# The Devonshire Manuscript/yf chaunse assignid

* ←Ceaser whan the traytor of egipte || width="200" align="right" | perdye I saide yt not→
* The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 70v
f. [70v] 1 yf chaunse assignid 2 ware to my mynde 3 bye very kinde of de 4 of$^1$ destenye 5 yet wolde I crave 6 nought els to have 7 but onlye lif & librte 8 then ware I sure 9 I might endure 10 the dispeleasure displeasure 11 of crueltye 12 where nowe I plaine 13 alas in vayne 14 lacking my lif fo$^r$ libretye / 15 for with{w+t+}out ton 16 tother is gone 17 and there can none 18 yt remedye / 19 yf ton be paste 20 tothr dothe waste 21 and all for lack of libretye / 22 and so I dryve / as yet alyve 23 as yet alyve 24 altho I stryve 25 with{w+t+} miserye 26 Drawing my brethe 27 loking for dethe 28 & losse of lif for libretye $^2$ 29 But thou[[The Devonshire Manuscript/Appendix_I:_Paleographic_Features|{{th}+u+}]] that still 30 maiste at thy will 31 turne all this ill 32 aduer{u'}sitye 33 for the Repaire 34 of my welfare 35 graunte me but lif & librtye 36 And if not so 37 then let all goo 38 to writchid woo 39 and lett me dye 40 for ton or tother 41 there ys none othr 42 my deth or lyf with{w+t+} librtyes fs

## Notes & Glosses

1. The word "of" may have been added retroactively.
 2. A majuscule letter in miniscule size marks stanza break.

## Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H8. R. A. Rebholz notes that the poem's interpretation depends on three different meanings of "life" and "liberty"; if a reader interprets the poem as the speaker's complaint to a lady for rejecting his love, "life" and "liberty" signify a renewed vitality when the speaker gains freedom to declare his love—thus enabling him to maintain his strength if she rejects him. "Life" and "liberty" may also signify the speaker's freedom from loving the lady. Alternatively, if a reader interprets the poem politically, "life" and "liberty" may represent the speaker's freedom from restraint or imprisonment.
H8 uses a majuscule letter in minuscule size to mark the stanza breaks.

#### Works Cited

* ↑ R.A. Rebholz, ed. Sir Thomas Wyatt: The Complete Poems. London: Penguin, 1978. 162-63.
* ↑ ibid., 427-28.

## Textual Notes
#### Texts Collated

DBLa08, LEge13

#### Collation

1 yf] If DBla08 LEge13 chaunse] chaunce DBla08 LEge13 assignid] assygnyd DBla08 assynd LEge13 2 ware] wer DBla08 were LEge13 mynde] mynd DBla08 3 bye] by DBla08 LEge13 kinde of de] kynd DBla08 LEge13 4 destenye] destine DBla08 destyne LEge13 5 wolde] wold DBla08 would LEge13 crave] crave DBla08 6 nought els to have] DBla08 7 but onlye lif & librte] DBla08 onlye] LEge13 lif] liff LEge13 librte] libertie LEge13 8 then] Then LEge13 then ware I sure] DBla08 ware] were LEge13 9 I might endure] DBla08 might] myght LEge13 10 the dispeleasuredispleasure] DBla08 dispeleasuredispleasure] displeasure LEge13 11 of crueltye] DBla08 crueltye] crueltie LEge13 12 where nowe I plaine] DBla08 nowe] now LEge13 plaine] plain LEge13 13 alas in vayne] DBla08 vayne] vain LEge13 14 lacking my lif for libretye /] DBla08 lif] liff LEge13 libretye /] libertie LEge13 15 for] ffor LEge13 for without ton] DBla08 without] withoute LEge13 ton] thone LEge13 16 tother] thothre LEge13 tother is gone] DBla08 17 and there can none] DBla08 18 yt] it LEge13 yt remedye /] DBla08 remedye /] remedy LEge13 19 yf] if LEge13 yf ton be paste] DBla08 ton] thone LEge13 paste] past LEge13 20 tothr] thothre LEge13 tothr dothe waste] DBla08 dothe] doeth LEge13 waste] wast LEge13 21 and all for lack of libretye /] DBla08 libretye /] libertie LEge13 22 and] And LEge13 and so I dryve / as yet alyve] DBla08 dryve /] dryve LEge13 as yet alyve] LEge13 23 as yet alyve] DBla08 24 altho] all tho LEge13 altho I stryve] DBla08 25 with miserye] DBla08 miserye] myserie LEge13 26 Drawing] drawing LEge13 Drawing my brethe] DBla08 brethe] breth LEge13 27 loking] lowking LEge13 loking for dethe] DBla08 dethe] deth LEge13 28 & losse of lif for libretye] DBla08 lif] liffe LEge13 libretye] libertie LEge13 29 But thou that still] DBla08 30 maiste] maist LEge13 maiste at thy will] DBla08 31 turne] torn LEge13 turne all this ill] DBla08 32 aduersitye] DBla08 aduersitie LEge13 33 for the Repaire] DBla08 the Repaire] ye repare LEge13 34 of my welfare] DBla08 35 graunte] graunt LEge13 graunte me but lif & librtye] DBla08 lif] liff LEge13 librtye] libertie LEge13 36 And if not so] DBla08 37 then let all goo] DBla08 38 to writchid woo] DBla08 writchid] wretched LEge13 39 and lett me dye] DBla08 lett] let LEge13 40 for ton or tother] DBla08 ton] thone LEge13 tother] thothre LEge13 41 there ys none othr] DBla08 ys] is LEge13 othr] othre LEge13 42 my deth or lyf with librtye] DBla08 lyf] liff LEge13 librtye] libertie LEge13