The Devonshire Manuscript/Suffryng in sorow in hope to attayn

f. [6v]

1    Suffryng in sorow in hope to attayn 2    fforget thys   desyryng in fere &amp; dare not com {_o} playn 3    trew of beleffe in whome ys all my trust 4    do thow apply to ease me off my payn 5    els thus to ser {{s}8} ve &amp; suffer styll I must

6    yt ysworhyHope ys my hold / yet in dyspayre to speke 7    I dryve from tyme to tyme &amp; dothe not Reke 8    how long to lyve thus after loves lust 9    in studye styll of that I dare not breke 10    wherfore to ser {{s}8} ve &amp; suffer styll I must

11    Encrease of care I fynd bothe day &amp; nyght 12    I hate that was sum {_u} tyme all my delyght 13    the cawse theroff ye know I have dyscust 14    &amp; yet to Reffrayn yt passythe my myght 15    wherfore to ser {{s}8} ve &amp; suffer styll I must

16    Love who so lyst at lengthe he shall well say 17    to love &amp; lyve in fere yt ys no play 18    Record that knowythe &amp; yf thys be not Iust 19    that where as love dothe lede there ys no way 20    But ser {{s}8} ve &amp; suffer euer styll he must

f. [7r]

21    Then for to leve with {w+t+} losse of lybertye 22    at last per {p+} chawnce shall be hys remedye 23    &amp; for hys trewthe requit with {w+t+} fals mystrust 24    who wold not rew to se how wrongfullye 25    thus for to ser {{s}8} ve &amp; suffer styll he must

26    Vntrew be trust oftymes hathe me betrayd 27    mysvsyng my hope styll to be delayd 28    fortune allways I have the {{th}+e+} fownd vnIust 29    &amp; so with {w+t+} lyke rewarde now am I payd 30    that ys to ser {{s}8} ve &amp; suffer styll I must

31    Neuer {u'} to cesse nor yet lyke to attayn 32    as long as I in fere dare not complayn 33    trew of beleff hathe allways ben my trust 34    &amp; tyll she knowythye the cawse of all my payn 35    content to ser {{s}8} ve &amp; suffer styll I must on [] sarwes ondesyard sarwes reqwer no hyar May Mary Shelton

ffynys

Commentary
Scholars have attributed two possible authors to the poem "Suffryng in sorow in hope to attayn." In 1922, Eleanor Prescott Hammond attributed the poem to Sir Thomas Wyatt, noting evidence of his "literary 'gallantry.'". In the same vein, R.A. Rebholz has attributed the poem to Sir Thomas Wyatt and has included it in his edition of Wyatt's works. This poem has also been attributed to Thomas Clere, who was Mary Shelton’s admirer in the 1540s.

The poem appears on the page as an acrostic entered by H2 on 6v and 7r. The first letter of every stanza, taken together, forms the name "SHELTVN." A response appears at the bottom of the page, which Siemens et al. have attributed to Mary Shelton's hand: “ondesyred sarwes / reqwer no hyar / may mary shelton" [undesired service / requires no hire] (7r). While the poem includes all the elements of a standard complaint of a lover to his love, this unsympathetic response, coupled with the marginalia "fforget thys," recognized as Margaret Douglas' hand, indicates an active reading and engagement with the poem. Indeed, Shelton replies to Douglas' response with "yt ys worthy [sic]," thereby arguing in favour of the poem's literary merits. Elizabeth Heale argues that Shelton's original dismissive response could simply be part of "the conventional exchange of courtly verse."

Texts Collated
DBLa18

Collation
1      sorow] sorrowe DBla18     attayn] attayne DBla18 2      desyryng] Desyring DBla18     fere &amp;] ffeare I DBla18     dare] dar DBla18     complayn] complayne DBla18 3      trew] trowe DBla18     of] in DBla18     beleffe] belyefe DBla18 4      thow] thou DBla18     apply] aplye DBla18     off] of DBla18     payn] payne DBla18 5      els] for elys DBla18     thus]  DBla18     serve] serue DBla18     &amp; suffer] and ssuffyr DBla18 6      Hope] Hoppe DBla18     /]  DBla18     to] I DBla18     speke] speake DBla18 7      from] ffrom DBla18     to tyme]  DBla18     dothe] do DBla18     Reke] recke DBla18 8      lyve] love DBla18     loves] louys DBla18 9      studye] stody DBla18     dare] dar DBla18     breke] brake DBla18 10      wherfore] wherffore DBla18     serve] serue DBla18     &amp;] and DBla18     suffer] suffyr DBla18 11      Encrease] Increas DBla18     fynd] ffynd DBla18     &amp;] and DBla18 12      hate] hat DBla18     was]  DBla18     sumtyme] sometyme DBla18     all] was DBla18     delyght] most delyght DBla18 13      cawse] cause DBla18     theroff] therof DBla18     have] haue DBla18     dyscust] dyscost DBla18 14      &amp;] and DBla18     Reffrayn] reffrayne DBla18 15      wherfore] Wherfor DBla18     serve] serue DBla18     &amp;] and DBla18 16      lengthe] lenthe DBla18     say] saye DBla18 17      &amp;] and DBla18     lyve] leve DBla18     fere] feare DBla18     play] playe DBla18 18      Record] record DBla18     knowythe] knowith DBla18     &amp;]  DBla18     thys] this DBla18     not] notyd DBla18 19      where] wher DBla18     way] nay DBla18 20      But] but DBla18     serve] serue DBla18     &amp;] and DBla18     euer styll he] styll allwaye I DBla18 21      for] ffor DBla18     leve] lyve DBla18 22      perchawnce] perchaunce DBla18     shall be] shalbe DBla18     hys] his DBla18 23      &amp; for hys trewthe] and ffor his truthe DBla18     requit] qud DBla18     fals] ffals DBla18     mystrust] mistrust DBla18 24      to] t DBla18     how] when DBla18     wrongfullye] wrongffullye DBla18 25      for]  DBla18     serve] serue DBla18     &amp;] and DBla18     he] I DBla18 26      Vntrew be trust] Vntruthe by trust DBla18     oftymes] oft tymes DBla18     betrayd] betrayed DBla18 27      mysvsyng] misvsyng DBla18     hope] hoppe DBla18     delayd] delayed DBla18 28      allways] allway DBla18     have] haue DBla18     vn Iust] vniost DBla18 29      lyke] lyk DBla18     rewarde] reward DBla18     am I] hast thou me DBla18     payd] payed DBla18 30      serve] serue DBla18     suffer] suffyr DBla18 31      Neuer to cesse nor yet lyke to attayn]  DBla18 32      as long as I in fere dare not complayn]  DBla18 33      trew of beleff hathe allways ben my trust]  DBla18 34      &amp; tyll she knowythye the cawse of all my payn]  DBla18 35      content to serve &amp; suffer styll I must]  DBla18