A Social Edition of the Devonshire MS (BL Add. MS 17492)

Contents

Portrait of an English Lady, ca. 1533–1536 by Hans Holbein der Jüngere in oil and tempera on oak.

The Devonshire Manuscript, British Library, Add. MS 17492

Incipit Folio Front Matter 01r-01v Take hede be tyme leste ye be spyede 02r O cruell causer of vndeserrved chaynge 02v My harte I gave the not to do it paine 03r My pen take payn a lytyll space 03v At last withdrawe yowre cruellte 04r-04v To wette yowr Iye withouten teare 05r I lowe lovyd and so doithe she 06r Suffryng in sorow in hope to attayn 06v-07r My ferefull hope from me ys fledd 07v Yowre ferefull hope cannot prevayle 08r Bownd am I now & shall be styll 08v-09r Farewell all my wellfare 09v-10r May not thys hate from the estarte 10v Yff I had sufferd thys to yow vnware 11r The hart & servys to yow profferd 11v At most myscheffe 12r What menythe thys when I lye alone 12v-13r Pacyence tho I have not 13v ys yt possyble 14r My lute awake performe the last labor 14v-15r Alas poore man what hap have I 15v-16r Marvell nomore Altho 16v And wylt thow leve me thus 17r That tyme that myrthe dyd stere my shypp 17v The restfull place Revyver of my smarte 18r All women have vertues noble & excelent 18v What no perde ye may be sure 19r Was neuer yet fyle half so well fylyd 19v As power & wytt wyll me Assyst 20r Sum tyme I syghe sumtyme I syng 20v Pacyence of all my smart 21r Who wold haue euer thowght 21r In faythe methynkes yt ys no Ryght 21v-22r The knot which fyrst my hart dyd strayn 22v He Robyn gentyll robyn 22v A wel I hawe at other lost 22v The knot which fyrst my hart did strayn 23r-v Hey Robyn Ioly Robyn tell me 24r-v It was my choyse It Was my chaunce 24v-25r Now may I morne as one off late 26r Wyth sorowful syghes and wondes smart 26v What thyng shold cawse me to be sad 27r Alas that men be so vngent 27v Who hath more cawse for to complayne 28r I may well say with Ioyfull harte 28v To yowr gentyll letters an answere to resyte 29r And now my pen alas wyth wyche I wryte 29v O very lord / o loue / o god alas 29v O ye louers that hygh vpon the whele 30r It was my choyse yt was no chaunce / 30v Suche Wayn thowght / as wonted to myslede me / 31r So vnwarely was never no man cawght / 32r The knott whych ffyrst my hart dyd strayn / 33r-v Yff fansy wuld favour 34v The Wandryng gadlyng in the somer tyde / 35v The lyvely sparkes that yssue frome those Iies / 36v Tho I can not yowr cruelte constrayne / 37v Somtyme I fled the fyre that me brent / 38v What deth ys worse then thys / 39v thy promese was to loue me best 40r I se the change ffrom that that was 40v-41r ther ys no cure ffor care off miyd 41r as ffor my part I know no thyng 41r-v to my meshap alas I ffynd 42r-v how shold I 43r what nedythe lyff when I requyer 43r-43v-44r and thys be thys ye may 44r Too yoye In payne my will 44v Yff reason govern fantasye 45r-46r What helpythe hope of happy hape 46v-47r This rotyd greff will not but growe 47v Hartte aprest with dessperott thoughtes 47v-48r So feble is the therd that dothe the burden staye 49r-50v ffull well yt maye be sene 51r Syns loue ys suche that as ye wott 51v-52r Lo how I seke & sew to haue 52v My loue ys lyke vnto theternall fyre 53r Syns so ye please to here me playn 53r Yf in the worlde there be more woo 53v Now must I lerne to lyue at rest 54r fforget not yet the tryde entent 54v o happy dames that may enbrayes 55r-v My hope is yow for to obtaine, 57r when I bethynk my wontet ways 58r O myserable sorow withowten cure 58v Sum summ say I love sum say I moke 58v my hart ys set not remove 58v-59r wan I be thyng my wontyd was 59r lo in thy hat thow hast be gone 59r Wyly no dought ye be a wry 59v To dere is bowght the doblenes 59v for thylke grownde that bearyth the wedes wycke 59v to men that knows ye not 60r Myn vnhappy chaunce / to home shall I playn 60v Go burnynge siths vnto the frosen hert 61v ffanecy fframed my hart ffurst 61v-62r fancy framed my hart ffrust 62r In places Wher that I company 62v If that I cowlde in versis close 63v blame not my lute for he must sownde 64r-v my hart ys set nat to remowe 65r I ame not she be prowess off syt 65r myght I as well within my song be lay 65v to cowntarffete a mery mode 65v Myght I as well within my songe 66r The pleasaunt beayt of swet Delyte Dothe blynd 66r am el mem 67v the sueden ghance ded mak me mves 67v Madame margeret 68r my ywtheffol days ar past 68r-v To cause accorde or to agree 69r All yn the sight my lif doth hole depende 69r Beholde love thye powre how she despisith 69v thou haste no faith of him that eke hath none 69v Theye fle from me that some tyme ded me seke 69v-70r Ceaser whan the traytor of egipte 70r yf chaunse assignid 70v perdye I saide yt not 70v-71r patiens for my devise 71r I have sought long with stedfastnesse 71v Nature that gave the bee so fete agrace 71v to wishe and wante and not obtaine 71v Ons me thoght ffortune me kist 71v Resounde my voyse ye woodes that herithe me plaine 72r The fruite of all the seruise that I serue 72r Sins ye delight to kno 72v Venus thorns that are so sharp and kene 72v Ineternum I was ons determined 72v Lyk as the swanne towardis her dethe 73r Yf with complaint the paine might be exprest 73r Cruell desire my master and my foo 73r She sat and sewid that hathe done me the wronge 73r Who hathe harde of such tyrannye before 73r Ye know my herte my ladye dere 73v Sins you will nedes that I shall sing 73v Ons me thought fortune me kiste 73v-74r comforte thy self my wofull herte 74r What dethe is worsse then this 74r I am not ded altho I had a falle 74r My hope alas hath me abusid 74v Me list no more to sing 74v Nowe fare well love and theye lawes forever 75r ffor to love her for her lokes lovelye 75r To Rayle or geste ye kno I vse yt not 75r-v My herte I gave the not to do yt paine 75v The Ioye so short alas the paine so nere 75v Eche man telles me I chaunge of my devise 75v Payne of all payne the most grevos paine 75v-76r lament my losse my labor and my payne 76v what shulde I saye 77r howe shulde I 77r-v Gyve place all ye that dothe reioise 77v Dyvers dothe vse as I have hard & kno 77v the losse is small to lose suche on 77v Spight hathe no powre to make me sadde 78r Grudge on who liste this ys my lott 78v ffortune dothe frown 78v A my herte a what eilith the 78v hate whom ye list for I kare not 78v Greting to you bothe yn hertye wyse 79r-v Mye love toke skorne my servise to retaine 79v Tanglid I was yn loves snare 79v-80r lengre to muse 80r love doth againe 80v Wythe seruing still 81r now all of chaunge 81r-v Dryven bye desire I dede this dede 81v I abide and abide and better abide 81v Absens absenting causithe me to complaine 81v-82r I finde no peace and all my warre is donne 82r-v patiens for I have wrong / 82v whan that I call vnto my mynde 82v-83r To make an ende of all this strif 83r-v Wyll ye se / What Wonderous love hathe wrought 84r Deme as ye list vppon goode cause 84v I am as I am and so wil I be 85r My nowne Iohn poyntz . sins ye delight to know 85v-87r My mothers maides . when they dyd sow or spin 87v now that ye be assemblled heer 88r Womans harte vnto no creweltye 89v ys thys afayre avaunte / ys thys honor 89v yff all the erthe were parchment scrybable 90r O marble herte and yet more harde perde 90r Alas what shuld yt be to yow preiudyce 90r how frendly was medea to Iason 91r for thowgh I had yow to morow agayne 91r yff yt be so that ye so creuel be 91r-v Wo worthe the fayre gemme vertulesse 91v for loue ys yet the moste stormy lyfe 91v Also wyckyd tonges byn so prest 91v And who that sayth that for to love ys vyce 92r Stoppe me of my 93r for who so ends 93r but now helpe god to quenche all thys sorow 93r ffortyn ells 93r Back Matter 94r-96r

Manuscript Facsimile
Facsimile of the Devonshire Manuscript (For subscribers to Adam Matthew Digital, an external link to the Devonshire Manuscript housed at Adam Matthew Digital's Perdita Manuscripts)

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