The Devonshire Manuscript/my hart ys set nat to remowe

f. [65r]

1    my hart ys set nat to remowe 2    ffor wher as I lowe ffaythffully 3    I know he welnot slake hes lowe 4    nor never chang hes ffantecy

5    I hawe delyt hym ffor to plese 6    in hal hall that tovchet honesty1 7    who ffeleth greve so yt hym hes 8    plesyt doth well my ffantesy

9    and tho that I be banysht hym ffro 10    hys spek e t hes syght and compa y y 11    yet wyll I in spyt off hes ffo 12    hym lowe and kep my ffantasy

Notes & Glosses
1.   Note the different spelling of this phrase in the internal witness.

Commentary
Written in Margaret Douglas's hand, this poem remains unattributed and is unique to this manuscript. A longer version of the poem entered by Douglas appears on 58v-59r, "my hart ys set not remove". The speaker asserts that despite the adversity found in loving her beloved, nothing will change her feelings for him.

The poem may be related to the poem found immediately below, “I ame not she be prowess off syt” (64v), written in Mary Shelton's hand. The two poems have a similar rhyme scheme, meter, and sentiment. This poem sequence could present another instance of Margaret Douglas and Mary Shelton playing at one another’s texts. For other examples of this textual play, see the lyrics lamenting former happier times (e.g. "When I bethynk my wontet ways" (58r-59r)); professing steadfast love in the face of adversity (e.g. “My hart is set not to remove” (58v) and "Lo in thy hat thow hast be gone" (59r)); and the need and/or difficulty to conceal actual feelings (e.g. “I am not she be prowess off syt” (65r) and “Myght I as well within my song be lay” (65v)).

Douglas's writing increases in size over the three stanzas and many smudges appear on the page; these two features seem to appear in a number of Douglas’s transcriptions.

Texts Collated
LDev087

Collation
1     nat to] not LDev087     remowe] remove LDev087 2     lowe] love LDev087     ffaythffully] ffathfully LDev087 3     welnot] wyll not LDev087     slake] slak LDev087     hes] hys LDev087     lowe] love LDev087 4     ffantecy] ffantesy LDev087 6     in hal] yn LDev087     hall] all LDev087     tovchet] tocheth LDev087     honesty] onesty LDev087 7     who ffeleth greve] hou felyth gref LDev087     hes] ese LDev087 8     plesyt] plesyth LDev087 9     banysht] banest LDev087     ffro] fro LDev087 10     hys speket] hes spech LDev087     compayny] company LDev087 11     yet] yt LDev087     in] yn LDev087     off] of LDev087 12     lowe] love LDev087     ffantasy] fantesy LDev087 13     ] do what they wyll and do ther warst worest LDev087 14     ] ffor all they do ys wanetyvanity LDev087 15     ] ffor a sunder my hart shall borst LDev087 16     ] soworer then change my ffantesy LDev087