The Devonshire Manuscript/my ywtheffol days ar past

f. [68r]

1    my ywtheffol days ar past 2    my plesant erese ar gon 3    my lyffe yt dothe bot wast 4    my grawe and I hame wan 5    my morthe and al is flad 6    and I hame won yn woo 7    desyar to be dede / 8    my mescheffe to for goo

9    I born and ame acold 10    I ffresse amades the ffyar 11    I se the do with {w+t+} hold that 12    that most I do desyar 13    I se my helpe at hand 14    I se my dethe also 15    I se wer the dothe stond 16    I se my ffryndly ffoo

f. [68v]

17    I se the know my hart 18    and how I kannot stan stain 19    I se the se me smart 20    and how I leff yn pane 21    I se how the dothe se 22    and yet the wel be blynd 23    I se yn helpeyng me 24    the se and wel not ffynd

I se wan I comby by   I haw the dothe wry 25    I se haw the do wry 26    wan I begen to mon 27    I se wan I comby 28    how ffane the wold b [] gan 29    I se wat wold yow mar the weld me gladly wold yow Kel 30    the wold me gladly kel 31    and yow shal se therffar 32    that the shal hawe ther wel

33    I kan not leffe with {w+t+} stans 34    yt hes to hard a ffawde 35    I wol be ded at tans at once 36    yff yt myt do them good 37    the shal hawe ther rqwest 38    and I must hawe my nend 39    lo her my blody brest to ples t 40    to ples the with {w+t+} unkynd

W1

Notes & Glosses
1.   This initial may refer to  Sir Thomas Wyatt. The initial could also be an m, and if so may refer to Mary Shelton.

Commentary
Written in Mary Shelton's hand, this poem remains unattributed. The poem is an adaptation of “The louer refused of his loue imbraceth death,” a poem which appears in Tottel's Miscellany as item 207. A letter that resembles a "w" follows the poem, but scholars have not attributed this poem to Sir Thomas Wyatt. The initial can also be interpreted as an “m,” which may be an indication that the poem was authored by Mary Shelton.

An annotation, possibly entered by H7, appears at the top of the page and reads, “Madame margeret / et madame de Richemont” (68r). Annotations can reveal a great deal about gender identity, Renaissance practice, and courtly reality. This particular annotation seems to reflect the solidarity existing between erstwhile sisters-in-law Mary Howard and Margaret Douglas and may suggest a certain “experimentation” with personal identity. While the annotation identifies Mary Howard as the Duchess of Richmond, Margaret Douglas is given no patriarchal association. A number of marks throughout the manuscript specify known identities. The most significant of these marks concern Mary Shelton, Margaret Douglas, and Mary Howard. For example, the first page of the manuscript features Mary Shelton’s full name as well as “margayg,” and “garet how,” which could represent Margaret Douglas (Howard). Mary Shelton’s full name also appears after a poem in her hand, "A wel I hawe at other lost" (22v), and the acrostic poem entered by H1, “Suffryng in sorow in hope to attain” (7r), spells SHELTVN.

Texts Collated
STC13860_17

Collation
1     my ywtheffol days ar past] MY youthfull yeres are past, STC_13860_17 2     my plesant erese ar gon] My ioyfull dayes are gone: STC_13860_17 3     my lyffe yt dothe bot wast] My life it may not last, STC_13860_17 4     my] My STC_13860_17     grawe] graue STC_13860_17     hame wan] am one. STC_13860_17 5     my morthe and al is flad] My mirth and ioyes are fled, STC_13860_17 6     and] And STC_13860_17     hame won yn woo] a man in wo: STC_13860_17 7     desyar] Desirous STC_13860_17     dede /] dedde, STC_13860_17 8     my mescheffe] My mischiefe STC_13860_17     for goo] forgo. STC_13860_17 9     born] burne STC_13860_17     ame acold] am a colde, STC_13860_17 10     ffresse amades the ffyar] frise amids the fire: STC_13860_17 11     se] see STC_13860_17     the do] she dothe STC_13860_17     withhold that] withholde STC_13860_17 12     that] That STC_13860_17     most I do desyar] is my most desire. STC_13860_17 13     se] see STC_13860_17     hand] hand, STC_13860_17 14     se] see STC_13860_17     dethe] lyfe STC_13860_17     also] also: STC_13860_17 15     se] see STC_13860_17     wer the] where she STC_13860_17     stond] stande STC_13860_17 16     I se my ffryndly ffoo] That is my deadly foe. STC_13860_17 17     I se the know my hart]  STC_13860_17 18     and how I kannot stanstain]  STC_13860_17 19     I se the se me smart]  STC_13860_17 20     and how I leff yn pane]  STC_13860_17 21     se] see STC_13860_17     the] she STC_13860_17     se] see, STC_13860_17 22     and] And STC_13860_17     the wel be blynd] she will be blinde: STC_13860_17 23     yn] in STC_13860_17     helpeyng] helpyng STC_13860_17 24     the se and wel not ffynd] She sekes and will not finde. STC_13860_17 24.1     I se wan I comby by]  STC_13860_17 24.2     I haw the dothe wry]  STC_13860_17 25     se haw the do wry] see how she doth wry, STC_13860_17 26     wan] When STC_13860_17     begen] begyn STC_13860_17     mon] mone: STC_13860_17 27     se wan I comby] see when I come nie, STC_13860_17 28     how ffane the wold bgan] HhwHow faine she wold be gone. STC_13860_17 29     se] see STC_13860_17     wat] what STC_13860_17     wold yow mar] will ye more STC_13860_17 29.1     the weldme gladly wold yow Kel]  STC_13860_17 30     the wold] She will STC_13860_17     kel] kyll: STC_13860_17 31     and yow shal se] And you shall see STC_13860_17     therffar] therfore STC_13860_17 32     that] That STC_13860_17     the] she STC_13860_17     shal] shall STC_13860_17     hawe] haue STC_13860_17     ther] her STC_13860_17     wel] will. STC_13860_17 33     kan] can STC_13860_17     leffe] liue STC_13860_17     stans] stones STC_13860_17 34     yt hes] It is STC_13860_17     ffawde] fode: STC_13860_17 35     wol] will STC_13860_17     ded] dead STC_13860_17     at tansat once] at once STC_13860_17 36     yff yt myt do them good] To do my Lady good. STC_13860_17 37     the shal hawe ther rqwest]  STC_13860_17 38     and I must hawe my nend]  STC_13860_17 39     lo her my blody brest to ples t]  STC_13860_17 40     to ples the with unkynd]  STC_13860_17