The Devonshire Manuscript/At last withdrawe yowre cruellte

←My pen take payn a lytyll space

To wette yowr Iye withouten teare→

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 4r

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 4v

f. [4r]

      At the
1    {r'}{w+t+} At last withdraw yowre cruellte anand thys
2    or let me die at ons
3    It is so moche extremitie
4    Devised for the nons
5    To holde me thus aleve
6    In paine still for to dryve
7    Whatt maye I more
8    sustayne alas that dye wuld faine
9    and cane not dye for paine

10    for to the flame wherwith{w+t+} ye burne
11    my though and mye dysyre{r'}
12   {n'}{d,}  when into ashys it shulde turne
13    my hert by ferwent fyer
14    ye send A stormy rayn
15    That doythe it qwynche Agayn
16    And makys myn eys expresse
17    The tearyes that do redres
18    My lywe in wrecchydnes

f. [4v]¹

19    Then when thes shulde hau drownde
20    a and ouer{u'}whelmd my hart
21    The heate doithe then confownde
22    Renewing all my smart
23    then doithe flame entreasse increase 
24    my tormyntt can not cease
25    my woo doithe then revive
26    and I R Remaine alyve
27    with{w+t+} deathe still for to stryve

28    Butt if thatt that he wolde{d,}² haue my death
29    and that ye wolde{d,} no nother
30    shortly then for to spem my brethe
31    with{w+t+}drawe the to woon or tother
32    for thes yowr cruelnnes
33    doithe lett it selfe doubles doubtless 
34    And it is reason why
35    no man alyve nor I
36    of doble dethe can dy

Notes & Glosses

     1. The handwriting on this folio is that of H1, but it is less flamboyant than the handwriting on the previous page.
     2. The d+e abbreviation is uncommon after the 15th century.

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered on two leaves by H1. This poem is one of seventeen entries that Margaret Douglas marks with “and thys.” Paul Remley observes that these annotations relate to another in-text annotation of hers, “lerne but to syng it” (81r), and may indicate a group of texts used primarily for entertaining. The speaker here laments his cruel mistress who causes in him both desire and despair, both of which vie to cause his death.

H1's handwriting changes gradually as he progresses down the second leaf, creating wider spaces between both letters and numbers, becoming larger in size, and producing more textual flourishes.

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

DBLa03, L36529_01

Collation

0.5 At the] DBLa03 L36529_01
1 last] laste DBLa03 lest L36529_01 yowre] youre DBLa03 yowre cruellte] yor creweltie L36529_01 cruellte] crueltye DBLa03
2 let me die at ons] force the tyme, to work yor will L36529_01 die at ons] dy a tons DBLa03
3 It] it L36529_01 It is so moche] hit ys to mych DBLa03 so moche] to much L36529_01 extremitie] extremety DBLa03 extremytie L36529_01
4 Devised] Devysid DBLa03 Devised for the nons] to kepe me pent, in prison still L36529_01
5 To] to DBLa03 To holde me thus aleve] fre from all fault voyd of all cawse L36529_01 holde] hold DBLa03 thus] styll DBLa03 aleve] alyve DBLa03
6 In paine] in paynes DBLa03 In paine still for to dryve] withowt all right, against all lawse, L36529_01 still] styll DBLa03 dryve] stryve DBLa03
7 Whatt] what DBLa03 Whatt maye I more] how can you vse, more crewel spight L36529_01 maye] may DBLa03 DBLa03
8 sustayne] DBLa03 sustayne alas that dye wuld faine] then offer wrong, and promes right L36529_01 dye] dy DBLa03 wuld] wold DBLa03 faine] fayne DBLa03
9 and] yet L36529_01 cane not] cannot DBLa03 L36529_01 dye] dy DBLa03 dye for paine] acuse, nor will aquit. L36529_01 paine] payne DBLa03
10 for] ffor DBLa03 for to the flame wherwith ye burne] Aleuin monthes full, and longer space L36529_01 ye] I DBLa03
11 my thoughthought and mye dysyre] I haue indur'd, yor deuilishe driftes L36529_01 thoughthought and mye] thought & my DBLa03 dysyre] desyre DBLa03
12 when into ashys it shulde turne] Whilst you haue sought bothe man and place L36529_01 ashys it] asshes hit DBLa03 shulde] shuld DBLa03 turne] turnne DBLa03
13 my hert by ferwent fyer] and set yor snares, with all yor shiftes L36529_01 hert] harte DBLa03 ferwent] faruent DBLa03
14 ye] you DBLa03 ye send A stormy rayn] the faultles foote, to wrape with wile L36529_01 A] a DBLa03 rayn] rayne DBLa03
15 That] that DBLa03 That doythe it qwynche Agayn] in any guilt, by any gile L36529_01 doythe] doth DBLa03 it qwynche Agayn] yt quench agayne DBLa03
16 And] and DBLa03 And makyes myn eyes expresse] and how you see it will not be L36529_01 makyes] makes DBLa03 myn] my DBLa03 eyes] Eyes DBLa03
17 The] the DBLa03 The tearyes that do redresse] how can you thus for shame agre L36529_01 tearyes] teyres DBLa03 do redresse] doth opres DBLa03
18 My lywe in wrecchydnesse] my lyffe in wretchednes DBLa03 to kepe him bound, you ought set fre. L36529_01
19 Then when thes shulde hau drownde] Yor chance was once, as myne is now L36529_01 thes] they DBLa03 shulde] shuld DBLa03 hau] haue DBLa03 drownde] drowned DBLa03
20 a] DBLa03 a and ouerwhelmd my hart] to kepe this hold, against your will L36529_01 ouerwhelmd] ouer whelmed DBLa03 hart] harte DBLa03
21 The] the DBLa03 The heate doithe then confownde] and then you sware, I know well how L36529_01 heate] hete DBLa03 doithe] doth DBLa03 then] them DBLa03 confownde] confound DBLa03
22 Renewing] renewyng DBLa03 Renewing all my smart] thoghe now you swarue, you know how ill L36529_01 smart] smarte DBLa03
23 then doithe flame entreasseencreasse] but thus the world, hys course dothe passe L36529_01 doithe] doth the DBLa03 entreasseencreasse] encresse DBLa03
24 my tormyntt can not cease] the priste forgat, that clarke he was L36529_01 tormyntt] turment DBLa03 can not] cannot DBLa03 cease] seasse DBLa03
25 my woo doithe then revive] and you that then, cried iustice still L36529_01 woo doithe] paynes DBLa03 then] than DBLa03 revive] revyve DBLa03 DBLa03
26 I R Remaine alyve] now, haue iustice at yor will L36529_01 R] DBLa03 Remaine] remayne DBLa03
27 with deathe still for to stryve] wrest iustice wrong, against all skill L36529_01 deathe] deth DBLa03 still] styll DBLa03
28 Butt] But DBLa03 L36529_01 if thatt that he wolde] that you wyll DBLa03 if thatt that he wolde haue my death] whie do I thus coldly plain L36529_01 death] deth DBLa03
29 and that ye wolde no nother] as thoughe it wer my cawse alone L36529_01 ye] you DBLa03 wolde] wold DBLa03
30 shortly then] then shortly DBLa03 shortly then for to spem my brethe] whan cawse doth eache man so constrain L36529_01 spem] stope DBLa03 brethe] breth DBLa03
31 withdrawe the to woon or tother] as England through hath cawse to mone L36529_01 to woon] one DBLa03 tother] other DBLa03
32 for thes yowr cruelnnes] to see yor bloody searche of suche L36529_01 thes] this DBLa03 yowr cruelnnes] youre cruelneste DBLa03
33 doithe] doth DBLa03 doithe lett it selfe doublesdoutles] as all the erthe can no way tuche L36529_01 lett] let DBLa03 it] yt DBLa03 selfe] self DBLa03 doublesdoutles] perde DBLa03
34 And it is] nd yt ys DBLa03 And it is reason why] and better wer that all yor kynd L36529_01
35 no] o DBLa03 no man alyve nor I] lyk hownds in hell, with shame wer shrned L36529_01 alyve] a lyve DBLa03
36 of] DBLa03 of doble dethe can dy] then you had myght vnto yor mynd L36529_01 doble] dowble DBLa03 dethe] deth DBLa03 can] canne DBLa03 DBLa03
37 ] But as the stone that strikes the wall L36529_01
38 ] some time rebounds, on th'urlers hed L36529_01
39 ] so yor fowll fetche to yor fowll fall L36529_01
40 ] may torn and noy the brest it bred L36529_01
41 ] and than such mesure as you gaue L36529_01
42 ] of right and iustice looke to haue L36529_01
43 ] If good or euill, life short or long L36529_01
44 ] if false or trew, yf right or wrong L36529_01
45 ] and thus till then, I end my song. L36529_01