The Devonshire Manuscript/My mothers maides . when they dyd sow or spin

f. [87v]

1    My mothers maides {es}. when they dyd sow or spin 2    they sang sumtyme A sonng of the filde {d,} mowsse 3    that {{th}+t+} for be cawsse her lyvelode was but thyn

4    wolld nydes {es} goo sike. her townisshe sisters howsse 5    SShe thowgt her sellf enduryd to myche paine 6    the stormy blastes {es} her cave so sore dyd sowse

7    {{th}+e+} {w+t+} {_y} that when the forows swymmyd withthe Raine 8    she must ly colld / and wett in sorye plyght 9    ande warsse then that / bare mete ther dyd remayne

10    Too comfort her / when she her howsse had dight 11    sumtyme A barly corne sumtyme A bene 12    for wiche she labord hard both day &amp; night

13    In herfyst tyme whylst she might goo &amp; glene 14    {{th}+e+} {w+t+} ande when her store was stroyd withthe flood 15    then welleawaye for she vndun was clene

16    Then was she faine to take in stide of fode 17    slype yf she myght her hungar to begille 18    my sisstar she hathe A lyving good

19    And

Commentary
Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H8. This excerpt includes the first nineteen lines of a 112-line poem that adapts, and distinctly departs from in terms of style and content, the Aesopian fable of the country mouse and the city mouse. The complete poem appears in Tottel's Miscellany under the title “Of the meane and sure estate written to Iohn Poins” (item 124).

H8 marks no stanzaic divisions and leaves the poem unfinished with “and” on the nineteenth line.

Texts Collated
STC13860_15, LEge23, AAH08

Collation
1     My] MY STC_13860_15     maides .] maydes AAH08 LEge23 maides STC_13860_15     dyd] did LEge23 do STC_13860_15     dyd sow or spin] do Sowe and Spinne AAH08     sow] sowe LEge23 STC_13860_15     or] &amp; LEge23     or spin] and spinne: STC_13860_15     spin] spyn LEge23 2     they] They AAH08 STC_13860_15     sang] sing AAH08 STC_13860_15     sumtyme] sometyme LEge23     sumtyme A sonng] a songe made AAH08 a song made STC_13860_15     A] a LEge23     sonng] song LEge23     filde] fieldishe AAH08 feld LEge23     filde mowsse] feldishe mouse: STC_13860_15     mowsse] mowse AAH08 LEge23 3     that] That STC_13860_15     for be cawsse] forbicause LEge23 STC_13860_15     be cawsse] because AAH08     lyvelode] lyvelood LEge23 liuelod STC_13860_15     was] but AAH08     thyn] thynne AAH08 thinne, STC_13860_15 4     wolld] woulde AAH08 Would LEge23 STC_13860_15     nydes] nedes AAH08 LEge23 STC_13860_15     goo sike .] go se AAH08 STC_13860_15     sike .] seke LEge23     townisshe] Townishe AAH08 townyssh LEge23 townish STC_13860_15     sisters] systers LEge23     howsse] howse AAH08 LEge23 house, STC_13860_15 5     SShe] She STC_13860_15     SShe thowgt] she thought, AAH08 the thought LEge23     thowgt] thought, STC_13860_15     sellf] self AAH08 LEge23 selfe STC_13860_15     enduryd] endured AAH08 LEge23 STC_13860_15     myche] greevous AAH08 much LEge23 greuous STC_13860_15     paine] payne AAH08 pain LEge23 paine, STC_13860_15 6     the] The STC_13860_15     stormy] stormye AAH08     cave] Cave AAH08 caue STC_13860_15     dyd] did AAH08 LEge23 STC_13860_15     sowse] sowse: STC_13860_15 7     that] That AAH08 LEge23 STC_13860_15     forows] furrowes AAH08 STC_13860_15 forowse LEge23     swymmyd] swimmed AAH08 STC_13860_15 swymmed LEge23     Raine] rayne AAH08 rain LEge23 rayne: STC_13860_15 8     she must ly colld /] She'must lie colde, STC_13860_15     ly] lye AAH08 LEge23     colld /] colde AAH08 cold LEge23     and wett] &amp; whete LEge23     wett] weett AAH08 wet STC_13860_15     sorye] sorrye AAH08 sorry LEge23 sory STC_13860_15     plyght] plight AAH08 LEge23 plight. STC_13860_15 9     ande] And AAH08 and LEge23     ande warsse] And worse STC_13860_15     warsse] wursse AAH08 wours LEge23     that /] that AAH08 that, STC_13860_15     mete] meet LEge23 meat STC_13860_15     mete ther] meat theare AAH08     ther] there LEge23 STC_13860_15     dyd] did STC_13860_15     dyd remayne] did remain LEge23     remayne] remaine STC_13860_15 10     Too] To AAH08 LEge23 STC_13860_15     her /] her, AAH08 STC_13860_15 her LEge23     howsse] house AAH08 STC_13860_15 howse LEge23     dight] dight: STC_13860_15 11     sumtyme] Somtyme AAH08 sometyme LEge23     sumtyme A] Sometime a STC_13860_15     A] a AAH08 LEge23     barly] barley AAH08     corne] Corne / AAH08 corn : LEge23 corne: STC_13860_15     sumtyme] somtyme AAH08 sometyme LEge23     sumtyme A bene] sometime a beane: STC_13860_15     A] a AAH08 LEge23     bene] beane AAH08 12     for] ffor AAH08     for wiche] For which STC_13860_15     wiche] whiche AAH08 which LEge23     labord] laboured AAH08 LEge23 STC_13860_15     both] bothe AAH08 boeth LEge23     day] daye LEge23     &amp;] and AAH08     &amp; night] and night, STC_13860_15     night] nyght LEge23 13     herfyst] harvest AAH08 LEge23 haruest STC_13860_15     tyme] tyme, STC_13860_15     whylst] when AAH08 whilest LEge23 while STC_13860_15     might] myght LEge23     goo &amp;] goe and AAH08     goo &amp; glene] go and gleane. STC_13860_15    glene] gleane AAH08 glyne LEge23 14     ande] And AAH08 STC_13860_15 and LEge23     when] wher LEge23     her]  LEge23     store] stoore LEge23     stroyd] stroyed AAH08 LEge23 STC_13860_15     flood] flodd LEge23 floode: STC_13860_15 15     then] Then AAH08 STC_13860_15     welleawaye] well away for AAH08 well awaye LEge23 weleaway STC_13860_15     for]  AAH08     vndun] vndone AAH08 LEge23 STC_13860_15     clene] cleane AAH08 cleane. STC_13860_15 16     faine] fayne AAH08 LEge23     stide] steede AAH08 stede LEge23 STC_13860_15     fode] foode AAH08 fode, STC_13860_15 17     slype] Slepe AAH08 slepe LEge23     slype yf] Slepe if STC_13860_15     yf] if LEge23     she] shee AAH08     myght] cowlde AAH08 might, STC_13860_15     hungar] honger AAH08 STC_13860_15 hounger LEge23     begille] beguyle AAH08 begile LEge23 begyle. STC_13860_15 18     my sisstar] My sister (quod AAH08 STC_13860_15     sisstar she hathe A] syster  she / hath a LEge23     she] she) AAH08 STC_13860_15     hathe] hath AAH08 STC_13860_15     A] a AAH08     A lyving good] a liuyng good: STC_13860_15 19     And] And hence from me she dwelleth not a myle AAH08 And hence from me she dwelleth not a myle. STC_13860_15