The Devonshire Manuscript/what nedythe lyff when I requyer

←how shold I || width="200" align="right" | and thys be thys ye may→ The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 43v|thumb|389px The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 44r|thumb|389px f. [43r]What nedythe lyff when I1 f. [43v] 1    what nedythe lyff when I requyer2    nothyng but dethe to quenche my payn3    ffast fflyethe away that I desyer4    and doubele soros returne agayn5    by prowff I se beffor2 myne neyne6    another hathe that ons was myne7    that I was wont to hawe in hold8    ys slypt away fful sodenly9    and crafftely I am wythe hold10    ffrom all my lyff and leberty11    so that ^3I se beffor myne neyne12    another hathe that ons was myne13    yt ys no newes to ffynd I know14    ffor ffaythffullnes to ffynd vntruth15    but I parseve the wynd doth blow16    a craffty way to clok the trewth17    by wych I se beffor myne neyne18    Another hath that ons was myne19    a proverbe old I hawe hard offte20    that a lyght love lyghtly doth go421    now am I lowe that was a lofftte22    that was my ffrend ys now my ffo23    so that I se beffor myne neyne24    another hathe that ons was myne f. [44r] 25    sens ryght with{w+t+} worong hath hes reward26    and ffayned ffayth dothe truthe opresse27    I let yt passe and yt regrad regard 28    as I hawe case no mor nor les29    becase I se beffor myne neyne30    another has that ons was myne31    What hart cowld thynk mor then was thoght532    or tong cowld spek mor then was spok633    yet what ffor that all was ffor naght34    ffor he ys gone and slept the knot735    wharby I se beffor my yen Another36    another haws that ons was myn __NOTOC__ Notes & Glosses      1. This is the first line of the poem on 43r, and has been crossed-out as if the scribe realized his or her error.      2. It is possible that the link between "be" and "ffor" to create "beffor" was added later.      3. The caret is inverse.      4. This saying may be a proverb.      5. The hand is greatly enlarged, from this point on to the end of the page. Possibly, the writer became tired or changed the pen (or nib), which may have forced a larger hand.      6. A large ink smudge sweeps through the previous two lines, nearly obliterating "tho" and "spok."      7. This phrase is resonant. Commentary Written in Margaret Douglas' hand, this poem remains unattributed and is unique to this manuscript. "What nedythe lyff when I requyer" addresses the issue of friends becoming foes, which was a common theme throughout the manuscript. For instance, “Pacyence of all my smart” (21r) describes a similar situation among friends, and “Greting to you bothe yn hertye wyse” (79r-79v) includes a warning to beware of false friends. The first line of this poem appears alone on 43r (above) and is crossed out, as if the copier realized that there would not be enough room to copy the entire lyric. The six stanzas spread out over 43v and 44r. Douglas' writing becomes enlarged as she continues copying the lyric, and ink blots appear on the page. Left-handedness may account for the ink blots, as they occur often in her writing.