The Devonshire Manuscript/ffor to love her for her lokes lovelye

←Nowe fare well love and theye lawes forever

To Rayle or geste ye kno I vse yt not→

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 75r

f. [75r]

1    ffor to love her for her lokes{es} lovelye
2    my herte was sett in thought right furmlye
3    trusting bye to^ruthe trouthe to have had Relessed redresse /
4    but she hath made anodre promes
5    and hathe gyven me leve full honestelye
6    yet do I not refuse yt gretelye
7    for on my faith I lovid so surelye
8    but reson woll that I doo leese
9    for to love her.
10    sins that in love the paynes be dedelye
11    me thinckes{es} yt best that reddelye
12    I doo reto^rne to my furst addresse
13    for at this tyme to grete is the presse
14    and parells apere to abbund^auntelye
15    for to love her.

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H8. The speaker judges that the perils of loving the lady are too great; thus, he will reasonably return to a lighter, more courteous demeanor toward her (“my furst addresse”). This poem provides an interesting glimpse into the different manners and consequences of addressing a lady.

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

LEge10

Collation

1 lovelye] lovely LEge10
2 herte] hert LEge10 sett] set LEge10 furmlye] fermely LEge10
3 bye toruthe] by LEge10 trouthe] trought LEge10 Relessed redresse /] redresse LEge10
4 anodre] an othee LEge10 promes] promese LEge10
5 hathe] hath LEge10 gyven] geven LEge10 love] leve LEge10 honestelye] honestly LEge10
6 refuse yt gretelye] reioyse it greately LEge10
7 lovid] loved LEge10 so] to LEge10 surelye] surely LEge10
8 reson] reason LEge10 woll] will LEge10 doo loosse] do sesse LEge10
9 her.] her> LEge10
10 sins] Syns LEge10 be dedelye] ben dedly LEge10
11 thinckes] thincke LEge10 yt] it LEge10 riddelye] reddely LEge10
12 doo] do LEge10 retorne] retorn LEge10 furst] first LEge10 addresse] adresse LEge10
13 grete] great LEge10 presse] prese LEge10
14 parells] perilles LEge10 apere] appere LEge10 abbundauntelye] abundauntely LEge10
15 her.] her LEge10