The Devonshire Manuscript/ffull well yt maye be sene

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The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 51r

 f. [51r] 

1    ffull well yt maye be sene
2    to suche as vnder{d'} stand
3    how some there be that wene
4    they haue theyre welthe at hand
5    thruhe through  loves abusyd band
6    But lytyll do they See
7    thabuse the abuse  Wherin they bee

8    of loue there ys A kynd
9    whyche kyndlythe by abuse
10    as in A feble mynd
11    whome fansy may enduce
12    By loues dysceatfull vse
13    to folowe the fond lust
14    & profe of A vayn trust

15    As I my self may saye
16    by tryall of the same
17    no wyght can well bewraye
18    the falshed loue can frame
19    I saye twyxt grefe & game
20    ther ys no lyvyng man
21    that knows the crafte loue can

22    ffor loue so well can fayn
23    to favour for the whyle
24    that suche as sekes the gayn
25    {w+t+}{{s}8} ar seruyd with the gyle
26    & some can thys concyle
27    to gyue the symple leave
28    them sellfes for to dysceave

29    What thyng may more declare
30    of loue the craftye kynd
31    then se the wyse so ware
32    in loue to be so blynd
33    yf so yt be assynd
34    let them enIoye the gayn
35    that thynkes{es} yt worthe the payn

finis finis

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H6. Rebholz notes that the word "love" used throughout the poem possesses a dual-meaning: it can either refer to the lover's appetite and self-deception or to the deceptions practiced by lovers (or both). Another unidentified hand may have written the second “finis.”