The Devonshire Manuscript/to my meshap alas I ffynd

←as ffor my part I know no thyng

how shold I→

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 42r

The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 42v

f. [42r] 

In the name of god amen¹

1    to my meshap alas I ffynd
2    that happy hap ys dangerus
3    and ffortun workes but her kynd
4    to make the Ioyffull dolorus
5    but all to lat yt coms in mynd
6    to wayll the want wych made me blynd
7    so offten warnd

8    ameds my merth and plesennes
9    seche chance ys chancyt sudenly
10    that in despayr to hawe redrese
11    I ffynd my cheffest remedy
12    No n new ev kynd off onhappynes
13    shold thys a lefft me comfforles
14    so offten warnd

15    Who cold hawe thowght that my request
16    shod hawe broght fforth sech beter ffrut
17    but now ys hapt that I fferd lest
18    and all thys greff comes be my suet
19    ffor wher I thoght me happyest
20    even ther I ffownd my cheffest onrest
21    so offten warnd

f. [42v] 

22    in beter case was never non
23    and ye vnwarest thys am I trapt
24    my cheff desyer doth cas me mon
25    and to my payn my whelt ys hapt
26    was never man but I alone
27    that had sech hap to wayll and grown
28    so offten warnd

29    thys am I th [] awght ffor to bewere
30    and not to trust sech plesend chance
31    my happy hap has bred thes h care
32    and tovrned my merth to gret meschance
33    ther ys no man that hap wyll spar
34    but when she lest owr welth ys bare
35    thys am I warnd

ffynys

Notes & Glosses

     1. The annotation does not seem associated with the subject of the poem below, which is the familiar trope of "I trusted and was betrayed." Rather, the annotation seems more like some form of closure on a matter.

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by Margaret Douglas. Employing familiar courtly love tropes, the poem explores the themes of love, betrayal, and fickle fortune.

The first letters of each stanza create an anagram of Wyatt's name: "T A W I T." Hyder E. Rollins, a modern editor of Tottel's Miscellany, suggests that the anagram indicates that another poet composed the poem as a tribute to Wyatt rather than providing evidence of Wyatt's authorship. The poem also appears in Tottel's Miscellany as “When aduersitie is once fallen, it is to late to beware” (item 225).

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

DBLa20, NYP01, STC13860_31

Collation

1 to] To DBla20 NYP01 TO STC_13860_31 meshap] myshap DBla20 mishappe NYP01 mishap STC_13860_31 ffynd] fynde DBla20 NYP01 STC_13860_31
2 that] That STC_13860_31 hap] happe NYP01 ys dangerus] is daungerous: STC_13860_31 dangerus] dawngerow NYP01
3 and] And NYP01 STC_13860_31 and ffortun workes] & fortune workyth DBla20 ffortun] ffortune NYP01 fortune STC_13860_31 workes] workythe NYP01 worketh STC_13860_31 kynd] kynde NYP01
4 to] to DBla20 To STC_13860_31 Ioyffull] Ioyfull DBla20 NYP01 ioyfull STC_13860_31 dolorus] Dolorow NYP01 dolorous. STC_13860_31
5 but] But STC_13860_31 but all to lat yt coms in mynd] NYP01 lat] late STC_13860_31 yt] it STC_13860_31 yt coms in] hyt cumes In DBla20 coms] comes STC_13860_31 in mynd] to minde, STC_13860_31
6 to wayll the want wych made me blynd] NYP01 to wayll] To waile STC_13860_31 wayll] wayle DBla20 wych] that DBla20 wych made me blynd] that makes me blinde, STC_13860_31 blynd] blynde DBla20
7 so offten warnd] NYP01 STC_13860_31 offten] often DBla20 warnd] waryd DBla20
8 ameds] amydes DBla20 Amid STC_13860_31 ameds my merth and plesennes] NYP01 merth] myrth DBla20 mirth STC_13860_31 and] & DBla20 plesennes] plesantnes DBla20 pleasantnesse, STC_13860_31
9 seche] such DBla20 Such STC_13860_31 seche chance ys chancyt sudenly] NYP01 chance] chaunce STC_13860_31 ys chancyt sudenly] is chaunced sodainly, STC_13860_31 chancyt] chansyd DBla20 sudenly] sodenly DBla20
10 that] That STC_13860_31 that in despayr to hawe redrese] NYP01 in despayr] In dyspere DBla20 despayr to hawe redrese] dispaire without redresse, STC_13860_31 hawe] haue DBla20 redrese] redres DBla20
11 I ffynd my cheffest remedy] NYP01 ffynd] fynd DBla20 finde STC_13860_31 cheffest] chefyst DBla20 chiefest STC_13860_31 remedy] remedy. STC_13860_31
12 No nevw] no new DBla20 No nevw kynd off onhappynes] NYP01 nevw kynd off onhappynes] new kinde of vnhappinesse, STC_13860_31 onhappynes] vnhappynes DBla20
13 shold] shuld DBla20 Should STC_13860_31 shold thys a lefft me comfforles] NYP01 thys] thus DBla20 STC_13860_31 a] haue DBla20 STC_13860_31 lefft] left DBla20 STC_13860_31 comfforles] comfortles DBla20 comfortlesse. STC_13860_31
14 so offten warnd] NYP01 STC_13860_31 offten] often DBla20 warnd] wa DBla20
15.22 Who cold hawe thowght that my request] NYP01 cold] wold DBla20 STC_13860_31 hawe] haue DBla20 STC_13860_31 thowght] thought STC_13860_31 request] request, STC_13860_31
16.23 shod hawe broght] shuld bryng me DBla20 Should bring me STC_13860_31 shod hawe broght fforth sech beter ffrut] NYP01 fforth] forth DBla20 STC_13860_31 sech] such DBla20 STC_13860_31 beter] bytter DBla20 bitter STC_13860_31 ffrut] frute DBla20 frute: STC_13860_31
17.24 but] But STC_13860_31 but now ys hapt that I fferd lest] NYP01 ys] is STC_13860_31 fferd] ferd DBla20 feard STC_13860_31 lest] lest, STC_13860_31
18.25 and] & DBla20 And STC_13860_31 and all thys greff comes be my suet] NYP01 thys] this STC_13860_31 greff] harm DBla20 harme STC_13860_31 comes] cumes DBla20 be] by DBla20 STC_13860_31 suet] svte DBla20 sute, STC_13860_31
19.26 ffor] for DBla20 For STC_13860_31 ffor wher I thoght me happyest] NYP01 wher] when DBla20 STC_13860_31 thoght] thowgh DBla20 thought STC_13860_31 happyest] happiest, STC_13860_31
20.27 even] evyn DBla20 Euen STC_13860_31 even ther I ffownd my cheffest onrest] NYP01 ther] then DBla20 STC_13860_31 I ffownd my cheffest] hapt all my chefe DBla20 I ffownd my cheffest onrest] hapt all my chiefe vnrest. STC_13860_31 onrest] vnrest DBla20
21.28 so offten warnd] NYP01 STC_13860_31 offten] oftyn DBla20 warnd] waryd DBla20
22.15 in] In DBla20 In STC_13860_31 in beter case was never non] NYP01 beter] better DBla20 STC_13860_31 never] neuer STC_13860_31 non] none DBla20 STC_13860_31
23.16 and ye vnwarestd] & yet vnwares DBla20 And yet vnwares STC_13860_31 and ye vnwarestd thys am I trapt] NYP01 thys] thus DBla20 STC_13860_31 trapt] trappt DBla20 trapt, STC_13860_31
24.17 my cheff desyer doth cas me mon] NYP01 my cheff desyer] My chiefe desire STC_13860_31 cheff] chefe DBla20 cas] cause DBla20 STC_13860_31 mon] mon DBla20 mone, STC_13860_31
25.18 and] And STC_13860_31 and to my payn] & to my harm DBla20 and to my payn my whelt ys hapt] NYP01 payn] harme STC_13860_31 whelt] welth DBla20 STC_13860_31 ys] is STC_13860_31 hapt] hapt, STC_13860_31
26.19 was never] ther ys no DBla20 There is no STC_13860_31 was never man but I alone] NYP01 alone] alone, STC_13860_31
27.20 that] That STC_13860_31 that had sech hap to wayll and grown] NYP01 had] hath DBla20 STC_13860_31 sech] such DBla20 STC_13860_31 hap] cause DBla20 STC_13860_31 wayll] sigh STC_13860_31 wayll and grown] sygh & mone DBla20 grown] mone. STC_13860_31
28.21 so offten warnd] NYP01 STC_13860_31 offten warnd] oftyn w DBla20
29 thys] thus DBla20 Thus STC_13860_31 thys am I thawght ffor to bewere] NYP01 thawght] tawght DBla20 taught STC_13860_31 ffor] for DBla20 STC_13860_31 bewere] beware DBla20 STC_13860_31
30 and not to trust sech] & trust no more such all DBla20 and not to trust sech plesend chance] NYP01 And trust no more such pleasant chance, STC_13860_31 plesend] plesant DBla20
31 my] My STC_13860_31 my happy hap has bred thes h care] NYP01 hap has bred thes h care] happe bred me this care, STC_13860_31 has] hath DBla20 thes h] thys DBla20
32 and tovrned] & browght DBla20 And brought STC_13860_31 and tovrned my merth to gret meschance] NYP01 merth] myrth DBla20 mirth STC_13860_31 gret] grete DBla20 great STC_13860_31 meschance] yschance DBla20 mischance. STC_13860_31
33 ther ys no man that hap wyll spar] NYP01 ther ys] There is STC_13860_31 that hap] whom happe STC_13860_31 wyll] vyll DBla20 will STC_13860_31 spar] spare DBla20 spare, STC_13860_31
34 but] But STC_13860_31 but when she lest owr welth ys bare] NYP01 she] she DBla20 lest] lyst DBla20 list STC_13860_31 owr] hys DBla20 his STC_13860_31 ys] is STC_13860_31 bare] bare. STC_13860_31
35 thys] thus DBla20 thys am I warnd] NYP01 STC_13860_31 warnd] waryd DBla20