The Devonshire Manuscript/The knot which fyrst my hart did strayn

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The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 23r

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 23v LDev037

f. [23r] 

1    3The knot which fyrst my hart did strayn
2    whan that your saruant I becam
3    Doth bynd me styll for to remain
4    all was yo^r owne as now I am
5    and if you fynd that I do fayne
6    with{w+t+} Iust Iugement my self I dam ene
7    To haue Dysdain

8    If other thought In me doo groo
9    bot styl too lov youe stedfastlye
10    yf that the proff doo not well shoo
11    that I am yours Asorydly
12    let eure wellth turne me to woo
13    and yov to be con{_o}tunvally
14    my chefest ffoo

15    If other low or new Request
16    doo cese my hart but only this
17    or if with{w+t+}in my weryd brest
18    be hyd on thought that mene amys
19    I do desyer that myn vnrest
20    m^ay styll encrese and I to mys
21    that I lov best

f. [23v] 

22    If In my low ther be on spott
23    of false desaytt or dobylnes
24    or if I mynd to slyp thys knot
25    be want of faithe or stedfastnes
26    Let all my sarwyce be for gott
27    And when I wold haue chefe Redres
28    Estem me nott

29    What if that I con{_o}sume In paine
30    of burinn burning {_n}g syghes and fervent lowe
31    And daly seke no nother gayne
32    bot with{w+t+} my ded thes wordes to prow
33    methink of ryght I shuld optayn
34    that ye wold mynd for to remove
35    your gret desdayn

36    An^d for the end of thys my song
37    wnto your handes I doo submit
38    my dedly greff and payns so strong
39    Whych in my hert be fermly shytt
40    and when ye lyst redres me wrong
41    sens well ye know this paynfull syghte^ffytt
42    Hath last tto long

ffynys

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H3 and describes a lover's justification for his steadfastness in matters of love. Any sign of wavering, unfaithfulness, or deceit would understandably deserve contempt from his beloved, yet his loyalty goes unrewarded.

While the complete poem appears on 23r-23v, H3 also enters an excerpt of the poem, "The knot which fyrst my hart dyd strayn" (22v). H4 also enters another complete version of the poem on 33r-33v as "The knott whych ffyrst my hart dyd strayn /", indicating perhaps the poem's popularity.

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

DBLa21, LDev051, LDev034

Collation

1 The knot which] the that DBla21 knot] knott LDev051 which] whych LDev051 fyrst] ffyrst LDev051 furst DBla21 did] dyd LDev034 LDev051 DBla21 strayn] strayn / LDev051
2 whan] Whan LDev034 LDev051 when DBla21 your] yowr LDev051 thy DBla21 saruant] sarwant LDev034 servannt LDev051 servant DBla21 becam] be cam / LDev051
3 Doth] doth LDev034 LDev051 DBla21 bynd] bynde LDev051 remain] Remain LDev034 Remayne / LDev051 remayn DBla21
4 all was] always DBla21 was] wais LDev034 yor] yowr LDev051 DBla21 yor owne as now I am] LDev034 owne] own DBla21 now] nowe LDev051 am] am / LDev051
5 and if you fynd that I do fayne] LDev034 and if you] And yff ye LDev051 and if you fynd] & yff ye fynd DBla21 fynd] fynde LDev051 fayne] ffayn / LDev051 fayn DBla21
6 with Iust Iugement my self I dam ene] LDev034 Iugement] Iudgement LDev051 judgment DBla21 self] selffe LDev051 dam ene] dam / LDev051 dam DBla21
7 To] to LDev051 DBla21 To haue Dysdain] LDev034 Dysdain] dysdayn / LDev051 dysdy wyth desdayne DBla21
8 If] Iff LDev051 If other thought In me doo groo] LDev034 If other thought] yf thowght DBla21 thought] thowght LDev051 In] in LDev051 doo] do DBla21 doo groo] do growe / LDev051
9 bot] butt LDev051 but DBla21 bot styl too lov youe stedfastlye] LDev034 styl] styll LDev051 DBla21 too] to LDev051 too lov youe] to loue the you DBla21 lov] love LDev051 youe] yow LDev051 stedfastlye] stedefastly / LDev051 stedfastly DBla21
10 yf] if LDev051 yf that the proff doo not well shoo] LDev034 yf that] yff DBla21 proff] profe LDev051 proffe DBla21 doo] do LDev051 doo not well] do no forth DBla21 not] nott LDev051 shoo] showe / LDev051
11 that I am yours Asorydly] LDev034 yours] yowrs LDev051 DBla21 Asorydly] Assueredly / LDev051 assuerydly DBla21
12 let] lett LDev051 DBla21 let eure wellth turne me to woo] LDev034 eure] euery LDev051 DBla21 wellth] welth LDev051 DBla21 turne me] all my yoy turne me all DBla21 woo] woe LDev051
13 and yov to be contunvally] LDev034 to beontynually DBla21 and yov] And yow LDev051 contunvally] contynually / LDev051
14 my] My LDev051 my chefest ffoo] LDev034 chefest] chefyst DBla21 ffoo] foo / LDev051 f DBla21
15 If] Iff LDev051 If other low or new Request] LDev034 If other low or] yff other thoht or DBla21 low] love LDev051 new] newe LDev051 Request] request / LDev051 request DBla21
16 doo] do LDev051 DBla21 doo cese my hart but only this] LDev034 cese] cesse LDev051 sese DBla21 this] thys / LDev051 thys DBla21
17 or if within my weryd brest] LDev034 or if within] & yff wythIn DBla21 if] yf LDev051 brest] brest / LDev051
18 be hyd on thought that mene amys] LDev034 on] one LDev051 thought] thowght LDev051 DBla21 amys] Amys / LDev051
19 I do desyer that myn vnrest] LDev034 myn] myne LDev051 myn vnrest] my nrest DBla21 vnrest] vnrest / LDev051
20 may] may LDev051 DBla21 may styll encrese and I to mys] LDev034 encrese] encrease LDev051 encrese and] Incres & DBla21 mys] y mysse / LDev051
21 that I lov best] LDev034 lov] love LDev051 loue DBla21 best] best / LDev051
22 If In my low ther be on spott] LDev034 If In my low] Yff in my love LDev051 If In my low ther be] yff my loue be hyd DBla21 on] one LDev051 spott] spott / LDev051 spoot DBla21
23 of] off LDev051 DBla21 of false desaytt or dobylnes] LDev034 false] fals DBla21 desaytt] deceyte LDev051 desaytt or] decete & DBla21 dobylnes] doblenes / LDev051 dublylnes DBla21
24 or if I mynd to slyp thys knot] LDev034 if] yff LDev051 DBla21 slyp] slypp LDev051 thys] the DBla21 knot] knott / LDev051 knoot DBla21
25 be] by LDev051 DBla21 be want of faithe or stedfastnes] LDev034 of faithe] off fayth DBla21 faithe] fayth LDev051 stedfastnes] stedefastnes / LDev051
26 Let] let DBla21 Let all my sarwyce be for gott] LDev034 Let all my sarwyce] lett All my sorowys LDev051 sarwyce] servys DBla21 for gott] forgott / LDev051 forgoot DBla21
27 And] & DBla21 And when I wold haue chefe Redres] LDev034 wold] wuld LDev051 chefe] cheefe LDev051 sefe DBla21 Redres] redresse LDev051 redres DBla21
28 Estem] Esteme LDev051 esteme DBla21 Estem me nott] LDev034
29 What if that I consume In paine] LDev034 What if] But yff LDev051 but yff DBla21 In paine] in payn / LDev051 paine] payn DBla21
30 of burinngburning syghes and fervent lowe] LDev034 of burinngburning syghes and] with burnynge syghes & LDev051 wyth do burnyng syghes & DBla21 fervent] farvent DBla21 lowe] love / LDev051 loue DBla21
31 And daly seke no nother gayne] LDev034 And daly seke no] and dyly seke non DBla21 no nother] non other LDev051 DBla21 gayne] gayn / LDev051 gayn DBla21
32 bot] but LDev051 DBla21 bot with my ded thes wordes to prow] LDev034 with] wyth DBla21 ded] dede LDev051 dedes DBla21 wordes] wurdes LDev051 prow] prove LDev051 proue DBla21
33 methink] me thynke LDev051 methink of ryght I shuld optayn] LDev034 methink of ryght] e thynkes off yght DBla21 of] off LDev051 ryght] Ryght LDev051 optayn] optAyne LDev051 obtayn DBla21
34 that ye wold mynd for to remove] LDev034 wold] wuld LDev051 shuld DBla21 mynd] mynde LDev051 remove] remoue DBla21
35 your] yowr LDev051 your gret desdayn] LDev034 desdayn] dysdayn LDev051 DBla21
36 And] And LDev051 And for the end of thys my song] LDev034 And for the end of] and nend off DBla21 end] ende LDev051 of] off LDev051 song] songe / LDev051
37 wnto] vnto LDev051 In to DBla21 wnto your handes I doo submit] LDev034 your] yowr LDev051 DBla21 handes] handys LDev051 doo] do LDev051 DBla21 submit] submytt / LDev051 submytt DBla21
38 my] the DBla21 my dedly greff and payns so strong] LDev034 greff] grefe DBla21 and] the DBla21 payns] payn DBla21 strong] stronge / LDev051
39 Whych] whych LDev051 Whych in my hert be fermly shytt] LDev034 Whych in] wych In DBla21 hert] harte LDev051 hart DBla21 fermly] fyrmly DBla21
40 and] And LDev051 and when ye lyst redres me wrong] LDev034 redres] redresse LDev051 me] my LDev051 DBla21 wrong] wronge LDev051 wrog DBla21
41 sens] syns LDev051 sens well ye know this paynfull syghteffytt] LDev034 know] knowe LDev051 knoo DBla21 this] thys DBla21 paynfull] paynfyll DBla21 syghteffytt] fytt LDev051 DBla21
42 Hath] hath DBla21 Hath last tto long] LDev034 tto] to LDev051 tto long] to l DBla21 long] longe LDev051