The Devonshire Manuscript/May not thys hate from the estarte

Introduction  |  Contributors  |  Textual Introduction
The Devonshire Manuscript
Bibliography A-M  |  Bibliography N-Z  |  Encoded Materials

Farewell all my wellfare Yff I had sufferd thys to yow vnware
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 10v

 f. [10v]

1    May not thys hate from the{{th}+e+} estarte
2    but fermly for to sytte
3    that{{th}+t+} vndeservyd cruell harte
4    when shall yt change not yet not yett

5    yowre changyng mynd & feynyd chere
6    with{w+t+} yowre love whyche was so knytte
7    how hyt hathe turnyd yt dothe apere
8    when shall yt change not yet not yet

9    Hathe changyng suche power for to Remove
10    & clene owte for to shytte
11    sso fervent heate & hasty love
12    when shall yt change not yet not yet

13    Syns I am leste What Remedy1
14    I marvell neuer{u'} a Whytte
15    I am not the fyrst per{p+}dy
16    nor shall not be the last not yet

17    Now syns yor wyll so waveryng
18    to hate hathe turnyd yor wytte
19    example as good as wrytyng
20    hyt wyll not be not yett

fynys quod{q+d+} anthony lee

Notes & Glosses edit

     1. Anthony Browne's (1522) motto was 'What Remedy,' connected to a joust, in which Boleyn played object of Henry VIII's Ardent Desire, and Browne played the role of Remedy.

Commentary edit

Entered by H2, this poem is attributed to Anthony Lee, the husband of Sir Thomas Wyatt's sister Margaret. As such, he may have had direct access to the Devonshire Manuscript. This poem depicts an unrelenting woman who causes pain to the lover.

Just as he carefully inscribed the previous poem (see "Farewell all my wellfare" (9v)), H2 again pays close attention to this poem's presentation. Specifically, there is a visual pattern made by the first letter of the first stanza and the first letter of the last stanza, which are large and elaborate majiscules. In addition, the variant spellings of “yet:” two final "t"s appear on the last line of stanzas 1 and 5, but the word appears as "yet" on stanzas 2, 3, and 4. This poem and the poem on the facing page, "Yff I had sufferd thys to yow vnware" (11r), may be imitative repetitions of each other.