The Devonshire Manuscript/Suche Wayn thowght / as wonted to myslede me /

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The Devonshire Manuscript
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It was my choyse yt was no chaunce / So vnwarely was never no man cawght /
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 31r
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 30-1r
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 30-1v


f. [30.1r] 
f. [30.1v] 
f. [31r] 

1    Suche Wayn thowght / as wonted to myslede me /
2    in deserte hope / by well assueryd mone /
3    makyth me from company to leyff A lone /
4    in followyng her whome reason byd me fle /
5    She flyeth as fast by gentyll crueltye /
6    And After her myn hart wuld fayne be gone /
7    but Armyd syghys my way doth stopp Anon /
8    twyxt hope and drede / lakyng my lybertye /
9    Yet as I gesse / vnder the skornfull browe /
10    one beme off pytie ys in her clowdy loke /
11 {{th}+t+}{{th}+e+}    whych cowmfortyth the mynd that erst for fere shoke /
12   {{th}+e+}{w+t+}  And ther with all boldyd / I seke the way howe /
13   {w+t+} {{th}+t+} to vtter the smert that I suffyr within /
14    but such y ytt ys / I nott how to begyn /

T W1

Notes & Glosses edit

     1. Presumably, the initials "T W" refer to Sir Thomas Wyatt.

Commentary edit

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt by internal evidence and by R. A. Rebholz,[1] this poem was entered by H4. The poem also appears in Tottel's Miscellany under the title “The waueryng louer wylleth, and dreadeth, to moue his desire” (item 41).[2] Rebholz notes that this sonnet translates and adapts Petrarch's Rime 169. For instance, on line 8 Wyatt adds a personification of liberty imprisoned within the "walls" of love since "the speaker's hope denies him the liberty of breaking off the relationship; [but] his dread denies him the liberty of pursuing the lady more boldly."[3]

H4's use of c forms in this case reveals his or her understanding of sonnet structure. H4 uses similar majuscule forms in "It was my choyse yt was no chance /" (30v).

Works Cited edit


Textual Notes edit

Texts Collated edit

STC13860_26, LEge34, AAH16

Collation edit

1 Suche Wayn] SVch vain STC_13860_26 Wayn] vayne AAH16 vayn LEge34 thowght /] thought AAH16 LEge34 thought, STC_13860_26 myslede] mislead AAH16 STC_13860_26 me /] me AAH16 LEge34 STC_13860_26
2 in] In STC_13860_26 deserte] desert AAH16 LEge34 STC_13860_26 hope /] hope AAH16 LEge34 STC_13860_26 well] AAH16 assueryd] assured AAH16 LEge34 STC_13860_26 mone /] mone, STC_13860_26 mone AAH16 LEge34
3 makyth] maketh AAH16 LEge34 Makes STC_13860_26 company] Companye AAH16 compayne LEge34 leyff A lone /] lyve alone AAH16 live alone LEge34 liue alone, STC_13860_26
4 in] In STC_13860_26 followyng] following AAH16 folowing LEge34 folowyng STC_13860_26 whome] whom STC_13860_26 byd] bid AAH16 LEge34 bids STC_13860_26 fle /] flee AAH16 fle LEge34 fle. STC_13860_26
5 She flyeth] she fleeith AAH16 She flyeth as fast by gentyll crueltye /] And after her my hart would faine be gone: STC_13860_26 flyeth] fleith LEge34 gentyll] gentill AAH16 LEge34 crueltye /] crueltie AAH16 LEge34
6 And] and AAH16 LEge34 And After her myn hart wuld fayne be gone /] But armed sighes my way do stop anone, STC_13860_26 After] after AAH16 LEge34 myn] my AAH16 hart] hert LEge34 wuld] wolde AAH16 would LEge34 fayne] faine AAH16 fain LEge34 gone /] gone AAH16 LEge34
7 but Armyd syghys my way doth stopp Anon /] Twixt hope and dread lockyng my libertie. STC_13860_26 Armyd syghys] armed sighes AAH16 LEge34 doth] do AAH16 LEge34 stopp] stoppe LEge34 Anon /] anone AAH16 anon LEge34
8 twyxt] twixt AAH16 LEge34 twyxt hope and drede / lakyng my lybertye /] So fleeth she by gentle crueltie. STC_13860_26 and] & LEge34 drede /] dread AAH16 drede LEge34 lakyng] lacking AAH16 LEge34 lybertye /] libertie AAH16 lib libertie LEge34
9 gesse /] gesse AAH16 LEge34 STC_13860_26 the skornfull browe /] disdaynfull brow AAH16 that scornefulldisdaynfull browe LEge34 disdainfull brow STC_13860_26
10 one] One STC_13860_26 beme] beame AAH16 LEge34 STC_13860_26 off] of AAH16 LEge34 STC_13860_26 pytie] pittie AAH16 pitie LEge34 ruth STC_13860_26 ys] is AAH16 LEge34 STC_13860_26 clowdy loke /] Clowdie Looke AAH16 clowdy loke LEge34
11 whych] whiche AAH16 which LEge34 Which STC_13860_26 cowmfortyth] compforteth AAH16 comforteth LEge34 comfortes STC_13860_26 mynd] mynde LEge34 mind, STC_13860_26 erst] earst AAH16 fere] feare AAH16 fear STC_13860_26 shoke /] shooke AAH16 shoke. STC_13860_26
12 And] and AAH16 And ther withall boldyd / I seke] That bolded straight STC_13860_26 ther withall] thearwithall AAH16 therewithall LEge34 boldyd /] bolded AAH16 LEge34 seke] seeke AAH16 howe /] how AAH16 LEge34 then seke I how STC_13860_26
13 to] To STC_13860_26 vtter] vtter forth STC_13860_26 smert] smartt AAH16 smart STC_13860_26 that] STC_13860_26 suffyr] suffer AAH16 suffre LEge34 bide STC_13860_26 within /] within AAH16 LEge34 within: STC_13860_26
14 but] But STC_13860_26 such] suche AAH16 LEge34 y ytt ys /] it is AAH16 LEge34 it is, STC_13860_26 nott] not AAH16 LEge34 STC_13860_26 begyn /] begyn AAH16 LEge34 begyn. STC_13860_26