The Devonshire Manuscript/myght I as well within my song be lay

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The Devonshire Manuscript
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I ame not she be prowess off syt to cowntarffete a mery mode
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 65v

f. [65v]

the sued the soveren
1    myght I as well with{w+t+}in my song be lay
2    the thyng I mene as in my hart I may
3    repentence showld dra ffrom thovs yes
4    salt teres with{w+t+} cryes remors and growges

Commentary edit

Written in the hand of Margaret Douglas, this poem is attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt.[1] H7 enters a second version of this poem, "Myght I as well within my songe" (66r). Both versions in the manuscript are only excerpts of Wyatt’s twenty-five line poem, which Rebholz compiled in his edition of Wyatt's poetry.[2] Similar to other poems in the manuscript, this poem discusses the need for concealment and duplicity. For examples of other poems portraying the theme of concealment, see: “Sum summ say I love sum say I moke” (58v); “In places Wher that I company” (62v); “I ame not she be prowess off syt” (65r); “To cowntarffete a mery mode” (65v); “Ceaser whan the traytor of egipte” (70r); and “Whan that I call vnto my mynde” (82v-83r).

Works Cited edit


Textual Notes edit

Texts Collated edit

DBLa12, LDev105

Collation edit

1 myght] Myght DBla12 myght I as well within my song be lay] Myght I as well within my songe LDev105 song] songe DBla12 be lay] dbelaye DBla12
2 the thyng I mene as in my hart I may] belay the thinge I wolde LDev105 thyng] thing DBla12 mene] wolde DBla12 may] maye DBla12
3 repentence] repentens DBla12 repentence showld dra ffrom thovs yes] > as in my harte LDev105 showld dra] shulde Drawe DBla12 ffrom] frome DBla12 thovs] those DBla12 yes] eyes DBla12
4 salt] Salt DBla12 salt teres with cryes remors and growges] LDev105 teres] tearis DBla12 cryes remors] cryes, remorce DBla12 growges] grudge of hart DBla12
5 ] causles as cause that I haue ssuffred smart DBla12
6 ] O yf myght I ellis enclose my paynfull breast DBla12
7 ] that that myght be in syght my great vnrest DBla12
8 ] ther shulde ye see tormentes remayngne DBla12
9 ] as hell of payne to move your crewell hart DBla12
10 ] causles by cause that I haue suffred smart DBla12
11 ] Or myght Ther ys in hell no suche a feruent fyere DBla12
12 ] as secret hete of inward hotte desyere DBla12
13 ] that wyll not let the flame appayre DBla12
14 ] that I haue here within my wastyd hart DBla12
15 ] causles by cause that I haue suffred smart DBla12
16 ] Yet you cause yt and ye may cause my welthe DBla12
17 ] ons cause yt then retorne vnto my helthe DBla12
18 ] and of all mene releve that man DBla12
19 ] that no thing can but crye releve this hart DBla12
20 ] causles by cause that I haue souf smart DBla12
21 ] Redres ye owght that harme that ye haue donne DBla12
22 ] yt ys no game that ye nowe haue bygonne DBla12
23 ] but worthye blame ye shall remayne DBla12
24 ] to do hym payne that knowythe not thought of DBla12
25 ] causles by cause that I haue suffred smart DBla12