The Devonshire Manuscript/to my meshap alas I ffynd

f. [42r]

In the name of god amen1

1    to my meshap alas I ffynd 2    that happy hap ys dangerus 3    and ffortun workes but her kynd 4    to make the Ioyffull dolorus 5    but all to lat yt coms in mynd 6    to wayll the want wych made me blynd 7    so offten warnd

8    ameds my merth and plesennes 9    seche chance ys chancyt sudenly 10    that in despayr to hawe redrese 11    I ffynd my cheffest remedy 12    No n new ev kynd off onhappynes 13    shold thys a lefft me comfforles 14    so offten warnd

15    Who cold hawe thowght that my request 16    shod hawe broght fforth sech beter ffrut 17    but now ys hapt that I fferd lest 18    and all thys greff comes be my suet 19    ffor wher I thoght me happyest 20    even ther I ffownd my cheffest onrest 21    so offten warnd

f. [42v]

22    in beter case was never non 23    and ye vnwares t thys am I trapt 24    my cheff desyer doth cas me mon 25    and to my payn my whelt ys hapt 26    was never man but I alone 27    that had sech hap to wayll and grown 28    so offten warnd

29    thys am I t h [] awght ffor to bewere 30    and not to trust sech plesend chance 31    my happy hap has bred thes h care 32    and tovrned my merth to gret meschance 33    ther ys no man that hap wyll spar 34    but when she lest owr welth ys bare 35    thys am I warnd

ffynys

Notes & Glosses
1.   The annotation does not seem associated with the subject of the poem below, which is the familiar trope of "I trusted and was betrayed." Rather, the annotation seems more like some form of closure on a matter.

Commentary
Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by Margaret Douglas. Employing familiar courtly love tropes, the poem explores the themes of love, betrayal, and fickle fortune.

The first letters of each stanza create an anagram of Wyatt's name: "T A W I T." Hyder E. Rollins, a modern editor of Tottel's Miscellany, suggests that the anagram indicates that another poet composed the poem as a tribute to Wyatt rather than providing evidence of Wyatt's authorship. The poem also appears in Tottel's Miscellany as “When aduersitie is once fallen, it is to late to beware” (item 225).

Texts Collated
DBLa20, NYP01, STC13860_31

Collation
1     to] To DBla20 NYP01 TO STC_13860_31     meshap] myshap DBla20 mishappe NYP01 mishap STC_13860_31     ffynd] fynde DBla20 NYP01 STC_13860_31 2     that] That STC_13860_31     hap] happe NYP01     ys dangerus] is daungerous: STC_13860_31     dangerus] dawngerow NYP01 3     and] And NYP01 STC_13860_31     and ffortun workes] &amp; fortune workyth DBla20     ffortun] ffortune NYP01 fortune STC_13860_31     workes] workythe NYP01 worketh STC_13860_31     kynd] kynde NYP01 4     to] to DBla20 To STC_13860_31     Ioyffull] Ioyfull DBla20 NYP01 ioyfull STC_13860_31     dolorus] Dolorow NYP01 dolorous. STC_13860_31 5     but] But STC_13860_31     but all to lat yt coms in mynd]  NYP01     lat] late STC_13860_31     yt] it STC_13860_31     yt coms in] hyt cumes In DBla20     coms] comes STC_13860_31     in mynd] to minde, STC_13860_31 6     to wayll the want wych made me blynd]  NYP01     to wayll] To waile STC_13860_31     wayll] wayle DBla20     wych] that DBla20     wych made me blynd] that makes me blinde, STC_13860_31     blynd] blynde DBla20 7     so offten warnd]  NYP01 STC_13860_31     offten] often DBla20     warnd] waryd DBla20 8     ameds] amydes DBla20 Amid STC_13860_31     ameds my merth and plesennes]  NYP01     merth] myrth DBla20 mirth STC_13860_31     and] &amp; DBla20     plesennes] plesantnes DBla20 pleasantnesse, STC_13860_31 9     seche] such DBla20 Such STC_13860_31     seche chance ys chancyt sudenly]  NYP01     chance] chaunce STC_13860_31     ys chancyt sudenly] is chaunced sodainly, STC_13860_31     chancyt] chansyd DBla20     sudenly] sodenly DBla20 10     that] That STC_13860_31     that in despayr to hawe redrese]  NYP01     in despayr] In dyspere DBla20     despayr to hawe redrese] dispaire without redresse, STC_13860_31     hawe] haue DBla20     redrese] redres DBla20 11     I ffynd my cheffest remedy]  NYP01     ffynd] fynd DBla20 finde STC_13860_31     cheffest] chefyst DBla20 chiefest STC_13860_31     remedy] remedy. STC_13860_31 12     No nevw] no new DBla20     No nevw kynd off onhappynes]  NYP01     nevw kynd off onhappynes] new kinde of vnhappinesse, STC_13860_31     onhappynes] vnhappynes DBla20 13     shold] shuld DBla20 Should STC_13860_31     shold thys a lefft me comfforles]  NYP01     thys] thus DBla20 STC_13860_31     a] haue DBla20 STC_13860_31     lefft] left DBla20 STC_13860_31     comfforles] comfortles DBla20 comfortlesse. STC_13860_31 14     so offten warnd]  NYP01 STC_13860_31     offten] often DBla20     warnd] wa DBla20 15.22     Who cold hawe thowght that my request]  NYP01     cold] wold DBla20 STC_13860_31     hawe] haue DBla20 STC_13860_31     thowght] thought STC_13860_31     request] request, STC_13860_31 16.23     shod hawe broght] shuld bryng me DBla20 Should bring me STC_13860_31     shod hawe broght fforth sech beter ffrut]  NYP01     fforth] forth DBla20 STC_13860_31     sech] such DBla20 STC_13860_31     beter] bytter DBla20 bitter STC_13860_31     ffrut] frute DBla20 frute: STC_13860_31 17.24     but] But STC_13860_31     but now ys hapt that I fferd lest]  NYP01     ys] is STC_13860_31     fferd] ferd DBla20 feard STC_13860_31     lest] lest, STC_13860_31 18.25     and] &amp; DBla20 And STC_13860_31     and all thys greff comes be my suet]  NYP01     thys] this STC_13860_31     greff] harm DBla20 harme STC_13860_31     comes] cumes DBla20     be] by DBla20 STC_13860_31     suet] svte DBla20 sute, STC_13860_31 19.26     ffor] for DBla20 For STC_13860_31     ffor wher I thoght me happyest]  NYP01     wher] when DBla20 STC_13860_31     thoght] thowgh DBla20 thought STC_13860_31     happyest] happiest, STC_13860_31 20.27     even] evyn DBla20 Euen STC_13860_31     even ther I ffownd my cheffest onrest]  NYP01     ther] then DBla20 STC_13860_31     I ffownd my cheffest] hapt all my chefe DBla20     I ffownd my cheffest onrest] hapt all my chiefe vnrest. STC_13860_31    onrest] vnrest DBla20 21.28     so offten warnd]  NYP01 STC_13860_31     offten] oftyn DBla20     warnd] waryd DBla20 22.15     in] In DBla20 In STC_13860_31     in beter case was never non]  NYP01     beter] better DBla20 STC_13860_31     never] neuer STC_13860_31     non] none DBla20 STC_13860_31 23.16     and ye vnwarestd] &amp; yet vnwares DBla20 And yet vnwares STC_13860_31     and ye vnwarestd thys am I trapt]  NYP01     thys] thus DBla20 STC_13860_31     trapt] trappt DBla20 trapt, STC_13860_31 24.17     my cheff desyer doth cas me mon]  NYP01     my cheff desyer] My chiefe desire STC_13860_31     cheff] chefe DBla20     cas] cause DBla20 STC_13860_31     mon] mon DBla20 mone, STC_13860_31 25.18     and] And STC_13860_31     and to my payn] &amp; to my harm DBla20     and to my payn my whelt ys hapt]  NYP01     payn] harme STC_13860_31     whelt] welth DBla20 STC_13860_31     ys] is STC_13860_31     hapt] hapt, STC_13860_31 26.19     was never] ther ys no DBla20 There is no STC_13860_31     was never man but I alone]  NYP01     alone] alone, STC_13860_31 27.20     that] That STC_13860_31     that had sech hap to wayll and grown]  NYP01     had] hath DBla20 STC_13860_31     sech] such DBla20 STC_13860_31     hap] cause DBla20 STC_13860_31     wayll] sigh STC_13860_31     wayll and grown] sygh &amp; mone DBla20     grown] mone. STC_13860_31 28.21     so offten warnd]  NYP01 STC_13860_31     offten warnd] oftyn w DBla20 29     thys] thus DBla20 Thus STC_13860_31     thys am I thawght ffor to bewere]  NYP01     thawght] tawght DBla20 taught STC_13860_31     ffor] for DBla20 STC_13860_31     bewere] beware DBla20 STC_13860_31 30     and not to trust sech] &amp; trust no more such all DBla20     and not to trust sech plesend chance]  NYP01 And trust no more such pleasant chance, STC_13860_31     plesend] plesant DBla20 31     my] My STC_13860_31     my happy hap has bred thes h care]  NYP01     hap has bred thes h care] happe bred me this care, STC_13860_31     has] hath DBla20     thes h] thys DBla20 32     and tovrned] &amp; browght DBla20 And brought STC_13860_31     and tovrned my merth to gret meschance]  NYP01     merth] myrth DBla20 mirth STC_13860_31     gret] grete DBla20 great STC_13860_31     meschance] yschance DBla20 mischance. STC_13860_31 33     ther ys no man that hap wyll spar]  NYP01     ther ys] There is STC_13860_31     that hap] whom happe STC_13860_31     wyll] vyll DBla20 will STC_13860_31     spar] spare DBla20 spare, STC_13860_31 34     but] But STC_13860_31     but when she lest owr welth ys bare]  NYP01     she] she DBla20     lest] lyst DBla20 list STC_13860_31     owr] hys DBla20 his STC_13860_31     ys] is STC_13860_31     bare] bare. STC_13860_31 35     thys] thus DBla20     thys am I warnd]  NYP01 STC_13860_31     warnd] waryd DBla20