[sig. Liiiiv]
Of disapointed purpose by
negligence. +Imitates Petrarch, Rime , 103: ‘Vinse Anibàl, et non seppe usar poi/ben la vittoriosa sua ventura’ (1-2), ‘Hannibal was victorious, but he did not know later how to make good use of his victorious fortune’, translation Durling ; Wyatt wrote a letter from Barbastra, near Monçon in Spain on 16 October 1537 when ambassador at the court of Charles V. Another copy in L: Egerton 2711, fol. 54. Author: Sir Thomas Wyatt. Structure: 8: abababcc10
O F Carthage he that worthy warriour +Hannibal, see glossary Could ouercome, but could not vse his chance And I likewise of all my long endeuour The sharpe conquest though fortune did aduance, (5) Nenor could I vse. The holdstronghold that is geuen ouer, I vnposest, so hangeth now in balance Of warre, my peace, reward of all my paine, At MountzonMonçon thus I restlesse rest in Spaine.
Of his returne from
Spaine. +Probably occasioned by Wyatt’s return from Spain to England in April 1539; cited by Drayton who attributes this ‘excellent Epigram’ to either Surrey or Sir Francis Bryan, Drayton, ‘Annotations of the Chronicle Historie, Henry to the Lady Geraldine, Englands Heroicall Epistles , Works , II, p. 287. Another copy in L: Egerton 2711, fol. 69. Author: Sir Thomas Wyatt. Structure: 8: ottava
T Agus +One of the main rivers in Spain and Portugal, famous for its golden sand. For another reference to Tagus, see Paradise , ‘An Epitaph upon the death of Sir Edward Saunders’, l. 84: ‘Tagus sandes’ * farewell that Westward with thy stremes Turnes vp the graines of gold already tried, +Sifted from the sands, cf Chaucer, Boece , III, Metrum 10: ‘Alle the thinges that the river Tagus yyveth yow with his goldene gravelis’ (11-13). For I with spurre and saile go seke the temmesThames . Gainewardtowards, facing the sunne that sheweth her welthy pridesubject is the Thames , (5) And to the townLondon that Brutus sought by dreames, Like bended monebended moon, crescent moon that leanes her lustypleasant, beautiful side. My king, my countrey, I seke for whom I liue, O mighty Ioue the windes for this me giue.
Of sodaine trusting. +Other copies in: L: Add. 17492, fol. 81v (7 lines); D: D.2.7., fol. 87(31 lines). Author: Sir Thomas Wyatt. Structure: 7: RR4
D Riuen by desire I did this dede To
danger my self without cause why: To trust thuntruethe untrue not like to spedespeed, succeed, prosper , To speake and promise faithfully: (5) But now the proofeevidence doth verifie, That who so trusteth ere he know, Doth hurt himselfe and please his foe, +Proverbial: ‘Try your friend before you trust’, Tilley, Proverbs , T595.
