Sir Thomas Wyatt's poetry has evoked wide disagreement among critics; even Wyatt studies seem conducive to scholarly scuffling. Back in 1908 and 1909, a lively controversy took place over the question of priority of French or Italian influence on the poet. The excitement has long since died down, but the question may be reopened by the small finding which this note reports.
Wyatt's well-known douzaine, Madame, withouten many wordes, was found by A. K. Foxwell to have a French source, with ‘some lines which are an exact translation of St. Gelais’ douzaine, S'amour vous a donne un cueur en gage’. Although this view has not been challenged before, a much likelier candidate for Wyatt's model is an Italian poem, Madonna, non so dir tante parole. This poem has been known to students of the Italian madrigal because it was set by one of the pioneer madrigalists, Phillip Verdelot.