# The Devonshire Manuscript/patiens for my devise

* ←perdye I saide yt not || width="200" align="right" | I have sought long with stedfastnesse→
* The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 71r
f. [71r] {tA}{_o} [[The Devonshire Manuscript/Appendix_I:_Paleographic_Features|{{th}+t+}]] [[The Devonshire Manuscript/Appendix_I:_Paleographic_Features|{{th}+t+}]] patiens tho I had nott$^1$ the &c / to her that saide this patiens was not for her but that the contrarye of myne was most metiste for her po$^r$posse /$^2$ 1 patiens for my devise 2 impatiens for yo$^r$ parte 3 of contrarye the gyse 4 must nedes{es} be over tharte / 5 patiens for I am tay t$^r$ue 6 the con{_o}trarye for yow 7 patiens a good cause whye 8 yo$^r$s hathe no cause at all 9 truste me that stondes{es} awrye 10 perch$^a$unce maye some tyme fall 11 patiens the saye and supp 12 a taste of patiens cupp 13 patiens no force for that 14 yet brushe yo$^r$ gowne againe 15 patiens spurne nat ther$^e$ate 16 {p+}{es} lest folkesperceyve yo$^r$ payne$^3$ 17 patiens at my plesure 18 when yo$^r$s hathe no measure / 19 the tothr fas$^4$ for me$^5$ 20 this patiens is for you 21 chaunge when{_e} ye liste lett see 22 for I have tane a newe 23 patiens with{w+t+} a good will 24 ys easye to fulfill / fs D

## Notes & Glosses

1. This is the incipit of the linked poem.  2. This item precedes “patiens for my devise” and is unwitnessed. In most editions of Wyatt's poetry, it is included as a note or epigraph with the poem “patiens for my devise." We have editorially considered it as part of that poem, although we have used the incipit “patiens for my devise” for indexing purposes.
 3. There is a form on the abbreviation that is difficult to correlate with standard descriptions.
 4. An "f" was converted into a "w."
 5. The "other" ("tother") may refer to the matching poem.

## Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H8. H8 links the verse directly to "Pacyence tho I have not" (13v). “Patience tho I have not” is an invocation to patient bearing of woe; according to the speaker, the lady hates him for no reason, yet he bears her unwarranted aversion patiently. “Patiens for my devise” also describes patient bearing, but the speaker, working in contrast to the traditional notion of patience, equates the Lady’s tolerance with infidelity (see lines 14 and 18). Her patience consists of tolerantly submitting to another’s lust. Rebholz suggests that “Patiens for my devise” should be read as a dialogue, with the Lover speaking stanzas 1 and 3 and the Lady answering in stanzas 2 and 4. Taken together "Pacyence tho I have not" (13v) and "patiens for my devise" seem to be a humorous comment on the general trope of woman’s fickleness—a common theme throughout the manuscript.

#### Works Cited

* ↑ R.A. Rebholz, ed. Sir Thomas Wyatt: The Complete Poems. London: Penguin, 1978. 108.
* ↑ ibid., 389.

## Textual Notes
#### Texts Collated

AAH11, DBLa17, LEge28

#### Collation

1 patiens] Patience AAH11 pations DBla17 Paciens LEge28 my] mye AAH11 devise] devyse AAH11 DBla17 2 impatiens] Impatience AAH11 Impatiens DBla17 Impaciens LEge28 yor] your AAH11 LEge28 yowr DBla17 parte] part DBla17 part LEge28 3 of] Of AAH11 off DBla17 contrarye] contraries AAH11 LEge28 contraryse DBla17 gyse] guyse AAH11 4 must nedes be] Ys ever AAH11 ys euer DBla17 is ever LEge28 over tharte /] the overthwarte AAH11 ouerthwart DBla17 the overthwart LEge28 5 patiens] Patience AAH11 paciens LEge28 am tay true] ame true LEge28 tay true] true AAH11 trew DBla17 6 contrarye] contrarie AAH11 contrary DBla17 LEge28 yow] you AAH11 yew LEge28 7 patiens] Patience AAH11 Paciens LEge28 whye] whie AAH11 why DBla17 LEge28 8 yors hathe] you have AAH11 LEge28 ye haue DBla17 9 truste me] therfore DBla17 therefore LEge28 truste me that stondes awrye] AAH11 that] yowrs DBla17 your LEge28 stondes] standes DBla17 standeth LEge28 awrye] awrey DBla17 awry LEge28 10 perchaunce maye] may chance DBla17 perchaunce LEge28 perchaunce maye some tyme fall] AAH11 some tyme] sumtyme DBla17 sometyme LEge28 fall] to fall DBla17 LEge28 11 patiens] pations DBla17 paciens LEge28 patiens the saye and supp] AAH11 the] then DBla17 LEge28 saye and supp] take hy vp DBla17 take him vp LEge28 12 a taste of patiens cupp] AAH11 a taste] & drynke DBla17 and drynck LEge28 of] off DBla17 cupp] cup DBla17 Cupp LEge28 13 patiens] Pacience LEge28 patiens no force for that] AAH11 force] fors DBla17 14 yet] but DBla17 LEge28 yet brushe yor gowne againe] AAH11 brushe] brusshe LEge28 yor] your DBla17 LEge28 gowne] gown DBla17 againe] agayn DBla17 again LEge28 15 patiens] pacience LEge28 patiens spurne nat thereate] AAH11 spurne] spurn DBla17 nat thereate] not theratt DBla17 not therat LEge28 16 lest folkes perceyve yor payne] AAH11 lest folkes perceyve] Let no mann knoo DBla17 let no man knowe LEge28 yor] yowr DBla17 your LEge28 payne] payn DBla17 17 patiens] pacience LEge28 patiens at my plesure] AAH11 at] evyn at DBla17 LEge28 plesure] plesuer DBla17 pleasure LEge28 18 when yors hathe no measure /] AAH11 yors] yowrs mesuer DBla17 your LEge28 hathe no measure /] ys owt off mesuer DBla17 is owte of mesure LEge28 19 the tothr was for me] AAH11 the tothr was] Thothr LEge28 tothr] tother DBla17 was] was DBla17 LEge28 20 this] thys DBla17 this patiens is for you] AAH11 patiens] patience LEge28 is] ys DBla17 you] yow DBla17 21 chaunge] change DBla17 chaunge when ye liste lett see] AAH11 liste] lyst DBla17 list LEge28 lett] let LEge28 see] se DBla17 LEge28 22 for I have tane a newe] AAH11 have] haue DBla17 tane] tayne DBla17 taken LEge28 newe] new DBla17 LEge28 23 patiens] pacience LEge28 patiens with a good will] AAH11 with] wyth DBla17 will] wyll DBla17 24 ys] is LEge28 ys easye to fulfill /] AAH11 easye] esy DBla17 easy LEge28 fulfill /] fullfyll DBla17 fulfill LEge28