The Devonshire Manuscript/Yff fansy wuld favour

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The Devonshire Manuscript
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The knott whych ffyrst my hart dyd strayn / The Wandryng gadlyng in the somer tyde /
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 34v
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 34r

f. [34r] 
f. [34v] 

1    Yff fansy wuld favour
2    As my deservyng shall
3    my love my paramore
4    shuld love me best off All

5    Butt yff I cannott Attayn
6    the grace that{{th}+t+} I desyer
7    then may I wele complayn /
8    my servyce and my hyer

9    Fansy doth knowe howe
10    to furder my trew hart
11    yff fansy myght Avowe
12    with{w+t+} fayth for to take parte

13    For fansy Att hys lust
14    doth rewle All but by gesse
15    wherto shuld I then trust
16    in trowgh or stedefastnesse

17    Yett gladly wuld I please
18    the fansy off her hart
19    that may me only ese
20    And cure my carefull smarte

21    Therfor my lady dere
22    sett ones yowr fantassy
23    to make some hope Apere
24    off stedefast remedy

25    For yff he be my frend
26    And vndertake my woo
27    my greeff ys Att an ende
28    yff he contynew so

29    Elles{es} fansy doth nott ryght
30    As deser{{s}8}ve And shall /
31    to haue yow day and nyght
32    to love me best off All

Commentary edit

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt,[1] this poem was entered by H4 and describes the lady’s fickle fancy as she flits from one man to another. H4 uses very large and elaborate initial capitals. See also "Suche Wayn thowght / as wonted to myslede me /" (31r), "So vnwarely was never no man cawght /" (32r), and "The knott whych ffyrst my hart dyd strayn /" (33r).

Works Cited edit


Textual Notes edit

Texts Collated edit

LEge14, STC 24650.5_01, AAH03, STC 26053.5.1

Collation edit

1 Yff] If LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 Yff fansy wuld favour] AAH03 STC_26053.5.1 fansy] fantasy STC_24650.5_01 wuld] would LEge14 STC_24650.5_01
2 As] as LEge14 As my deservyng shall] AAH03 STC_26053.5.1 my deservyng] I deserue and STC_24650.5_01 deservyng] deseruing LEge14 shall] shal STC_24650.5_01
3 my] My STC_24650.5_01 my love my paramore] AAH03 STC_26053.5.1 love] loue STC_24650.5_01 paramore] paramour LEge14 lady paramour STC_24650.5_01
4 shuld] should LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 shuld love me best off All] AAH03 STC_26053.5.1 love] loue STC_24650.5_01 off All] of all LEge14 of al STC_24650.5_01
5 Butt] But LEge14 And STC_24650.5_01 Butt yff I cannott Attayn] AAH03 STC_26053.5.1 yff] if LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 cannott] cannot LEge14 not STC_24650.5_01 Attayn] attain LEge14 attayne STC_24650.5_01
6 the] The STC_24650.5_01 the grace that I desyer] AAH03 STC_26053.5.1 desyer] desir LEge14 desire STC_24650.5_01
7 then] Then STC_24650.5_01 then may I wele complayn /] AAH03 STC_26053.5.1 wele] well LEge14 wel STC_24650.5_01 complayn /] complain LEge14 complayne STC_24650.5_01
8 my] My STC_24650.5_01 my servyce and my hyer] AAH03 STC_26053.5.1 servyce] seruice LEge14 seruyce STC_24650.5_01 and] & LEge14 hyer] hier LEge14 STC_24650.5_01
9 Fansy] ffansye AAH03 ffansy LEge14 Fantasy STC_24650.5_01 Fansy doth knowe howe] STC_26053.5.1 doth] doeth LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 knowe] know AAH03 knoweth STC_24650.5_01 howe] how AAH03 LEge14 STC_24650.5_01
10 to] To STC_24650.5_01 to furder my trew hart] STC_26053.5.1 furder] further AAH03 fourther LEge14 forbeare STC_24650.5_01 trew] true AAH03 STC_24650.5_01 hart] hert LEge14
11 yff] Yf AAH03 if LEge14 If STC_24650.5_01 yff fansy myght Avowe] STC_26053.5.1 fansy] fansye AAH03 fantasye STC_24650.5_01 myght] might AAH03 STC_24650.5_01 Avowe] avowe AAH03 LEge14 auow STC_24650.5_01
12 with] Wyth STC_24650.5_01 with fayth for to take parte] STC_26053.5.1 fayth] faith AAH03 LEge14 for] AAH03 LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 parte] part LEge14 STC_24650.5_01
13 ] But fansye is so fraile AAH03 But fansy is so fraill LEge14 But fantasy is frayle STC_24650.5_01
14 ] and flytting still so faste AAH03 and flitting still so fast LEge14 And fletynge styl so fast STC_24650.5_01
15 ] that faith may not prevaile AAH03 that faith may not prevaill LEge14 that faith may not preuail STC_24650.5_01
16 ] to helpp me first not laste AAH03 to helpe me furst nor last LEge14 To helpe me fyrst nor last STC_24650.5_01
17 For] ffor AAH03 LEge14 Since STC_24650.5_01 For fansy Att hys lust] STC_26053.5.1 fansy] fansye AAH03 fantasy STC_24650.5_01 Att hys] at his AAH03 LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 lust] luste STC_24650.5_01
18 doth] Doth AAH03 STC_24650.5_01 doeth LEge14 doth rewle All but by gesse] STC_26053.5.1 rewle All but] rule all but AAH03 LEge14 rule al STC_24650.5_01
19 wherto] Whearto AAH03 whereto LEge14 wherto shuld I then trust] STC_26053.5.1 shuld] should LEge14 shoulde STC_24650.5_01 then] than AAH03 put STC_24650.5_01
20 in] In STC_24650.5_01 in trowgh or stedefastnesse] STC_26053.5.1 trowgh] trouthe AAH03 trouth LEge14 truth STC_24650.5_01 or] and STC_24650.5_01 stedefastnesse] stedastnes AAH03 stedfastnes LEge14 stedfastnes. STC_24650.5_01
21 Yett] Yet AAH03 LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 Yett gladly wuld I please] STC_26053.5.1 gladly wuld] wolde AAH03 gladdely would LEge14 gladly would STC_24650.5_01
22 the] That STC_24650.5_01 The STC_26053.5.1 fansy] fansye AAH03 fantasy STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 off] of AAH03 LEge14 off her] of my STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 hart] hert LEge14 harte STC_26053.5.1
23 that] That STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 only] onlye AAH03 onely LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 ese] ease AAH03 LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 ease, STC_26053.5.1
24 And] and AAH03 LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 cure] helpe STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 carefull] Carefull AAH03 careful STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 smarte] smart AAH03 LEge14 smart. STC_24650.5_01
25 Therfor] Thearefore AAH03 Therefore LEge14 Therfore STC_24650.5_01 Therfore STC_26053.5.1 lady] Ladie AAH03 dere] deare AAH03 STC_24650.5_01
26 sett] Sett AAH03 set LEge14 Let se STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 ones] ons AAH03 LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 yowr] your AAH03 LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 fantassy] fantasye AAH03 STC_26053.5.1 fantasy LEge14 STC_24650.5_01
27 to] To STC_26053.5.1 some] som LEge14 hope] hope STC_24650.5_01 Apere] appeare AAH03 STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 appere LEge14
28 off] of AAH03 Of STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 stedefast] stedfastnes AAH03 LEge14 helpe and STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 remedy] remedye AAH03
29 For yff] ffor if AAH03 LEge14 yff he] if ye STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 my] mye AAH03 frend] frende AAH03 STC_26053.5.1
30 And] and AAH03 LEge14 my] mye AAH03 woo] woe AAH03 wo STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1
31 my] Mye AAH03 My STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 greeff] greefe AAH03 gryefe STC_24650.5_01 grefe STC_26053.5.1 ys Att] is at AAH03 STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 ende] end AAH03 STC_24650.5_01
32 yff] Yf AAH03 if LEge14 If STC_24650.5_01 yf STC_26053.5.1 he] ye STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 contynew] continue LEge14 continew STC_26053.5.1 so] so. STC_24650.5_01
33 Elles] Els STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 fansy] fansye AAH03 fantasy STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 doth] deth LEge14 nott] not AAH03 LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 ryght] right AAH03 LEge14 ryght. STC_24650.5_01
34 As] as LEge14 deserve] I deserve AAH03 I deserue LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 And] and AAH03 LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 shall /] shall AAH03 LEge14 STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 shal STC_24650.5_01
35 to] To STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 haue] have AAH03 LEge14 haue STC_24650.5_01 yow] you AAH03 LEge14 her STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 day] daye LEge14 and] & LEge14 nyght] night AAH03 STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1
36 to] To STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 love] loue STC_24650.5_01 STC_26053.5.1 off All] of all AAH03 LEge14 STC_26053.5.1 of al. STC_24650.5_01