The Lyrics of Henry VIII/Withowt dyscord, Henry VIII
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[ff. 68v-69r]
Early Modern English | Modern English |
Withowt dyscord | Without discord |
and bothe acorde | And both accord, |
now let us be | Now let us be. |
bothe hartes alone | Both harts alone |
to set in one | To set in one. |
best semyth me. | Best seems me. |
for when one sole | For when one sole |
ys in the dole | Is in the dole |
of louys payne. | Of love's pain |
then helpe must haue | Then help must have |
hym selfe to saue | Himself to save |
and loue to optayne. | And love to obtain. |
wherfor now we. | Where for now we |
that louers be. | That lovers be, |
let vs now pray. | Let us now pray: |
Onys loue sure. | Once love sure |
for to procure. | For to procure |
withowt denay. | Without denial. |
wher loue so sewith. | Where love so sues |
ther no hart rewith. | There no heart rues, |
but condyscend. | But condescend. |
Yf contrarye. | If contrary, |
what remedy. | What remedy? |
god yt amen. | God it amend. |
Textual Commentary
edit“Withowt dyscord” is an exposition concerning the unity of the lovers, from the “dole / of louys payne” commonly associated with the pangs of the courtly love tradition (“dyscord”), to the unity of the hearts and souls of the lovers (“acorde”). Addressed to lovers, the lyric concludes with a prayer for “sure love” where the lover sues.
- 7 sole Soul, perhaps, but also in the sense of being alone or solitary (OED a 2.a) and separated from another (OED a 2.b).
- 10 helpe must haue Help he must have.
- 16 Onys Once (i.e. on some occasion).
- 18 denay Denial, refusal (OED “deny” n.1).
- 19 sewith Make suit; legal (courtly allusion); see also the comment to Henry’s “If love now reynyd as it hath bene” (H 38.12).
- 20 rewith Sorrows, distresses, grieves (OED v.1 3); also, feels remorse (OED v.1 9).
- 21 condyscend Condescend.
- 23 what remedy Cf. Cornish’s “My loue sche morneth for me” (H 21.26) and the anonymous “What remedy what remedy” (H 69); see also Ravenscroft’s “Hey downe downe”: “what remedy though alas for loue I die with woe” (Pammelia 13).
- 24 amen Amend, but also in the sense of “answer our prayer”; cf.., in this context of prayer, Henry’s “Though sum saith that yough rulyth me” (H 51.18) and his “Lusti yough shuld vs ensue” (H 61.27); with special reference to these two lyrics, cf. also the sentiments expressed towards ‘disdainers’ in the concluding lines of the Jousts of May: “Some reprehende / Suche as entende / To condescende / To chyualry // God them amende / And grace them sende / Not to offende / More tyll they deye” (ll. 180–87).
The first stanza of “Withowt dyscord,” lines 1–12, is through-set, while the remaining text appears following the third voice.
Indexed in Robbins Index & Suppl. 4213.5, Boffey, and Ringler MS TM2014. Reprinted in Flügel Anglia 237, Flügel Neuengl 136–7, Padelford 76, Stevens M&P 410, Stevens MCH8 50, and Trefusis 26–27.
Textual Notes
editTexts Collated
editH1,2,3 (ff. 68v–69r, ll. 1–12 H2,3).
- 10 must] to H2