
10    All Ryght of love for to Abuse /
11    for As thay say / one happy howre /
12    may more prevayle then Ryght or myght /
13    yf fortune then lyst for to lowre /
14    What vaylyth Right

15    What vaylyth Ryght yff thys be trew /
16    then trust to chaunce and go by gesse /1
17    then who so lovyth may well go sew /
18    vncerten hope for hys redresse /
19    yett some wolde{d,} say Assueredly /
20    thou mayst Appele for thy relesse /
21    to fantasy /

22    To fantasy pertaynys to chose /
23    All thys I knowe for fantasy /
24    ffurst vnto love dyd me Induse /
25    but yet I knowe as stedefastly /
26    that yff love haue no faster knott /
27    so nyce a choyse slyppes{es} sodenly /
28    yt lastyth nott /

29  {es} {{th}+t+}  Itt lastyth not that stondes by change /
30    fansy doth change / fortune ys frayle /
31    both thes to plese / the ways ys strange /
32    therfore me thynkes{es} best to prevayle /
33    ther ys no way that{{th}+t+} ys so Iust /
34    as trowgh to lede / tho tother fayle /
35    And therto trust /

Notes & Glosses edit

     1. It is possible that the writer is indulging in wordplay with guess and guise.

Commentary edit

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt,[1] this poem was entered by H4 and discusses Fortune's right to abuse lovers. Rebholz notes the speaker's decision to dwell on the mental image ("fantasy") of a new love in order to gain freedom from a current love.[2]

H3 enters a thirteen line excerpt of the poem on "It was my choyse It Was my chaunce" (24v-25r).

Works Cited edit


Textual Notes edit

Texts Collated edit

LDev039

Collation edit

1      yt was no chaunce /] It Was my chaunce LDev039 
2      browght] brovgght LDev039     hart] hert LDev039     in] N LDev039     holde /] hold LDev039 
3      Wherby] wher by LDev039     ytt] it LDev039     Sufferaunce /] sufferaunce LDev039 
4      lenger] lengar LDev039     Reason] resan LDev039     wold /] wuld LDev039 
5      syns] sens LDev039     ytt Bownde where ytt was ffree /] yt bovnd where it was fre LDev039 
6      me thynkes] methynks LDev039     ywys] I wys LDev039     Ryght] ryght LDev039     yt] it LDev039     shold /] shuld LDev039 
7      Acceptyd] Accepted yt LDev039 
8      Acceptyd] Accepted LDev039     be] yt be LDev039     with owte Refuse /] with owyt Refuse LDev039 
9      Vnles] Wnles LDev039     fortune] fortun LDev039     have] haith LDev039     power /] powre LDev039 
10      All] all LDev039     Ryght] ryght LDev039     love] Low LDev039     Abuse /] a buse LDev039 
11      As thay say / one] as thei say on LDev039     howre /] owre LDev039 
12      prevayle] prevayll LDev039     then] yen LDev039     Ryght] ryght LDev039     or] ore LDev039     myght /] myght LDev039 
13      lowre /] lowre LDev039 
14      What vaylyth Right]  LDev039 
15      What vaylyth Ryght yff thys be trew /]  LDev039 
16      then trust to chaunce and go by gesse /]  LDev039 
17      then who so lovyth may well go sew /]  LDev039 
18      vncerten hope for hys redresse /]  LDev039 
19      yett some wolde say Assueredly /]  LDev039 
20      thou mayst Appele for thy relesse /]  LDev039 
21      to fantasy /]  LDev039 
22      To fantasy pertaynys to chose /]  LDev039 
23      All thys I knowe for fantasy /]  LDev039 
24      ffurst vnto love dyd me Induse /]  LDev039 
25      but yet I knowe as stedefastly /]  LDev039 
26      that yff love haue no faster knott /]  LDev039 
27      so nyce a choyse slyppes sodenly /]  LDev039 
28      yt lastyth nott /]  LDev039 
29      Itt lastyth not that stondes by change /]  LDev039 
30      fansy doth change / fortune ys frayle /]  LDev039 
31      both thes to plese / the ways ys strange /]  LDev039 
32      therfore me thynkes best to prevayle /]  LDev039 
33      ther ys no way that ys so Iust /]  LDev039 
34      as trowgh to lede / the tother fayle /]  LDev039 
35      And therto trust /]  LDev039