The Devonshire Manuscript/to men that knows ye not

f. [60r]

1    to men that knows ye not 2    ye may aper to be 3    ffol cher and with {w+t+} owt spot clear 4    bot sewarly onto me 5    so ys yowar wontoed kynd 6    be proffe so sewarly knowen 7    that I wel not be blynd 8    my nys shal be my nowe nowen

9    I wel not wynke and se 10    I wel not pleas the so 11    I wel not ffawar the 12    I wel not be thy ffo 13    I wel not be that man 14    that so shal the de ffa wawar devour 15    I wel not thow I kan 16    I wel not show my pore power

17    bot I ham he that wel wel 18    se stel as I hawe sen 19    thy goodnes ffrom thy el ill 20    my nyes shal stel be clere 21    ffrom mot h ys off blyndyd lowe 22    wche mowthy men somtym 23    to trust or the do proffe and ffal wan 24    and ffal wan the wold clym

Commentary
Attributed to Edmund Knyvett in the manuscript, this poem was entered by Mary Shelton. Although Mary transcribes the poem, the speaker is male. As such, the speaker's expression and denial of his power over a woman proves to be quite potent. For instance, the repetition of "I will not" in lines 9 and 16 display this denial of power; line 15, "I will not though I can," provides a chilling assertion of his will.

Texts Collated
AAH19

Collation
1     to] To AAH19     knows] know AAH19     ye] you AAH19 2     ye] you AAH19     aper] appeare AAH19 3     ffol chercler] full cleare AAH19     withowt] without AAH19     spot] spott AAH19 4     bot sewarly] but truly AAH19     onto] vnto AAH19 5     so ys] Suche is AAH19     yowur] your AAH19     wontoed] wonted AAH19 6     be] by AAH19     proffe] profe AAH19     sewarly] surely AAH19 7     that] as AAH19     wel] will AAH19 8     my nys] myne eyes AAH19     shal] shall AAH19     my] myne AAH19     nowe nowen] owen AAH19 9     wel] will AAH19     wynke] wynk AAH19     se] see AAH19 10     wel] will AAH19     pleas] please AAH19     so] soe AAH19 11     wel] will AAH19     ffawar] favour AAH19 12     wel] will AAH19     thy] thye AAH19     ffo] foe AAH19 13     wel] will AAH19     be that man] though I can AAH19 14     that so shal the deffawawardevour] I will not shew my powre AAH19 15     wel not thow I kan] will be no suche man AAH19 16     wel] will AAH19     show my porepower] the devour AAH19 17     bot] But AAH19     ham] am AAH19     wel wel] will AAH19 18     se stel] See still AAH19     hawe] have AAH19     sen] seene AAH19 19     thy] your AAH19     ffrom] from AAH19     thy elill] your yll AAH19 20     my] myne AAH19     nyes] eyes AAH19     shal] shall AAH19     stel] still AAH19     clene] cleere AAH19 21     mothys off blyndyd] motes of blynding AAH19     lowe] love AAH19 22     wche mowthy] that leadeth AAH19     somtym] somtyme AAH19 23     the] they AAH19     proffe and ffal wan] prove AAH19 24     ffal wan] fall, when AAH19     the] they AAH19     wold] wolde AAH19     clym] clyme AAH19 25     ] I will not feele the fytt AAH19 26     ] of ioye that fooles do feele AAH19 27     ] when their chief ioye they hytt AAH19 28     ] whiche tourneth as the wheele AAH19 29     ] that lyftes them hye or low AAH19 30     ] whiche is now vpp now downe AAH19 31     ] as floodes do ebb and flow AAH19 32     ] good luck from towne to towne AAH19 33     ] Suche feavers hote and colde AAH19 34     ] suche panges of ioye and payne AAH19 35     ] suche fyttes as do them holde AAH19 36     ] and do by rages raigne AAH19 37     ] shall never sease my hart AAH19 38     ] my freedome shall excuse AAH19 39     ] that thraldom of suche smarte AAH19 40     ] synce I so well may chuse AAH19 41     ] And I indyfferent man AAH19 42     ] can see and holde my peace AAH19 43     ] by profe how well you can AAH19 44     ] begyn to love and ceace AAH19 45     ] and so by sight I shall AAH19 46     ] suffyse my self as well AAH19 47     ] as thowgh I feltt the fall AAH19 48     ] whiche they did feele that fell AAH19