The Devonshire Manuscript/Marvell nomore Altho

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The Devonshire Manuscript
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←Alas poore man what hap have I

And wylt thow leve me thus→

f. [16v]

1    Marvell nomore Altho
2    the songes{es} I syng do mone
3    ffor other lyff then wo
4 {p3}{u'}    I neuer provyd none
5    & in my hart Also
6    ys graven with{w+t+} lettres depe
7    A thowsand syghes & mo¹
8    A flood of teares to wepe

9    How may man in smart
10    ffyynd matter to Reioyce
11    how may a mornyng hart
12    Sett forthe A plesawnt voyce
13    play who can that part
14    nedes{es} must in me Apere
15    how fortune overthart overthwart
16    dothe cawse my mornyng chere

17    Per{p+}de there ys no man
18    yff he neuer saw syght
19    that per{p+}fyghtly tell can
20    the nature off the{{th}+e+} lyght
21    how shuld I do than
22    that neuer{u'} tast but sowre
23    But do As I Begane
24    contynually to lowre

25    But yet ^^{per{p+}chance} sum chance ~~may chan{_a} ce~~²
26    may chance to change my tune
27    & when shuche such chance dothe chance
28    then shall I thank fortune
29    & yf suche dhance do chawnce
30    per{p+}chance [] ere yt be long
31    ffor suche a plesawnt chance
32    to syng sum plesawnt song

ffynys quod{q+d+}quod{q+d+} Wyatts

Notes & Glosses

1. There is a recumbent figure 8 above "sighes."
2. The scribe is possibly copying from a manuscript with slash lines for line breaks or a musical score, because he or she added "may chance" before realizing that "perchance" had been skipped.

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt^[1] in the Devonshire Manuscript, this poem was entered by H2. The speaker explains that his sorrowful state causes him write sorrowful songs. Rebholz notes that the repetition of the word "such" on lines 27, 29, and 31 may suggest a pun on the name Mary Souche, one of Jane Seymour's maids of honour.^[2]

"Marvell nomore Altho" also appears in Tottel's Miscellany under the title “The louers sorowfull state maketh him write sorowfull songes, but Souche his loue may change the same.”^[3]

Works Cited

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

LEge19, STC13860_11, STC 24650.5_03

Collation

1 Marvell] Marvaill LEge19 MAruell STC_13860_11 MEruaile STC_24650.5_03 nomore] no more LEge19 STC_24650.5_03 Altho] all tho LEge19 altho STC_13860_11 al tho STC_24650.5_03
2 the] The STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 songes] songes, STC_13860_11 syng] sing STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 mone] mone: STC_13860_11
3 ffor] for LEge19 For STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 other] othre LEge19 lyff] liff LEge19 lyfe STC_13860_11 life STC_24650.5_03 wo] wo, STC_13860_11 woe STC_24650.5_03
4 neuer] never LEge19 provyd] proved LEge19 proued STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 none] none. STC_13860_11
5 &] And LEge19 STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 hart] hert LEge19 hart, STC_13860_11 Also] also LEge19 STC_24650.5_03 also, STC_13860_11
6 ys] is LEge19 Is STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 graven] grauen STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 lettres] lres LEge19 letters STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 depe] diepe LEge19
7 A] a LEge19 A thowsand syghes &] And many thousands STC_24650.5_03 thowsand] thousand LEge19 STC_13860_11 syghes] sighes LEge19 STC_13860_11 & mo] and mo: STC_13860_11
8 A] a LEge19 A flood] The flouds STC_24650.5_03 flood] flod LEge19 teares] teeres LEge19 wepe] wepe. STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03
9 may] may a LEge19 STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03
10 ffyynd] fynde LEge19 Finde STC_13860_11 Find STC_24650.5_03 matter] mater STC_24650.5_03 Reioyce] reIoyse LEge19 reioyce? STC_13860_11 reioyce STC_24650.5_03
11 how] How STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 mornyng] morning LEge19 moornyng STC_13860_11 wofull STC_24650.5_03 hart] hert LEge19
12 Sett] Set STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 Sett forthe A plesawnt voyce] set fourth a plesaunt voise LEge19 forthe] forth STC_24650.5_03 forthe A] foorth a STC_13860_11 A] a STC_24650.5_03 plesawnt] pleasant STC_13860_11 plesaunt STC_24650.5_03 voyce] voice. STC_13860_11
13 play] Play LEge19 STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 who] who so STC_13860_11 can] can, STC_13860_11 can that] that can that LEge19 part] depart STC_24650.5_03 part: STC_13860_11
14 nedes] Nedes STC_13860_11 nedes must in me Apere] In me must nedes appeare STC_24650.5_03 Apere] appere LEge19 appere: STC_13860_11
15 how] How STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 overthart] overthwart LEge19 ouerthwart STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03
16 dothe] doeth LEge19 Doth STC_13860_11 dothe cawse my mornyng chere] STC_24650.5_03 cawse] cause LEge19 STC_13860_11 mornyng] morning LEge19 moorning STC_13860_11 chere] chere. STC_13860_11
17 Perde] Perdy LEge19 STC_13860_11 Perdye STC_24650.5_03 there] ther STC_24650.5_03 ys] is LEge19 STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 man] man, STC_13860_11
18 yff] if LEge19 If STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 neuer] never LEge19 neuer saw] saw neuer STC_13860_11 saw] sawe LEge19 syght] sight LEge19 sight: STC_13860_11
19 that] That STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 perfyghtly] perfaictly LEge19 perfitly STC_13860_11 parfectly STC_24650.5_03 tell] tel STC_24650.5_03
20 the] The STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 off] of LEge19 STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 lyght] light LEge19 STC_24650.5_03 light. STC_13860_11
21 how] How STC_24650.5_03 Alas how LEge19 Alas: how STC_13860_11 shuld] should LEge19 STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 do than] then LEge19 STC_24650.5_03 than, STC_13860_11
22 that] That STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 neuer] never LEge19 tast] tasted LEge19 STC_24650.5_03 taste STC_13860_11 sowre] soure STC_24650.5_03 sowre: STC_13860_11
23 But] but LEge19 do] do, STC_13860_11 As] as LEge19 STC_24650.5_03 As I Begane] as I began, STC_13860_11 Begane] began LEge19 STC_24650.5_03
24 contynually] continuelly LEge19 Continually STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 lowre] loure STC_24650.5_03 lowre. STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03
25 But yet perchance sum] Such chaunce perchaunce may STC_24650.5_03 yet] yet, STC_13860_11 perchance] perchaunce LEge19 sum] som LEge19 some STC_13860_11 chance] chaunce STC_24650.5_03
26 may] May STC_13860_11 may chance to] To cause me STC_24650.5_03 chance] chaunce LEge19 change] chaunge LEge19 STC_24650.5_03 tune] tune: STC_13860_11
27 &] and LEge19 & when shuche] And, when (Souch) STC_13860_11 And when such STC_24650.5_03 shuche] suche LEge19 chance] chaunce LEge19 STC_24650.5_03 dothe] doeth LEge19 doth STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 chance] chaunce LEge19 STC_24650.5_03 chance: STC_13860_11
28 then] Then, STC_13860_11 Then STC_24650.5_03 shall] shal STC_24650.5_03 thank] thanck LEge19 thanke STC_24650.5_03 fortune] fortune? STC_13860_11
29 & yf suche chance do] And if I have souche LEge19 & yf suche chance do chawnce] And if I haue (Souch)chance: STC_13860_11 & yf] And if STC_24650.5_03 suche] such STC_24650.5_03 chance] chaunce STC_24650.5_03 chawnce] chaunce LEge19 STC_24650.5_03
30 perchance] perchaunce LEge19 Perchance STC_13860_11 Perchaunce STC_24650.5_03 ere yt] or it STC_24650.5_03 yt] it LEge19 STC_13860_11 long] long: STC_13860_11
31 ffor] for LEge19 For STC_24650.5_03 ffor suche] For (Souch) STC_13860_11 suche] such STC_24650.5_03 a plesawnt] pleasaunt LEge19 a pleasant STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 chance] chaunce LEge19 STC_24650.5_03 chance, STC_13860_11
32 to] To STC_24650.5_03 to syng sum] Tosing some STC_13860_11 syng] sing STC_24650.5_03 sum] some STC_24650.5_03 sum plesawnt] som plaisaunt LEge19 plesawnt] pleasant STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03 song] song. STC_13860_11 STC_24650.5_03

[1] R.A. Rebholz, ed., Sir Thomas Wyatt: The Complete Poems (London: Penguin, 1978), 161-62.

[2] Rebholz, 427.

[3] Tottel's Miscellany (Exeter: Shearsman, 2010), 58.

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