The Devonshire Manuscript/Pacyence of all my smart

f. [21r]

1    #3 Pacyence of all my smart 2    ffor fortune ys tornyd awry 3    pacyence must ese my hart 4    that mornes {es} contynually 5    pacyence to suffer Wrong 6    ys a pacyence to long

7    pacyence to have A nay 8    of that {{th}+t+} I most Desyre 9    pacyence to haue allway 10    &amp; euer {u'} burne lyke fyre 11    pacyence with {w+t+} owt Desart 12    ys grownder of my smart

13    Who can with {w+t+} mery hart 14    set forthe sum plesant song 15    that Allways felys but smart 16    and neuer {u'} hathe but wrong 17    yet pacyence euermore 18    must hele the wownd &amp; sore

19    pacyence to be content 20    {es} {w+t+} withith froward fortunes trayn 21    pacyence to the intent 22    ssumwhat to slake my payn 23    I se no Remedy 24    But suffer pacyently

25    To playn wher ys none ere 26    my chawnce ys chawnsyd so 27    ffor yt dothe well apere 28    my frend ys tornyd my foo 29    But syns there ys no defence 30    I must take pacyence

Commentary
Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H2. The poem describes the speaker's suffering due to a friend-turned-foe and his or her enduring patience. The poems “What nedythe lyff when I requyer” (43r-44r) and “Greting to you bothe yn hertye wyse” (79r-79v) depict similar themes: the former recounts how lovers become enemies while the latter includes a warning about false friends.

Rebholz notes that this poem may belong to a group of Wyatt's poems inspired by Serafino's Canzona de la Patientia. Lines 1-2 of "Pacyence of all my smart" translate the first two lines of Serafino's poem.