The Devonshire Manuscript/patiens for my devise

←perdye I saide yt not

I have sought long with stedfastnesse→

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 71r

f. [71r]

{tA}{_o} {{th}+t+} {{th}+t+} patiens tho I had nott¹ the &c / to her that saide this patiens was not for her but that the contrarye of myne was most metiste for her po^rposse /²

1    patiens for my devise
2    impatiens for yo^r parte
3    of contrarye the gyse
4    must nedes{es} be over tharte /
5    patiens for I am tay t^rue
6    the con{_o}trarye for yow

7    patiens a good cause whye
8    yo^rs hathe no cause at all
9    truste me that stondes{es} awrye
10    perch^aunce maye some tyme fall
11    patiens the saye and supp
12    a taste of patiens cupp

13    patiens no force for that
14    yet brushe yo^r gowne againe
15    patiens spurne nat ther^eate
16    {p+}{es} lest folkesperceyve yo^r payne³
17    patiens at my plesure
18    when yo^rs hathe no measure /

19    the tothr fas⁴ for me⁵
20    this patiens is for you
21    chaunge when{_e} ye liste lett see
22    for I have tane a newe
23    patiens with{w+t+} a good will
24    ys easye to fulfill /

fs D

Notes & Glosses

     1. This is the incipit of the linked poem.
     2. This item precedes “patiens for my devise” and is unwitnessed. In most editions of Wyatt's poetry, it is included as a note or epigraph with the poem “patiens for my devise." We have editorially considered it as part of that poem, although we have used the incipit “patiens for my devise” for indexing purposes.
     3. There is a form on the abbreviation that is difficult to correlate with standard descriptions.
     4. An "f" was converted into a "w."
     5. The "other" ("tother") may refer to the matching poem.

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H8. H8 links the verse directly to "Pacyence tho I have not" (13v). “Patience tho I have not” is an invocation to patient bearing of woe; according to the speaker, the lady hates him for no reason, yet he bears her unwarranted aversion patiently. “Patiens for my devise” also describes patient bearing, but the speaker, working in contrast to the traditional notion of patience, equates the Lady’s tolerance with infidelity (see lines 14 and 18). Her patience consists of tolerantly submitting to another’s lust. Rebholz suggests that “Patiens for my devise” should be read as a dialogue, with the Lover speaking stanzas 1 and 3 and the Lady answering in stanzas 2 and 4. Taken together "Pacyence tho I have not" (13v) and "patiens for my devise" seem to be a humorous comment on the general trope of woman’s fickleness—a common theme throughout the manuscript.

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

AAH11, DBLa17, LEge28

Collation

1 patiens] Patience AAH11 pations DBla17 Paciens LEge28 my] mye AAH11 devise] devyse AAH11 DBla17
2 impatiens] Impatience AAH11 Impatiens DBla17 Impaciens LEge28 yor] your AAH11 LEge28 yowr DBla17 parte] part DBla17 part LEge28
3 of] Of AAH11 off DBla17 contrarye] contraries AAH11 LEge28 contraryse DBla17 gyse] guyse AAH11
4 must nedes be] Ys ever AAH11 ys euer DBla17 is ever LEge28 over tharte /] the overthwarte AAH11 ouerthwart DBla17 the overthwart LEge28
5 patiens] Patience AAH11 paciens LEge28 am tay true] ame true LEge28 tay true] true AAH11 trew DBla17
6 contrarye] contrarie AAH11 contrary DBla17 LEge28 yow] you AAH11 yew LEge28
7 patiens] Patience AAH11 Paciens LEge28 whye] whie AAH11 why DBla17 LEge28
8 yors hathe] you have AAH11 LEge28 ye haue DBla17
9 truste me] therfore DBla17 therefore LEge28 truste me that stondes awrye] AAH11 that] yowrs DBla17 your LEge28 stondes] standes DBla17 standeth LEge28 awrye] awrey DBla17 awry LEge28
10 perchaunce maye] may chance DBla17 perchaunce LEge28 perchaunce maye some tyme fall] AAH11 some tyme] sumtyme DBla17 sometyme LEge28 fall] to fall DBla17 LEge28
11 patiens] pations DBla17 paciens LEge28 patiens the saye and supp] AAH11 the] then DBla17 LEge28 saye and supp] take hy vp DBla17 take him vp LEge28
12 a taste of patiens cupp] AAH11 a taste] & drynke DBla17 and drynck LEge28 of] off DBla17 cupp] cup DBla17 Cupp LEge28
13 patiens] Pacience LEge28 patiens no force for that] AAH11 force] fors DBla17
14 yet] but DBla17 LEge28 yet brushe yor gowne againe] AAH11 brushe] brusshe LEge28 yor] your DBla17 LEge28 gowne] gown DBla17 againe] agayn DBla17 again LEge28
15 patiens] pacience LEge28 patiens spurne nat thereate] AAH11 spurne] spurn DBla17 nat thereate] not theratt DBla17 not therat LEge28
16 lest folkes perceyve yor payne] AAH11 lest folkes perceyve] Let no mann knoo DBla17 let no man knowe LEge28 yor] yowr DBla17 your LEge28 payne] payn DBla17
17 patiens] pacience LEge28 patiens at my plesure] AAH11 at] evyn at DBla17 LEge28 plesure] plesuer DBla17 pleasure LEge28
18 when yors hathe no measure /] AAH11 yors] yowrs mesuer DBla17 your LEge28 hathe no measure /] ys owt off mesuer DBla17 is owte of mesure LEge28
19 the tothr was for me] AAH11 the tothr was] Thothr LEge28 tothr] tother DBla17 was] was DBla17 LEge28
20 this] thys DBla17 this patiens is for you] AAH11 patiens] patience LEge28 is] ys DBla17 you] yow DBla17
21 chaunge] change DBla17 chaunge when ye liste lett see] AAH11 liste] lyst DBla17 list LEge28 lett] let LEge28 see] se DBla17 LEge28
22 for I have tane a newe] AAH11 have] haue DBla17 tane] tayne DBla17 taken LEge28 newe] new DBla17 LEge28
23 patiens] pacience LEge28 patiens with a good will] AAH11 with] wyth DBla17 will] wyll DBla17
24 ys] is LEge28 ys easye to fulfill /] AAH11 easye] esy DBla17 easy LEge28 fulfill /] fullfyll DBla17 fulfill LEge28