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

←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

Written in the hand of Margaret Douglas, this poem is attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt. 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. 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).

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

DBLa12, LDev105

Collation

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