# The Lyrics of Henry VIII/Svmwhat musyng (Fayrfax / Woodville)

[ff. 120$^v$-122$^r$]
Svmwhat musyng and more mornyng in remembryng the unstedfastnes this world beyng 5 of such walyng me contraryng what my I gesse
I fere doutles remedyles 10 is now to cese my wofull chance for vnkyndnes withowtyn les and no redresse 15 me doth avance
with dysplesance to my greuance and no surance of remedy 20 lo in this trance now in substance such is my chance willyng to dye.
Me thynk trewly 25 bowndon am I and that gretly
to be content
seyng playnly fortune doth wry 30 all contrary from myn entent
my lyf was lent to an entent it is nye spent 35 welcum fortune yet I ne went thus to be shent but she is ment such ys her went 40

## Textual Commentary

Certainly more in keeping with the general tone of the lyrics in LFay, “Svmwhat musyng” remains one of the few moralising or meditative works in H. Attributed to Anthony Woodville, Lord Rivers, who wrote the words while imprisoned in Pontefract prior to his beheading in 1483, the lyric suitably meditates upon the fickleness of fortune and the unsteadfastness of this world. A moralized version exists in the The Gude and Godlie Ballatis, though it was condemned and excised from the 1586 edition (see James [Mitchell, ed.]); see also BL Additional MS 18,752 [f. 28$^r$]). A lyric with similar tone is the unattributed “My thought oppressed my mynd in trouble” (H 72).
    6 walyng Wailing.
    11 cese Cease.
    12 my wofull chance Cf. the unattributed “My thought oppressed my mynd in trouble” (H 72.22).
    14 withowtyn les Without release.
    21 trance State of extreme apprehension or dread, but also a stunned or dazed state (OED n.1 1, 3.a).
    22 in substance In reality, in essence.
    30 wry Swerve, turn (OED v.2 2).
    36 welcum fortune See the title to this lyric’s moralized version, listed above.
    37 went Thought, supposed (OED “wend” v.2).
    38 shent Ruined, brought to destruction; also, put to shame (OED v.1 1, 3).
    39 she is ment She had it in mind the whole time (Stevens M&P 94).
    40 went Path, way, course of action or plan (OED 1,3).
“Svmwhat musyng” is through-set in three voices. While not attributed in H, LFay and Wells ascribe it to Fayrfax. The text of the lyric has been ascribed to Anthony Woodville, Lord Rivers (see commentary above). In H and LFay, it appears complete, set for three voices with a text of eight line stanzas that are complete only when all voices are taken into account. The fragments of Wells, CFitz, and NYDrex compose the better part of another witness; the exact details of this grouping, and a dispelling of concerns regarding other lost witness fragments of this lyric, are noted by Fallows (“Drexel Fragments,” 5–6, 15–16). Robbins (Index & Suppl. 3193.5) notes that a witness appears in LVes (f. 170$^v$), but this editor has been unable to locate that witness from Robbins’ directions.
Indexed in Robbins Index & Suppl. 3193.5 and Ringler MS TM1452. Reprinted in Arber 180, Chronicles 209, Flügel Anglia 254–5, Hearne 214, Percy 2.46, Ritson 149, Stafford Collection #9, Stevens M&P 361–2 and 423–24, Stevens MCH8 90–94, and Turner 3.465.

## Textual Notes
### Texts Collated

H$^{1,2,3}$ (ff. 120$^v$–122$^r$), LFay$^{1,2,3}$ (ff. 33$^v$–35$^r$), Wells$^{1,2,3}$ (ff. 1$^r$–2$^r$, ll. 28–40 Wells$^1$, ll. 9–40 Wells$^2$), CFitz (f. 1$^r$, ll. 1–9, 22–23), NYDrex (f. 1$^r$, ll. 1–19)
    1 omit H$^3$, LFay$^2$, Wells$^3$
    2 mornyng] omit H$^1$, LFay$^1$, NYDrex, moryng H$^{2,3}$
    5 omit Wells$^3$
    6 omit H$^3$, LFay$^2$, Wells$^3$
    7 me contraryng] omit H$^1$, LFay$^1$, NYDrex, me contraryng H$^2$
    9 I fere doutles] omit H$^1$, LFay$^1$, NYDrex, I fere doutles H$^2$
    10 remedyles] omit H$^1$, LFay$^1$, Wells$^3$, NYDrex, remedyles H$^2$
    11 is now to cese] omit H$^1$, LFay$^1$, NYDrex; is now] is now to cese H$^2$, now LFay$^2$
    12 my wofull chance] omit H$^1$, LFay$^1$, NYDrex, my wofull chance H$^2$
    13 omit H$^3$, Wells$^{2,3}$
    14 omit H$^3$, LFay$^2$, Wells$^3$
    15 omit H$^3$, LFay$^2$, Wells$^3$
    16 avance^] auance. H$^2$, a vaunce^ LFay$^{1,3}$, omit H$^3$, LFay$^2$, Wells$^3$
    17 omit Wells$^2$
    18 omit Wells$^3$ my] me NYDrex; greuance] grete grevance LFay$^2$, gret grevance LFay$^3$
    20 omit Wells$^2$
    21 trance] tance H$^{1,2}$, trance H$^3$, trance LFay$^{1,2,3}$, Wells$^3$; lo in] in Wells$^3$
    23 such ~ chance] such chance. H$^2$; chance] daunce LFay$^{1,2,3}$, d. . . Wells$^2$
    26 bowndon am I] omit H$^1$, LFay$^1$, bowndon am I H$^2$; am I] were I LFay$^3$
    27 and that gretly] omit H$^1$, LFay$^1$, and that gretly H$^2$; that gretly] gretely LFay$^3$, grettly Wells$^3$
    28 omit H$^3$, LFay$^2$, Wells$^3$
    29 seyng playnly] omit H$^1$, LFay$^1$, Wells$^1$, seyng planly H$^2$; playnly] planly H$^{2,3}$, playnly LFay$^{2,3}$, Wells$^2$
    30 fortune] for time LFay$^2$
    31 omit Wells$^{1–2}$
    32 from] fro H$^1$, from H$^{2,3}$, for LFay$^{1,2,3}$, to Wells$^{1,2}$, from to Wells$^3$
    33 my lyf was lent] omit H$^1$, LFay$^1$, Wells$^1$
    34 omit H$^3$, an] one Wells$^{1,2}$
    36 welcum fortune] welcum fortune welcum fortune H$^2$, well cum fortune well cum fortune LFay$^1$, well on forton well cum fortune Wells$^1$, well cum forton well com forton Wells$^2$
    37 omit H$^3$, LFay$^2$, Wells$^3$; yet] ye H$^{1,3}$, yet H$^2$, LFay$^{1,3}$, yit Wells$^{1,2}$
    38 omit H$^3$, LFay$^2$, Wells$^3$; shent] spent LFay$^{1,3}$
    39 but she is ment] omit H$^{1,3}$, LFay$^2$, Wells$^3$, but she is ment H$^{2,3}$; is] it LFay$^{2,3}$, Wells$^{2,3}$
    40 went^] wone^ LFay$^{1,2,3}$, wone. Wells$^{1,2}$, mone^ Wells$^3$

## References

* ↑ See Stevens M&P (362), Berdan’s Early Tudor Poetry (150), and Arber’s Dunbar Anthology (180).