The Devonshire Manuscript/To cause accorde or to agree

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The Devonshire Manuscript
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my ywtheffol days ar past All yn the sight my lif doth hole depende
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 69r
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 68-1r 68-1v 68-2r 68-2v 68-3r 68-3v 68-4r 68-4v
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 68-5r 68-5v 68-6r 68-6v 68-7r 68-7v 68-8r 68-8v

f. [68.1r] 
f. [68.1v] 
f. [68.2r] 
f. [68.2v] 
f. [68.3r] 
f. [68.3v] 
f. [68.4r] 
f. [68.4v] 
f. [68.5r] 
f. [68.5v] 
f. [68.6r] 
f. [68.6v] 
f. [68.7r] 
f. [68.7v] 
f. [68.8r] 
f. [68.8v] 
f. [69r] 

1    To cause accorde or to agree
2    two contraries yn on degre
3    and yn on point as semyth me
4    to all menns wytt it cannot bee
5    yt is ympossible

6    of heat and colde when I com{_o}plaine
7    And saye that heat doth cause my paine
8    whan colde dothe shake me everye vayne /
9    and bothe atons I saye againe
10    yt is impossible /

   Twixt lif and dethe saye when wh saithe
11    That man that hath his herte awaye
12    if lyfe lyve there as men dothe saye /
13    that herteles sholde laste on daye
14    alyue and not to torne to claye
15    it ys impossible

16    Twixt lif and dethe saye what who saith
17    there lyvith no lif that drawithe brethe
18    they Ioine so nere / and eke I faithe
19    to seke for lyf bye wishe of dethe
20    it is impossible

21    yet love that al thinges{es} doth subdue
22    whose powre there maye no lif eschewe
23    hath wrought in me that I maye rewe
24    this myracles to be so trewe
25    that are impossible /s

fs

Commentary

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Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt,[1] this poem was entered by H8. Rebholz notes that the poem makes a mockery of Petrarchan contraries and conceits of the heart and, amusingly, tries to apply reason to popular love conventions.[2] TH2 adds part of line 3, “as semyth me.”

Works Cited

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Textual Notes

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Texts Collated

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LEge42

Collation

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1 accorde] accord LEge42 agree] aggre LEge42
2 yn on] in oon LEge42
3 yn on point] in oon poynct LEge42 semyth] semeth LEge42
4 menns wyll] mans wit / LEge42 bee] be LEge42
5 yt] it LEge42 ympossible] impossible LEge42
6 of heat] Of hete LEge42 colde] cold LEge42 complaine] complain LEge42
7 And] and LEge42 saye] say LEge42 heat] hete LEge42 doth] doeth LEge42 paine] pain LEge42
8 whan] when LEge42 colde] cold LEge42 dothe] doeth LEge42 me] my LEge42 everye] every LEge42 vayne /] vain LEge42
9 bothe] boeth LEge42 atons] at ons LEge42 saye] say LEge42 againe] again LEge42
10 yt] it LEge42 impossible /] impossible LEge42
10.1 Twixt lif and dethe saye when wh saithe] LEge42
11 herte] hert LEge42 awaye] away LEge42
12 lyfe] lyff LEge42 lyve] lyveth LEge42 dothe] do LEge42 saye /] say LEge42
13 hertelesHercules sholde] he hertles should LEge42 laste] last LEge42 daye] day LEge42
14 alyue] a lyve LEge42 and not] & not to LEge42 torne] torn LEge42 claye] clay LEge42
15 ys] is LEge42
16 lif] lyff LEge42 dethe] deth LEge42 saye] say LEge42 saith] saeyth LEge42
17 lyvith] lyveth LEge42 lif] lyff LEge42 drawithe] draweth LEge42 brethe] breth LEge42
18 theyr] they LEge42 Ioine] Ioyne LEge42 / and eke] & eke LEge42 faithe] feith LEge42
19 lyf bye] liff by LEge42 wishe] wissh LEge42 dethe] deth LEge42
21 yet] Yet LEge42 al] all LEge42 thinges] thing LEge42 doth] doeth LEge42
22 powre] power LEge42 there] ther LEge42 maye] may LEge42 lif] liff LEge42 eschewe] eschew LEge42
23 maye] may LEge42 rewe] rew LEge42
24 this] these LEge42 myracles] miracles LEge42 trewe] true LEge42
25 impossible /] impossible LEge42