The Devonshire Manuscript/for thylke grownde that bearyth the wedes wycke

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The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 59v

f. [59v]

1    for thylke grownde that{{th}+t+} bearyth the wedes wycke
2    beareth eke these holsome herbes as ful ofte
3    nexte the foule nettle / rough and thycke
4    The rose wexeth soote / smoth and softe
5    and next the valey ys the hyll a lofte lofte
6    and next the darke nyght the glade morowe
7    and allso Ioye ys next the fyne off sorowe

Commentary

Entered by TH2, this poem is a transcription of Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, Book I, 946-52. TH2 may have copied the lines from Thynne’s edition of Chaucer (c. 1532). In this section, the speaker describes contrary things that exist side-by-side: weeds and wholesome herbs, nettles and roses, low valleys and high hills, dark night and glad morning, and sorrow and joy. The Devonshire Manuscript contains others verses from Troilus and Criseyde (see: "And now my pen alas wyth wyche I wryte" (29v(1)), "O very lord / o loue / o god alas" (29v(2)), "O ye louers that hygh vpon the whele" (30r), "yff yt be so that ye so creuel be" (91r(2)), "Wo worthe the fayre gemme vertulesse" (91v(1)), "for loue ys yet the moste stormy lyfe" (91v(2)), "Also wyckyd tonges byn so prest" (91v(3)), "And who that sayth that for to love ys vyce" (92r), and "but now helpe god to quenche all thys sorow" (93r). Other medieval and Chaucerian excerpts in the manuscript, possibly copied from Thynne's edition, include selections from Hoccleve, "Womans harte vnto no creweltye" (89v(1)) and "ys thys afayre avaunte / ys thys honor" (89v(2)); Richard Roos' La Belle Dame Sans Merci, ("O marble herte and yet more harde perde" (90r(1)) and "Alas what shuld yt be to yow preiudyce" (90r(2)); the Chaucerian "Remedy of Love" first printed in Thynne's edition, "yff all the erthe were parchment scrybable" (90r)); and Chaucer's Anelida and Arcite ("for thowgh I had yow to morow agayne" (91r)).

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

STC 5068.08

Collation

1 for] For T5068.08 grownde] grounde/ T5068.08 bearyth] beareth T5068.08 wycke] wicke T5068.08
2 beareth] Beareth T5068.08 herbes as] herbes/as T5068.08
3 nexte] Next T5068.08 nettle / rough] nettle/rough T5068.08 thycke] thicke T5068.08
4 The rose wexeth soote / smoth] The rose wexeth/soote/smoth/ T5068.08
5 and next] And next T5068.08 ys] is T5068.08 lofte lofte] lofte T5068.08
6 and next] And next T5068.08 darke] derke T5068.08 nyght] night T5068.08
7 and allso Ioye ys] And also ioye is T5068.08 off] of T5068.08