# The Devonshire Manuscript/to men that knows ye not

* ←for thylke grownde that bearyth the wedes wycke || width="200" align="right" | Myn vnhappy chaunce / to home shall I playn→
* The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 60r
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 deffawawar 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 mothys 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.

## Textual Notes
#### 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