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

←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 endeve^r
5    In blynde erro^r 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

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, 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).

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

LEge09, STC13860_07, AAH04

Collation

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