The Devonshire Manuscript/o happy dames that may enbrayes

←fforget not yet the tryde entent

My hope is yow for to obtaine,→

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 55r

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 55v

 f. [55r] 

1    o happy dames that may enbraysbrayes
2    the ffrwte off yo^r delyet
3    helpe to bewalle the woffulle casse
4    & eke the hewy plyet
5    off me that wontede to reIoyes
6    the ffortwne off [] my pleassante choyes
7    good lades helpe to ffelle my mowernenge voyce

8    {_e}{w+t+} en ashepe ffrawghte with rememberances¹
9    off wordes{es} & pleassures paste
10    he ssaylles that haytht en gowernances{es}
11    my lyffe whylle et maye laste
   with{w+t+} s [] ldenge
12    with{w+t+} scaldenge sseythes ffor wante off gayle
13    ffurthenge his hope that is his ssaylle
14    to warde me the sswete porte off hes awalle

15    alas howe offte I im in dremes I ssee
16    thovs yees that were my ffo^ode ffoode
17    wyche ssumetyme sso dellyted me
18    that yet they do me good
19    wherewith{w+t+}  I wake with{w+t+} hes his retoreneretourne
20    whoosse b abssente fflame dootht make me boren
21    bwt whan I ffynde the lake lorde howe I mowren

f. [55v] 

22    whan owther loweres{es} en armes acrosse
23    roIoyes ther cheffe dellyet
   drowenede en tereres{es} teares to mow [] ren
24    drowened en teares{es} to mowren my losse
25    I stande the better neyghtes
26    in my wyndowe wher I maye ssee
27    beffore the wyndes howe the clowdes ffleye
28    loo whate amarryner lowe hays made ^meme

29    & en grene way wawes when the ssallte ffloode
30    dootht sswalle w by rayges off wynde
31    a thwssande ffayncys en that moode
32    assalles my resteles mynde
33    allas nowe drenches my sswete ffoo
34    that with{w+t+} sspoyle off my hartte harte ded goo
35    & lyfte me but allas whye ded he sso

36    & whan the ssces wax clame agane
37    to chasse ffrom me anoye
38    my dowteffwlle hope makes me to p_lla ^l yne
39    sso drede cwtes off my Ioye
40    thus es my mowrtht meynglede with{w+t+} woo
41    & of eyche thowet adowete dowtht growe
42    nowe he comes wylle^{2^ he cum{_u}m} allas no no

Notes & Glosses

     1. See Petti. This form of tittle is older, but still in use in the late fifteenth century.
     2. The caret is downwards.

Commentary

Written in Mary Howard's hand, this is the only poem in the manuscript composed by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Margaret Douglas adds the phrase "he cum" in the last line of the poem. In her article “Mary (Howard) Fitzroy’s Hand in the Devonshire Manuscript,” Helen Baron attributes the lyric to Surrey and claims that it was written during Surrey’s service in the campaign against France some time in the mid-1540s. Baron maintains that the poem was probably entered into the album after Anne Boleyn died when Margaret Douglas had ownership of the book. Thus, the poem was most likely transcribed by Surrey’s sister soon after its composition in the mid-1540s when Margaret and Mary Howard attended court with Mary Shelton. The poem reflects the thoughts of a woman waiting for her lover to come home from across the sea.

The poem also appears in Tottel's Miscellany under the title “Complaint of the absence of her louer being vpon the sea.”

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

STC13860_19, LHar78_2

Collation

1 o] O STC_13860_19 o happy] Oh happie LHar78_2 happy] Happy STC_13860_19 dames] dames, STC_13860_19 enbraysbrayes] imbrace LHar78_2 embrace STC_13860_19
2 the ffrwte off yor delyet] The frute of your delight, STC_13860_19 ffrwte off yor delyet] fructe of your delight LHar78_2
3 helpe] Help STC_13860_19 bewalle] bewayle LHar78_2 bewaile STC_13860_19 woffulle] wofull LHar78_2 STC_13860_19 casse] case LHar78_2 case, STC_13860_19
4 &] and LHar78_2 And STC_13860_19 hewy plyet] heavie plight LHar78_2 heauy plight STC_13860_19
5 off] of LHar78_2 Of STC_13860_19 me] me, STC_13860_19 wontede] wonted LHar78_2 STC_13860_19 reIoyes] reioyse LHar78_2 reioyce STC_13860_19
6 the ffortwne off my pleassante choyes] The fortune of my pleasant choyce: STC_13860_19 ffortwne off ] fortune of LHar78_2 pleassante] pleasaunt LHar78_2 choyes] chayse c LHar78_2
7 good] Good LHar78_2 STC_13860_19 lades] ladies LHar78_2 Ladies, STC_13860_19 helpe] help STC_13860_19 ffelle] fyll LHar78_2 fill STC_13860_19 mowernenge] moorning STC_13860_19 mowernenge woyce] morninge voice LHar78_2 woyce] voyce. STC_13860_19
8 en ashepe ffrawghte with rememberances] LHar78_2 en ashepe ffrawghte] In ship, freight STC_13860_19 rememberances] rememberance STC_13860_19
9 off wordes & pleassures paste] LHar78_2 off wordes &] Of thoughts, and STC_13860_19 pleassures] pleasures STC_13860_19 paste] past, STC_13860_19
10 he ssaylles that haytht en gowernances] LHar78_2 he ssaylles that haytht en] He sailes that hath in STC_13860_19 gowernances] gouernance STC_13860_19
11 my lyffe whylle et maye laste] LHar78_2 My life, while it wil last: STC_13860_19
11.5 with sldenge] STC_13860_19
12 with] With STC_13860_19 with scaldenge sseythes ffor wante off gayle] LHar78_2 scaldenge] scalding STC_13860_19 sseythes ffor wante off gayle] sighes, for lack of gale, STC_13860_19
13 ffurthenge] Furdering STC_13860_19 ffurthenge his hope that is his ssaylle] LHar78_2 hope] hope, STC_13860_19 ssaylle] sail STC_13860_19
14 to warde me the sswete porte off hes awalle] LHar78_2 to warde me] Toward me, STC_13860_19 sswete] swete STC_13860_19 porte] port STC_13860_19 off hes awalle] of his auail. STC_13860_19
15 alas] Alas, STC_13860_19 alas howe offte I im in dremes I ssee] LHar78_2 howe] how STC_13860_19 offte I im] oft STC_13860_19 dremes] dreames STC_13860_19 ssee] se STC_13860_19
16 thovs] Those STC_13860_19 thovs yees that were my ffoode ffoode] LHar78_2 yees] eyes, STC_13860_19 ffoode ffoode] food, STC_13860_19
17 wyche ssumetyme sso dellyted me] LHar78_2 wyche ssumetyme sso] Which somtime so STC_13860_19 dellyted] delited STC_13860_19 me] me, STC_13860_19
18 that] That STC_13860_19 that yet they do me good] LHar78_2 good] good. STC_13860_19
19 where with I wake with hes his retorene retourne] LHar78_2 where with] Wherwith STC_13860_19 hes his retorene] his STC_13860_19 retourne] returne, STC_13860_19
20 whoosse b abssente fflame dootht make me boren] LHar78_2 whoosse b abssente fflame dootht] Whose absent flame did STC_13860_19 boren] burne. STC_13860_19
21 bwt] But STC_13860_19 bwt whan I ffynde the lake lorde howe I mowren] LHar78_2 whan] when STC_13860_19 ffynde] find STC_13860_19 lake] lacke, STC_13860_19 lorde] Lord STC_13860_19 howe] how STC_13860_19 mowren] mourne? STC_13860_19
22 whan] When STC_13860_19 whan owther loweres en armes acrosse] LHar78_2 owther] other STC_13860_19 loweres en] louers in STC_13860_19 acrosse] acrosse, STC_13860_19
23 roIoyes] Reioyce STC_13860_19 roIoyes ther cheffe dellyet] LHar78_2 ther] their STC_13860_19 cheffe] chiefe STC_13860_19 dellyet] delight: STC_13860_19
23.5 drowenede en tereres teares to mow ren] LHar78_2 STC_13860_19
24 drowened] Drowned STC_13860_19 drowened en teares to mowren my losse] LHar78_2 en] in STC_13860_19 mowren] mourne STC_13860_19 losse] losse, STC_13860_19
25 I stande the better neyghtes] LHar78_2 stande] stand STC_13860_19 better] bitter STC_13860_19 neyghtes] night, STC_13860_19
26 in] In STC_13860_19 in my wyndowe wher I maye ssee] LHar78_2 wyndowe] window, STC_13860_19 wher] where STC_13860_19 maye] may STC_13860_19 ssee] see, STC_13860_19
27 beffore] Before STC_13860_19 beffore the wyndes howe the clowdes ffleye] LHar78_2 wyndes] windes STC_13860_19 howe] how STC_13860_19 clowdes] cloudes STC_13860_19 ffleye] flee. STC_13860_19
28 loo] Lo, STC_13860_19 loo whate amarryner lowe hays made meme] LHar78_2 whate] what STC_13860_19 amarryner] a mariner STC_13860_19 lowe] loue STC_13860_19 hays] hath STC_13860_19 meme] me. STC_13860_19
29 & en grene way wawes when the ssallte ffloode] LHar78_2 & en grene way] And in grene STC_13860_19 wawes] waues STC_13860_19 ssallte ffloode] salt flood STC_13860_19
30 dootht sswalle w by rayges off wynde] LHar78_2 Doth rise, by rage of winde: STC_13860_19
31 a thwssande ffayncssys en that moode] LHar78_2 a thwssande ffayncssys en] A thousand fansies in STC_13860_19 moode] mood STC_13860_19
32 assalles] Assayle STC_13860_19 assalles my resteles mynde] LHar78_2 resteles] restlesse STC_13860_19 mynde] mind. STC_13860_19
33 allas] Alas, STC_13860_19 allas nowe drenches my sswete ffoo] LHar78_2 nowe] now STC_13860_19 drenches] drencheth STC_13860_19 sswete] swete STC_13860_19 ffoo] fo, STC_13860_19
34 that] That STC_13860_19 that with sspoyle off my hartte harte ded goo] LHar78_2 sspoyle] the spoyle STC_13860_19 off] of STC_13860_19 hartte harte ded goo] hart did go, STC_13860_19
35 & lyfte me but allas whye ded he sso] LHar78_2 &] And STC_13860_19 lyfte] left STC_13860_19 allas] (alas) STC_13860_19 whye] why STC_13860_19 ded] did STC_13860_19 sso] so? STC_13860_19
36 & whan the ssces wax clamecalme agane] LHar78_2 &] And STC_13860_19 whan] when STC_13860_19 ssces] seas STC_13860_19 wax] waxe STC_13860_19 clamecalme agane] calme againe, STC_13860_19
37 to] To STC_13860_19 to chasse ffrom me anoye] LHar78_2 chasse] chase STC_13860_19 ffrom] fro STC_13860_19 anoye] annoye. STC_13860_19
38 my dowteffwlle hope makes me to playne] LHar78_2 My doutfull hope doth cause me plaine: STC_13860_19
39 sso] So STC_13860_19 sso drede cwtes off my Ioye] LHar78_2 drede] dreade STC_13860_19 cwtes off] cuts of STC_13860_19 Ioye] ioye. STC_13860_19
40 thus] Thus STC_13860_19 thus es my mowrtht meynglede with woo] LHar78_2 es] is STC_13860_19 mowrtht meynglede with woo] wealth mingled with wo, STC_13860_19
41 & of eyche thowet adowete dowtht growe] LHar78_2 And of ech thought a dout doth growe, STC_13860_19
42 nowe] Now, STC_13860_19 nowe he comes wylle] LHar78_2 wylle] will he come? alas, no no. STC_13860_19