The Lyrics of Henry VIII/Let not vs that yongmen be (Unattributed)

[ff. 87v-88r]

Textual Commentary
Very definitely in the style of Henry VIII’s lyrics of doctrine, chivalric and otherwise, this lyric draws upon figures common to Henry—Youth, Age, and Disdain—in its encouragement of young men to follow the amorous ways of their age.


 * 2   venus  Cf. Henry’s “Thow that men do call it dotage” (H 44.4).


 * 3   age  See other of Henry’s lyrics.     dysdayne  Cf. Henry’s “Whoso that wyll all feattes optayne” (H 28.2,4,8,11,14) and elsewhere; see the note to line 2 of the aforementioned lyric.


 * 4   yough   See other of Henry’s lyrics.     loue to refrayn   Cf. Henry’s “Lusti yough shuld vs ensue” (H 61.5).


 * 5–6 Cf. the lines “I pray you all that aged be. / How well dyd ye yor yough carry. / I thynk sum wars of ych degre” from Henry’s “Though sum saith that yough rulyth me” (H 51.6–8).


 * 6   most lust   Greatest vigor.


 * 7–8 case . . . grace   Cf. the riddle in Henry’s “If love now reynyd as it hath bene” (H 38.11–2; see also note).


 * 9   than   Then.


 * 12 metest   Most suitable (OED “meet” a 3).

The first stanza is through-set, with the remaining text underlaid. In each witness, the final two lines of each stanza are represented as being repeated after the second line of each stanza as well. The first letter of the fourth voice, “L,” is not treated with a block capital. While not attributed in H, it is exactly in Henry VIII’s manner and contains many echoes to his own lyrics; as Stevens notes, it contains “the self-justifying tone in other songs of chivalric ‘doctrine’” (Stevens M&P 415; see also Robbins Index & Suppl. 1866.5). “Let not vs that yongmen be” is listed in H’s table of contents as the ninety-seventh work.

This piece is indexed in Robbins Index & Suppl. 1866.5, Boffey, and Ringler MS TM886. Reprinted in Chappell Acount 375, Chambers Lyrics 68, Chambers Verse 42–3, Flügel Anglia 248, Stevens M&P 415, and Stevens MCH8 63.

Texts Collated
H1,2,3,4 (ff. 87v–88r, ll. 1–6 H2,3,4).


 * 1   not vs] vs H3


 * 2   banysht to be] banysht to be banysht to be. H1,2, banysht to be banysht to be H3,4


 * 4   loue to refrayn] loue to refrayn loue to refrayn. H1,, loue to refrayne loue to refrayne. H2, loue to refrayne. loue to refrayne. H3, loue to refrayne. H4


 * 6   lust^] lost. H4