The Devonshire Manuscript/What deth ys worse then thys /

f. [39r] f. [39v]

1    What deth ys worse then thys / 2    when my delyght // 3    my wordly Ioy my blysse / 4    ys from my syght / 5    both day and nyght / 6    my lyff alas I mys /

7    For tho I seme A lyve / 8    my hert ys hens / 9    thus botles for to stryve / 10    owt off presens / 11    off my defens / 12    toward my deth I dryve /

13    Hertles Alas what man / 14    may longe endure / 15    Alas how lyve I than / 16    syns no recure / 17    may me Assure / 18    my lyff I may wele ban /

19    Thys doth my torment groo 20    in dedly dreede 21    Alas who myght lyve so / 22    Alyve As deed 23    A lyffe to leed 24    A deedly lyffe in woo /

Commentary
Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H4. The speaker laments the fact that he is more dead than alive because his beloved is far from his sight. H8 also enters this poem as "What dethe is worsse then this" (74r).

H4 uses large capital letters to initiate each stanza and does not put a space between stanzas. For another example of the scribe's use of capitalization for stanzaic divisions, see "Tho I can not yowr cruelte constrayne" (37r).

Texts Collated
LDev138, LEge45

Collation
1     deth] dethe LDev138     ys] is LDev138 LEge45     worse] worsse LDev138     thys /] this LDev138 LEge45 2     delyght //] delight LDev138 LEge45 3     wordly] wordelyeworldly LDev138 wordlywele my LEge45     Ioy] Ioye LDev138 LEge45     my blysse /] and blise LDev138 &amp; my blys LEge45 4     ys] is LDev138 LEge45     syght /] sight LDev138 LEge45 5     both] boeth LEge45     day] daye LDev138 LEge45     and] &amp; LEge45     nyght /] night LDev138 nyght LEge45 6     lyff] lif LDev138 liff LEge45     mys /] mis LDev138 mys LEge45 7     For] for LDev138 ffor LEge45     tho] though LEge45     A lyve /] alyve LDev138 LEge45 8     hert] herte LDev138     ys] is LDev138 LEge45     hens /] hens LDev138 LEge45 9     botles] booteles LDev138     stryve /] striue LDev138 stryve LEge45 10     owt] out LDev138 oute LEge45     off] of LDev138 LEge45     presens /] presens LDev138 LEge45 11     off] of LDev138 LEge45     defens /] defens LDev138 LEge45 12     toward] towardes LDev138 towerd LEge45     deth] dethe LDev138     dryve /] dryve LDev138 LEge45 13     Hertles] harteles LDev138     Alas] alas LDev138 LEge45     man /] man LDev138 LEge45 14     may] maye LDev138     longe] long LDev138 LEge45     endure /] endure LDev138 LEge45 15     Alas] alas LDev138     than /] than LDev138 then LEge45 16     syns] sins LDev138     recure /] recure LDev138 LEge45 17     may] maye LDev138     Assure /] assure LDev138 LEge45 18     lyff] lif LDev138 liff LEge45     may] maye LDev138     wele] well LDev138 LEge45     ban /] banne LDev138 ban LEge45 19     Thys] Thus LDev138 LEge45     doth] doeth LEge45     groo] gro. LDev138 LEge45 20     in dedly] yn dedelye LDev138     dreede] drede LDev138 dred LEge45 21     Alas] alas LDev138 LEge45     myght] might LDev138     so /] so. LDev138 so LEge45 22     Alyve] alyve LDev138 LEge45     As] as LDev138 LEge45     deed] ded LDev138 23     A lyffe] alif LDev138 alyve LEge45     leed] leade LDev138 lede LEge45 24     A] a LDev138 LEge45     deedly] dedelye LDev138 dedly LEge45     lyffe] liff LDev138 lyff LEge45     woo /] woo LDev138 LEge45