The Devonshire Manuscript/So vnwarely was never no man cawght /

←Suche Wayn thowght / as wonted to myslede me /

The knott whych ffyrst my hart dyd strayn /→

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 32r

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 31v

f. [31v] 
f. [32r] 

1    # So vnwarely was never no man cawght /
2    with{w+t+} stedefast loke Apon A goodly face /
3    As I of late / for sodenly me thowght /
4    my hart was torne owte of hys place /

5    Thorow myn Iye the strock frome hyrs dyd slyde /
6    dyrectly downe vnto my hert ytt ranne /
7    in helpe wherof the blood therto dyd slyde /
8    And left my place both pale and wann /¹

9     amazed Then was I leke A man{_a}n² for woo a masyd
10  {{th}+e+}{{th}+t+}  or leke the byrde that flyeth in to the fyer
11    for whyll that{{th}+t+} I on her beaulte gasyd
12    the more I burnt in my dysyre /

13    Anon the blowd stert in my face agayn /
14   {{th}+t+} {w+t+} enflamd with hete / that yt had att my hart /
15    {u'}{w+t+} And browght therwith thorowt in euery vayne
16    a qwakyng hete with{w+t+} plesaunt smert /

17  {{th}+e+} {{th}+t+}   {{th}+e+} Then was I leke the strawe whan that the flame
18    ys drevyn therin by force and rage off wynd
19    I can nott tell Alas what I shall fynd blame /
20    nor what to seke / nor what to fynd

21    But wele I wote the greffe holdes{es} me so sore
22    in hete and cold betwyxt hope and drede
23    that but her helpe to helth doth me restore
24    thys restles lyff A I may nott lede /

W³

Notes & Glosses

     1. The phrase is resonant.
     2. The macron may be otiose.
     3. This initial may refer to Sir Thomas Wyatt.

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt by internal evidence and by R.A. Rebholz, this poem was entered by H4. The poem depicts the popular medieval courtly love trope of a lover struck with the sight of his beloved who finds himself between hope and despair. "So vnwarely was never no man cawght" also appears in Tottel's Miscellany under the title “The louer describeth his being taken with sight of his loue.”

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

STC13860_33

Collation

1     So vnwarely was] VNwarely so was STC_13860_33     never] neuer STC_13860_33     cawght /] caught, STC_13860_33 
2     with] With STC_13860_33 stedefast] stedfast STC_13860_33 Apon] vpon STC_13860_33 A] a STC_13860_33 face /] face: STC_13860_33
3      late /] late: STC_13860_33     sodenly] sodainely STC_13860_33     thowght /] thought, STC_13860_33 
4      my] My STC_13860_33     owte] out STC_13860_33     hys place /] his proper place. STC_13860_33 
5     myn Iye] mine eye STC_13860_33 strock] stroke STC_13860_33 frome] from STC_13860_33 hyrs] hers STC_13860_33 dyd] did STC_13860_33 slyde /] slide, STC_13860_33
6      dyrectly] Directly STC_13860_33     vnto] into STC_13860_33     hert] hart STC_13860_33     ytt] it STC_13860_33     ranne /] ranne: STC_13860_33 
7      in] In STC_13860_33     dyd slyde /] did glide, STC_13860_33 
8      place] face STC_13860_33     wann /] wanne. STC_13860_33 
9      leke] like STC_13860_33     A] a STC_13860_33     mann] man STC_13860_33     woo a masydamasyd] wo amased: STC_13860_33 
10      or] Or STC_13860_33     leke] like STC_13860_33     byrde] fowle STC_13860_33     flyeth] fleeth STC_13860_33     in to] into STC_13860_33     fyer] fire. STC_13860_33 
11      for whyll] For while STC_13860_33     on] vpon STC_13860_33     beaulte] beauty STC_13860_33     gasyd] gased: STC_13860_33 
12      the] The STC_13860_33     burnt] burnde STC_13860_33     dysyre /] desire. STC_13860_33 
13      Anon] Anone STC_13860_33     blowd] bloud STC_13860_33     stert] start STC_13860_33     agayn /] agayne, STC_13860_33 
14      enflamd] Inflamde STC_13860_33     hete / that yt had att] heat, that it had at STC_13860_33     hart /] hart. STC_13860_33 
15      browght] brought STC_13860_33     thorowt] through out STC_13860_33     vayne] vaine, STC_13860_33 
16      a] A STC_13860_33     qwakyng] quakyng STC_13860_33     hete] heat STC_13860_33     plesaunt] pleasant STC_13860_33     smert /] smart. STC_13860_33 
17      leke] like STC_13860_33     strawe] straw, STC_13860_33     whan] when STC_13860_33 
18      ys drevyn therin] Is driuen therin, STC_13860_33     force] force, STC_13860_33     off wynd] of winde. STC_13860_33 
19      nott] not STC_13860_33     tell] tell, STC_13860_33     Alas] alas, STC_13860_33     fynd]  STC_13860_33     blame /] blame: STC_13860_33 
20      nor] Nor STC_13860_33     seke /] seke, STC_13860_33     fynd] finde. STC_13860_33 
21      wele] well STC_13860_33     wote] wot: STC_13860_33     greffe] griefe STC_13860_33     holdes] doth hold STC_13860_33     so sore] sore STC_13860_33 
22      in hete] In heat STC_13860_33     cold] cold, STC_13860_33     betwyxt] betwixt STC_13860_33     hope and drede] both hope and dreade: STC_13860_33 
23      that] That, STC_13860_33     helth] health STC_13860_33     doth] do STC_13860_33     restore] restore: STC_13860_33 
24      thys] This STC_13860_33     restles] restlesse STC_13860_33     lyff A] life STC_13860_33     nott] not STC_13860_33     lede /] lead. STC_13860_33