The Devonshire Manuscript/Venus thorns that are so sharp and kene

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The Devonshire Manuscript
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Sins ye delight to kno Ineternum I was ons determined
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 72v

f. [72v]

1    {{th}+t+}{9} Venus1 thorns that are so sharp and kene
2    some tyme bere floures faire & freshe of hue
3    poyson oft tymes is put in medicine
4    and to his helthe dothe make the man renue
5    fyre that all thing con{_o}sumith so clene
6    maye heale and hurte and if this be true
7    I trust some tyme my harme may be my helth
8    sins everye wo is ioynid with{w+t+} some welthe

fs and thys

Notes & Glosses edit

     1. See Cappelli[1] and Petti.[2]

Commentary edit

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt,[3] this poem was entered by H8. Wyatt's epigram is a translation of Serafino Aquilano’s strambotto “Ogni pungente et venenosa spina.” The poem also appears in Tottel's Miscellany under the title “That pleasure is mixed with euery paine” (item 257).[4] Wyatt's version of the poem is distinctly unlike the witnesses, which clearly show “Venemous thorns.” The epigram also features Plutarch’s contraries in that poison is described as medicine, fire as a healing and hurting element, and so on. The speaker hopes that the harm he receives from love will produce health.

This poem is one of seventeen entries where Margaret Douglas marks “and thys.” Paul Remley has suggested that these annotations relate to another in-text annotation of hers, “lerne but to syng it” (on "now all of chaunge" (81r)), and may indicate a group of texts to be learned for entertaining.[5] Douglas's phrase “and thys” appears both above and below this entry, but it does not have a clear relation to any poems on the page, and could refer to all of them.

Works Cited edit


Textual Notes edit

Texts Collated edit

L36529_06, STC13860_32.txt, LEge44, LHar78_4

Collation edit

1 Venus] Venemus L36529_06 LEge44 Venemous LHar78_4 VEnemous STC_13860_32.txt thorns] thornes LEge44 LHar78_4 STC_13860_32.txt are] ar LEge44 are so] be both L36529_06 sharp] sharpe L36529_06 LHar78_4 and] & LEge44 kene] keene L36529_06 kene, STC_13860_32.txt
2 some tyme bere] beare somtymes L36529_06 sometyme ber LEge44 Beare STC_13860_32 floures] flowers L36529_06 LEge44 LHar78_4 STC_13860_32 faire] fayre L36529_06 LEge44 fayer LHar78_4 faire & freshe of hue] we se full fresh and faire of hue: STC_13860_32 &] and L36529_06 freshe] fresh L36529_06 hue] hew L36529_06 hewe LHar78_4
3 poyson] and poyson L36529_06 Poison STC_13860_32 oft tymes] ofte L36529_06 offtyme LEge44 oftayne LHar78_4 STC_13860_32 is] ys L36529_06 is also STC_13860_32 medicine] medycine L36529_06 medecene LEge44 medicine. STC_13860_32
4 and to] and L36529_06 LEge44 which LHar78_4 And vnto STC_13860_32 his helthe dothe make] cawseth helth L36529_06 cawsithe helthe LEge44 cawsethe healthe LHar78_4 the] in L36529_06 LEge44 LHar78_4 his helthe dothe make the man] man his helth doth oft STC_13860_32 renue] for to renew L36529_06 for to renue LEge44 for to renewe LHar78_4 renue. STC_13860_32
5 fyre] the fier eke L36529_06 ffyre LEge44 fyer LHar78_4 The fier STC_13860_32 that] that purgithe LEge44 that purgethe LHar78_4 all thing] all L36529_06 allthing LEge44 all thynge LHar78_4 all thinges eke STC_13860_32 consumith so clene] consumeth cleene L36529_06 that is vnclene LEge44 that is vncleane LHar78_4 consumeth cleane STC_13860_32
6 maye] may L36529_06 LEge44 LHar78_4 May STC_13860_32 heale] holp L36529_06 hele / LEge44 heale and hurte] hurt and heale: STC_13860_32 and] & LEge44 hurte] hurt L36529_06 hurt. LEge44 hurte. LHar78_4 and] And LHar78_4 then STC_13860_32 if] yf L36529_06 LHar78_4 this] that this L36529_06 STC_13860_32 thes LEge44 be true] betrew L36529_06 bene true LEge44 be trwe LHar78_4 be true. STC_13860_32
7 some tyme] somtyme L36529_06 LEge44 LHar78_4 sometime STC_13860_32 helth] helth L36529_06 helthe LEge44 healthe LHar78_4 health, STC_13860_32
8 sins] syns L36529_06 LEge44 sens LHar78_4 Sins STC_13860_32 everye] every L36529_06 evry LEge44 euerrie LHar78_4 euery STC_13860_32 wo] woe L36529_06 LHar78_4 STC_13860_32 woo LEge44 is] ys LHar78_4 ioynid] ioyned L36529_06 STC_13860_32 Ioynid LEge44 yoyned LHar78_4 with] to LHar78_4 some] somme L36529_06 welthe] welth. L36529_06 LEge44 wealthe / LHar78_4 wealth. STC_13860_32