The Devonshire Manuscript/To cause accorde or to agree

f. [68.1r] f. [68.1v] f. [68.2r] f. [68.2v] f. [68.3r] f. [68.3v] f. [68.4r] f. [68.4v] f. [68.5r] f. [68.5v] f. [68.6r] f. [68.6v] f. [68.7r] f. [68.7v] f. [68.8r] f. [68.8v] f. [69r]

1    To cause accorde or to agree 2    two contraries yn on degre 3    and yn on point as semyth me 4    to all menns wytt it cannot bee 5    yt is ympossible

6    of heat and colde when I com {_o} plaine 7    And saye that heat doth cause my paine 8    whan colde dothe shake me everye vayne / 9    and bothe atons I saye againe 10    yt is impossible /

Twixt lif and dethe saye when wh saithe 11    That man that hath his herte awaye 12    if lyfe lyve there as men dothe saye / 13    that herteles sholde laste on daye 14    alyue and not to torne to claye 15    it ys impossible

16    Twixt lif and dethe saye what who saith 17    there lyvith no lif that drawithe brethe 18    they Ioine so nere / and eke I faithe 19    to seke for lyf bye wishe of dethe 20    it is impossible

21    yet love that al thinges {es} doth subdue 22    whose powre there maye no lif eschewe 23    hath wrought in me that I maye rewe 24    this myracles to be so trewe 25    that are impossible /s

fs

Commentary
Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H8. Rebholz notes that the poem makes a mockery of Petrarchan contraries and conceits of the heart and, amusingly, tries to apply reason to popular love conventions. TH2 adds part of line 3, “as semyth me.”

Texts Collated
LEge42

Collation
1     accorde] accord LEge42     agree] aggre LEge42 2     yn on] in oon LEge42 3     yn on point] in oon poynct LEge42     semyth] semeth LEge42 4     menns wyll] mans wit / LEge42     bee] be LEge42 5     yt] it LEge42     ympossible] impossible LEge42 6     of heat] Of hete LEge42     colde] cold LEge42     complaine] complain LEge42 7     And] and LEge42     saye] say LEge42     heat] hete LEge42     doth] doeth LEge42     paine] pain LEge42 8     whan] when LEge42     colde] cold LEge42     dothe] doeth LEge42     me] my LEge42     everye] every LEge42     vayne /] vain LEge42 9     bothe] boeth LEge42     atons] at ons LEge42     saye] say LEge42     againe] again LEge42 10     yt] it LEge42     impossible /] impossible LEge42 10.1     Twixt lif and dethe saye when wh saithe]  LEge42 11     herte] hert LEge42     awaye] away LEge42 12     lyfe] lyff LEge42     lyve] lyveth LEge42     dothe] do LEge42     saye /] say LEge42 13     hertelesHercules sholde] he hertles should LEge42     laste] last LEge42     daye] day LEge42 14     alyue] a lyve LEge42     and not] &amp; not to LEge42     torne] torn LEge42     claye] clay LEge42 15     ys] is LEge42 16     lif] lyff LEge42     dethe] deth LEge42     saye] say LEge42     saith] saeyth LEge42 17     lyvith] lyveth LEge42     lif] lyff LEge42     drawithe] draweth LEge42     brethe] breth LEge42 18     theyr] they LEge42     Ioine] Ioyne LEge42     / and eke] &amp; eke  LEge42     faithe] feith LEge42 19     lyf bye] liff by LEge42     wishe] wissh LEge42     dethe] deth LEge42 21     yet] Yet LEge42     al] all LEge42     thinges] thing LEge42     doth] doeth LEge42 22     powre] power LEge42     there] ther LEge42     maye] may LEge42     lif] liff LEge42     eschewe] eschew LEge42 23     maye] may LEge42     rewe] rew LEge42 24     this] these LEge42     myracles] miracles LEge42     trewe] true LEge42 25     impossible /] impossible LEge42