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The Devonshire Manuscript/Ons me thought fortune me kiste

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The Devonshire Manuscript
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Sins you will nedes that I shall sing comforte thy self my wofull herte
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 73v
The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 74r

f. [73v]

1    Ons me thought fortune me kiste
2    and bad me aske what I thought best
3    and I shulde have yt as me liste
4    therewith{w+t+} to set my herte in reste

5    I asked nought but my dere herte
6    to have for evermore my owne
7    {m'}{_e} then att anend were my smarte
8    then shulde I nede to more to mone /

f. [74r] 

9    yet for all that a stormy blaste
10    hathe overtornid this goodlye daye
11    and fortune semid at the laste
12    that to her promis she saide naye

13    but like as on out of dispaire
14    to soden hope reviuid I
15    now fortune showith her self so faire
16    that I cotent content  me wondreslye

17    my most desire my hand may reche
18    my will is alwaye at my hande
19    me nede not long for to beseche
20    her that hathe powre / me to com{_o}mande

21    what erthelye thing more can I crave
22    what wolde I wishe more at my will
23    no thing on erthe more wold I have
24    save that I have to have it still.

25    for fortune hathe kepte her promis
26    yn gra{gA}unting me my most desire
27   of my sufferaunce I have redresse
28    {w+t+}{_o} and I content me withmy hire /

fs

Commentary

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Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt,[1] this poem was entered by H8. The poem also appears in Tottel's Miscellany under the title “The louer reioiceth the enioying of his loue” (item 86).[2] R. A. Rebholz suggests that "Ons me thought fortune me kiste" may be riddle-like because it proposes contradictory meanings: either Fortune grants the speaker his lady’s love or power over his own heart.[3] Ultimately, the poem's meaning depends on the interpretation of “my none” in line 6.

H8 also enters the first two stanzas of this poem on 71v, "Ons me thoght ffortune me kist."

Works Cited

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Textual Notes

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Texts Collated

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STC13860_20, LEge26, LDev123

Collation

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1 Ons] ONce as STC_13860_20 me] as me LEge26 thought] thoght LDev123 thought, STC_13860_20 fortune] ffortune LDev123 kiste] kist LDev123 kyst LEge26 kist: STC_13860_20
2 and] & LDev123 And STC_13860_20 bad] bade STC_13860_20 aske] asske LDev123 aske, STC_13860_20 thought] thoght LDev123 best] best: STC_13860_20
3 and] And STC_13860_20 and I shulde] & I shold LDev123 shulde] should LEge26 STC_13860_20 have] haue LDev123 STC_13860_20 yt] it LEge26 STC_13860_20 liste] list LDev123 LEge26 list, STC_13860_20
4 therewith] therwith LDev123 Therewith STC_13860_20 herte] hartt LDev123 hert LEge26 hart STC_13860_20 reste] rest LDev123 LEge26 rest. STC_13860_20
5 asked] assked LDev123 nought] noght LDev123 STC_13860_20 dere herte] ladies hart STC_13860_20 herte] hart LDev123 hert LEge26
6 to] To STC_13860_20 have] haue LDev123 STC_13860_20 evermore] euer more LDev123 euermore STC_13860_20 my] myn LEge26 myne STC_13860_20 owne] none LDev123 owne: STC_13860_20
7 then] Then STC_13860_20 att] at STC_13860_20 LEge26 anend] an end LDev123 STC_13860_20 my ende LEge26 were] were all LEge26 my] all my STC_13860_20 smarte] smert LDev123 LEge26 smart: STC_13860_20
8 then] Then STC_13860_20 shulde] shold LDev123 should LEge26 STC_13860_20 to] no LDev123 LEge26 STC_13860_20 to] LEge26 mone /] mone LDev123 LEge26 mone. STC_13860_20
9 yet] Yet LEge26 STC_13860_20 yet for all that a stormy blaste] LDev123 blaste] blast LEge26 STC_13860_20
10 hathe] had LEge26 hathe overtornid this goodlye daye] LDev123 hathe overtornid] Had ouerturnde STC_13860_20 overtornid] overtorned LEge26 goodlye] goodely LEge26 goodly STC_13860_20 daye] day LEge26 day: STC_13860_20
11 and] And STC_13860_20 and fortune semid at the laste] LDev123 semid] semed LEge26 STC_13860_20 laste] last LEge26 last, STC_13860_20
12 that] That STC_13860_20 that to her promis she saide naye] LDev123 promis] promes LEge26 promise STC_13860_20 saide] said STC_13860_20 naye] nay LEge26 nay. STC_13860_20
13 but] But LEge26 STC_13860_20 but like as on out of dispaire] LDev123 on] oon LEge26 one STC_13860_20 out] oute LEge26 dispaire] dispere LEge26 dispayre STC_13860_20
14 to soden hope reviuid I] LDev123 To sodain hope reuiued I. STC_13860_20 soden] soudden LEge26 reviuid] revived LEge26
15 now] Now STC_13860_20 now fortune showith her self so faire] LDev123 showith] sheweth LEge26 STC_13860_20 her self] herself LEge26 self] selfe STC_13860_20 faire] fayer LEge26 fayre, STC_13860_20
16 that] That STC_13860_20 that I cotentcontent me wondreslye] LDev123 cotentcontent me wondreslye] content me wonderly LEge26 cotentcontent] content STC_13860_20 wondreslye] wondersly. STC_13860_20
17 my] My LEge26 STC_13860_20 my most desire my hand may reche] LDev123 most] moost LEge26 reche] reach: STC_13860_20
18 my] My STC_13860_20 my will is alwaye at my hande] LDev123 alwaye] alway STC_13860_20 hande] hand LEge26 hand. STC_13860_20
19 me] Me STC_13860_20 me nede not long for to beseche] LDev123
20 her] Her, STC_13860_20 her that hathe powre / me to commande] LDev123 hathe] hath LEge26 STC_13860_20 powre /] power LEge26 STC_13860_20 commande] comaund LEge26 commaunde. STC_13860_20
21 what] What LEge26 STC_13860_20 what erthelye thing more can I crave] LDev123 erthelye] erthely LEge26 earthly STC_13860_20 crave] craue? STC_13860_20
22 what] What STC_13860_20 what wolde I wishe more at my will] LDev123 wolde] would LEge26 STC_13860_20 wishe] wisshe LEge26 will] will? STC_13860_20
23 no thing] Nothing STC_13860_20 no thing on erthe more wold I have] LDev123 erthe] erth LEge26 earth STC_13860_20 wold] would LEge26 STC_13860_20 have] haue, STC_13860_20
24 save] Saue STC_13860_20 save that I have to have it still.] LDev123 have] haue, STC_13860_20 have] haue STC_13860_20 still.] still LEge26 styll. STC_13860_20
25 for] ffor LEge26 For STC_13860_20 for fortune hathe kepte her promis] LDev123 hathe] hath LEge26 STC_13860_20 kepte] kept LEge26 STC_13860_20 promis] promes LEge26 promesse, STC_13860_20
26 yn] in LEge26 In STC_13860_20 yn graunting me my most desire] LDev123 graunting] grauntyng STC_13860_20 most] moost LEge26 desire] desire. STC_13860_20
27 of] Of STC_13860_20 of my sufferaunce I have redresse] LDev123 sufferaunce] soueraigne STC_13860_20 have] haue STC_13860_20 redresse] my redres LEge26 redresse, STC_13860_20
28 and] And STC_13860_20 and I content me with my hire /] LDev123 hire /] hiere LEge26 hire. STC_13860_20