The Devonshire Manuscript/Greting to you bothe yn hertye wyse

f. [79r]

1    Greting to you bothe yn hertye wyse 2    as vnknowen I sende and this mye entente 3    as I do here / you to aduertyse 4    {es} {p+} lest that perchaunce yor deades you do repente 5    {es} {_a} the vnknowen mann dredes not to be shente 6    but sayes as he thinkes {es}. so fares yt bye me 7    that nother ffere nor hope in no degree

8    The bodye and the sowle to holde to giddre 9    yt is but right and reson well the same 10    and ffryndelie the on to love the other 11    yt incresith yor brute and also yor fame / 12    but marke well my wordes {es} for I fere no blame 13    truste well yor selves but ware ye trust no mo. 14    for suche as ye think yor frinde maye fortune be yor ffie

15    beware hardelye are ye have anye nede 16    {_o} {es} and to frindes reconsilide trust not greatelye 17    ffor theye that ons with {w+t+} hastie spede 18    {_o} {_e} exilid themselvis out of yor companye 19    though thye torne againe and speke swetelye 20    {es} {_e} fayning themselvis to be yor frindes faste 21    beware of them {_e} for theye will disscyeve you at laste

22    fayre woodes {es} words makis ffoolys fayne 23    and bering in hande causithe moche woo 24    for tyme tryeth trothe therefore refrayne 25    and from {_o} suche as be redye to doo 26    none doo I name but this I kno 27    that bye this faute cause causith moche 28    therefore beware if yo do kno anye suche

29    {_a} {es} {es} To wise folkes fewe wordes is ann old saying 30    therefore at this tyme I will write nomore 31    but this short lesson take fore a warnin {_i} ge 32    bye soche light frindes {es} sett littill store 33    yf ye do othere wise ye will repent yt sore 34    and thus of this lettre making an ende 35    to the boddye and the sowle I me com {_o} mende

f. [79v]

36    wrytin lyfles at the manner {n'} place 37    of him that hathe no chabre nore no were doth dwell 38    {_i} {_a} but wandering in the wilde worlde wanting that he hast 39    and nother hopis nor ffearis heven nor hell. 40    but lyvith at adventure ye kno him full well 41    the twentie daye of mar {m'} che he wrote yt yn his house 42    and hathe him recom {_o} mendyd to the kat and the mowse /

fs

Commentary
Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H8. Rebholz notes that this epistle addresses the human body and soul, and in fact the speaker may be a ghost warning lovers to beware of false friends. Numerous examples of the false-friend theme appear in the manuscript: “Pacyence of all my smart” (21r) discusses a friend-turned-foe theme; “What nedythe lyff when I requyer” (43r-44r) depicts friends and lovers becoming enemies; and “My nowne Iohn poyntz,” (85v-87r) describes the narrator who feels he must isolate himself in the country (away from the deceitful court).