The Devonshire Manuscript/The hart & servys to yow profferd

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The Devonshire Manuscript
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Yff I had sufferd thys to yow vnware At most myscheffe
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 11v

 f. [11v] 

1  {p3} {{s}8} The hart & servys to yow profferd
2    with{w+t+} ryght good wyll full honestly
3    Refuce yt not syns yt ys offerd
4    but take yt to yow Ientylly

5    & tho yt be a small pre{p'}sent
6    yet good consyder gracyowsly
7    the thowght the mynd & the{{th}+e+} entent
8    of hym that{{th}+t+} lovys you faythfully

9    yt were a thyng of small effecte
10    to worke my wo not p [] yowsly thus cruelly
11    ffor w my good wyll to be abiecte
12    therfor accepte yt lovyngly

13    payn or travell to rune & or ryde
14    I vndertake yt plesawntly
15    byd ye me go & strayte I glyde
16    at yor commawndement humbly

17    payn or plesure now may yow plant
18    evyn whyche it plese yow stydfastly
19    do whyche yow lyst I shall not want
20    to be yorser{{s}8}vant secrettly

21    and syns so muche I do desyre
22    to be yor owne Assuryddly
23    ffor all my servys & my hyer
24    reward yorser{{s}8}vante lyberally

fynys

Commentary edit

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt,[1], this poem was entered by H2. Typical of late medieval and Tudor courtly love poetry, this poem depicts a lover who professes his devotion to a lady.

Works Cited edit