The Devonshire Manuscript/Cruell desire my master and my foo

f. [73r]

1    Cruell desire my master {m+r+} 1 &amp; my foo. 2    {{th}+u+} {_u} thy self so chaungid for shame how maist thousee 3    that {{th}+t+} I have sought dothe chase me to &amp; froo 4    {{th}+u+} {_o} whomthou didist rule / nowe rulith the &amp; me 5    What right is to rule thy subiectes {es} soo. 6    and to be ruled bye mutabilitye 7    lo wherebye the / I doubtid to have blame 8    even now bye dred againe I doubte the {{th}+e+} same /

fs

Notes & Glosses
1.   The abbreviation is highly stylized. Part of the m is uninked. See also a slightly different version on line 5 of "She sat and sewid that hathe done me the wronge" (73r). For the abbreviation, see Cappelli.

Commentary
Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt by R. A. Rebholz under the alternate title “Desire, alas, my master, and my foe,” this poem was entered by H8. The poem also appears in Tottel's Miscellany, entitled “The louer blameth his instant desire” (item 112). R. A. Rebholz observes that Wyatt's poem in the Devonshire Manuscript might be an earlier version, and, if so, we can identify two stages of the poem's composition. In the poem, Wyatt describes Desire as a tyrannical ruler: “What right is to rule thy subiectes soo/ and to be ruled bye mutabilitye” (5-6). This description may be interpreted topically with regards to the rule of Henry VIII; the personification of Desire as a tyrannical monarch is not unusual in the early Tudor period, however. H8 enters two other poems that personify Desire: "Greting to you both yn herte wyse" (79r) and “My nowne Iohn poyntz,” (85v-87r).

Texts Collated
STC13860_04, LEge07

Collation
1     Cruell desire] Desire alas LEge07 DEsire (alas) STC_13860_04     master] master, STC_13860_04     &amp;] and STC_13860_04     foo.] foo / LEge07 fo: STC_13860_04 2     thy self so chaungid for shame] so sore alterd thi sellff LEge07 So sore altred thy self STC_13860_04     maist] mayst LEge07 STC_13860_04     see] se? LEge07 see? STC_13860_04 3     that I have sought dothe chase] whome thousome tyme I did sekesowght /  chaseththat dryvys LEge07 Sometime thou sekest, that drieues STC_13860_04     &amp;] and STC_13860_04     froo] fro LEge07 STC_13860_04 4     whom thou didist rule / nowe rulith] whomesome tyme thow didst ule / ow lyththat ledythe LEge07 Sometime, thou leadst, that leadeth STC_13860_04     the &amp;] thee, and STC_13860_04     me] me. LEge07 STC_13860_04 5     What right] tyranie itwhat reson LEge07     right] reason STC_13860_04     rule] rewle LEge07     soo.] so? LEge07 STC_13860_04 6     and to be ruled bye] by forcyd law &amp; LEge07     and to be ruled bye mutabilitye] By forced law, and mutabilitie. STC_13860_04    mutabilitye] mutabilite LEge07 7     lo] for LEge07 For STC_13860_04     wherebye] where by LEge07 STC_13860_04     the /] the LEge07 thee STC_13860_04     doubtid] dowtyd LEge07 douted STC_13860_04     have] haue STC_13860_04     blame] blame: STC_13860_04 8     even] evyn LEge07 Euen STC_13860_04     bye dred] by hate LEge07 STC_13860_04     againe] agayne LEge07 again STC_13860_04     doubte] dowt LEge07     doubte the same /] dout thesamethe same. STC_13860_04    same /] same. LEge07