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The Poems of Alexander Montgomerie

Edited by James Cranstoun
Montgomerie, Alexander (1545?-1598)

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SONNETS.
 I. 
I. [TO THE BLESSED TRINITY.]
 II. 
II. [OF THE WORKS OF GOD.]
 III. 
III. [OF THE INIQUITIE OF MAN.]
 IV. 
IV. TO M. DAUID DRUMMOND.
 V. 
V. [TO THE SAME.]
 VI. 
VI. TO M. P. GALLOWAY.
 VII. 
VII. TO HIS MAJESTIE.
 VIII. 
VIII. IN PRAISE OF HIS MAJESTIE.
 IX. 
IX. IN PRAISE OF M. J. M., CHANCELLER.
 X. 
X. IN PRAIS OF THE KINGS VRANIE.
 XI. 
XI. [OF THE SAME.]
 XII. 
XII. [OF THE SAME.]
 XIII. 
XIII. [OF THE SAME.]
 XIV. 
XIV. TO HIS MAJESTIE, FOR HIS PENSIOUN.
 XV. 
XV. [TO THE SAME.]
 XVI. 
XVI. [TO THE SAME.]
 XVII. 
XVII. [TO THE SAME.]
 XVIII. 
XVIII. TO THE LORDS OF THE SESSION.
 XIX. 
XIX. [TO THE SAME.]
 XX. 
XX. [TO THE SAME.]
 XXI. 
XXI. [TO THE SAME.]
 XXII. 
XXII. TO HIS ADUERSARS LAUYERS.
 XXIII. 
XXIII. OF M. J. SHARPE.
 XXIV. 
XXIV. [OF THE SAME.]
 XXV. 
XXV. TO R. HUDSONE.
 XXVI. 
XXVI. [TO THE SAME.]
 XXVII. 
XXVII. [TO THE SAME.]
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII. [TO THE SAME.]
 XXIX. 
XXIX. [TO THE SAME.]
 XXX. 
XXX. CHRISTEN LYNDESAY TO RO. HUDSONE.
 XXXI. 
XXXI. TO M. J. MURRAY.
 XXXII. 
XXXII. TO M. L. RUTHUEN, DUCHES OF LENNOX.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. A LADYIS LAMENTATIONE.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV. [THE SAME.]
 XXXV. 
XXXV. [THE SAME.]
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI. [THE SAME.]
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII. [THE SAME.]
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII. [THE SAME.]
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX. [TO HIS MAISTRES.]
 XL. 
XL. [TO THE SAME.]
 XLI. 
XLI. [TO THE SAME.]
 XLII. 
XLII. JAMES LAUDER.
 XLIII. 
XLIII. ISSOBELL YONG.
 XLIV. 
XLIV. EUFAME WEMIS.
 XLV. 
XLV. JOHN JHONSONE—JANE MAXWELL.
 XLVI. 
XLVI. HIS MAISTRES NAME.
 XLVII. 
XLVII. TO HIS MAISTRES MESSANE.
 XLVIII. 
XLVIII. TO M. D.
 XLIX. 
XLIX. [TO THE SAME.]
 L. 
L. OF MY LADY SEYTON.
 LI. 
LI. TO THE FOR ME.
 LII. 
LII. [TO THE SAME.]
 LIII. 
LIII. [TO THE SAME.]
 LIV. 
LIV. [ON HIS MAISTRES.]
 LV. 
LV. [ON THE SAME.]
 LVI. 
LVI. [ON THE SAME.]
 LVII. 
LVII. [ON THE SAME.]
 LVIII. 
LVIII. [ON THE SAME.]
 LIX. 
LIX. OF THE DULEWEID.
 LX. 
LX. [OF THE SAME.]
 LXI. 
LXI. [OF THE SAME.]
 LXII. 
LXII. THE POETS APOLOGIE TO THE KIRK OF EDINBURGH.
 LXIII. 
LXIII. THAT HE WROT NOT AGANSTE THE MADINS OF EDINBURGH.
 LXIV. 
LXIV. TO HIS MAJESTIE.
 LXV. 
LXV. From London
 LXVI. 
LXVI. LADYLAND TO CAP. A. MONTEGOMERIE.
 LXVII. 
LXVII. EȜECHIEL MONTG. ANSUEIR TO LADYLAND.
 LXVIII. 
LXVIII. LADYLAND TO EȜECH. MONTG.
 LXIX. 
LXIX. THE OLD MAISTER
 LXX. 
LXX. AGAINST THE GOD OF LOVE.
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MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.
 I. 
I. A DESCRIPTION OF TYME.
 II. 
II. THE OPPOSITIONE OF THE COURT TO CONSCIENCE
 III. 
III. ANE INVECTIONE AGAINST FORTUN;
 IV. 
IV. THE POETS COMPLAINT OF HIS NATIVITIE.
 V. 
V. THE POETS COMPLANTE AGAINST THE WNKYNDNES OF HIS COMPANIONS VHEN HE WES IN PRISONE.
 VI. 
VI. A LATE REGRATE OF LEIRNING TO LOVE.
 VII. 
VII. A COUNSELL AGANST DISPAIR IN LOVE.
 VIII. 
VIII. ECHO.
 IX. 
IX. [ADDRESS TO LOVE.]
 X. 
X. A DESCRIPTIONE OF VANE LOVERS.
 XI. 
XI. THE WELL OF LOVE.
 XII. 
XII. OF THE SAME WELL.
 XIII. 
XIII. THE COMMENDATIONE OF LOVE.
 XIV. 
XIV. [AGAINST LOVE.]
 XV. 
XV. [THE SOLSEQUIUM.]
 XVI. 
XVI. A REGRATE OF HARD LUCK IN LOVE.
 XVII. 
XVII. [ANE EXAMPLE FOR HIS LADY.]
 XVIII. 
XVIII. NATUR PASSIS NURITURE.
 XIX. 
XIX. [ADDRESS TO THE SUN.]
 XX. 
XX. [EVEN DEAD BEHOLD I BREATH.]
 XXI. 
XXI. [LOVE, IF THOU LIST.]
 XXII. 
XXII. [IN THROU THE WINDOES OF MYN EES.]
 XXIII. 
XXIII. [IF FAITHFULNES SULD FRIENDSHIP FIND.]
 XXIV. 
XXIV. [LYK AS AGLAUROS.]
 XXV. 
XXV. THE SACRIFICE OF CUPID.
 XXVI. 
XXVI. THE SECREIT PRAIS OF LOVE.
 XXVII. 
XXVII. [THE POETS LEGACIE.]
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII. [MELANCIIOLIE, GRIT DEPUT OF DISPAIR.]
 XXIX. 
XXIX. [THAT HIS HAIRT IS WOUNDIT.]
 XXX. 
XXX. [THE POET COMPLENES ON LOVE AND FORTUN.]
 XXXI. 
XXXI. [THE PERVERSITIE OF HIS INCLINATIONES THROU LOVE.]
 XXXII. 
XXXII. [THE POET REASONS WITH HIS MAISTRES.]
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. [THE POETS DREME.]
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV. [TO HIS MAISTRES.]
 XXXV. 
XXXV. [IN PRAIS OF HIS MAISTRES.]
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI. [SEN FORTUN IS MY FO.]
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII. [TO HIS MAISTRES.]
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII. [HE REJOISES, AS DID FORMERLY THE GREEKS.]
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX. [HE BIDS ADEU TO HIS MAISTRES.]
 XL. 
XL. [HE BEWAILES HIS WOFULL ESTAIT.]
 XLI. 
XLI. [THE NIGHT IS NEIR GONE.]
 XLII. 
XLII. [AN ADMONITIOUN TO ȜOUNG LASSIS.]
 XLIII. 
XLIII. [MONTGOMERIES WELCOME TO LORD SEMPLE, ON HIS RETURNE FROM FRANCE.]
 XLIV. 
XLIV. [HE PRAYIS TO HIS MAISTRES FOR PITIE.]
 XLV. 
XLV. [HE CALLIS ON DEATH TO RELIEVE HIM.]
 XLVI. 
XLVI. [DISPLEASUR, WITH HIS DEADLY DAIRT.]
 XLVII. 
XLVII. THE ELEGIE.
 XLVIII. 
XLVIII. THE NAVIGATIOVN.
 XLIX. 
XLIX. A CARTELL OF THE THRE VENTROUS KNICHTS.
 L. 
L. SANG ON THE LADY MARGARET MONTGOMERIE.
 LI. 
LI. A POEME ON THE SAME LADY.
 LII. 
LII. [A REGRATE OF HIS VNHAPPIE LUVE.]
 LIII. 
LIII. ANE ANSUER TO ANE INGLISS RAILAR PRAYSING HIS AWIN GENALOGY.
 LIV. 
LIV. ANE ANSWER TO ANE HELANDMANIS INVECTIUE.
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EPITAPHS.
 LV. 
LV. EPITAPH OF R. SCOT.
 LVI. 
LVI. EPITAPH OF THE MAISTER OF WORK, [SIR ROBERT] DRUMMOND OF CARNOK, [KNIGHT.]
 LVII. 
LVII. EPITAPH OF JOHNE AND PATRIK SHAUES.
 LVIII. 
LVIII. EPITAPH OF ROBERT, LORD BOYD.
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DEVOTIONAL POEMS.
 I. 
I. THE FIRST PSALME.
 II. 
II. THE SECONDE PSALME.
 III. 
III. THE POETS DREME.
 IV. 
IV. A GODLY PRAYER.
 V. 
V. A WALKNING FROM SIN.
 VI. 
VI. A LESONE HOU TO LEIRNE TO DIE.
 VII. 
VII. [AWAY! VANE WORLD.]
 VIII. 
VIII. [COME, MY CHILDRENE DERE, DRAU NEIR ME.]
 IX. 
IX. HIS MORNING MUSE.
 X. 
X. PSALME XXXVI.
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THE MINDES MELODIE.
  
PSALME I.
  
PSALME IIII.
  
PSALME VI.
  
PSALME VIII.
  
PSALME XV.
  
PSALME XIX.
  
PSALME XXIII.
  
PSALME XLIII.
  
PSALME LVII.
  
PSALME XCI.
  
PSALME CI.
  
PSALME CXVII.
  
PSALME CXXI.
  
PSALME CXXV.
  
PSALME CXXVIII.
  
THE SONG OF SIMEON.
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POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO ALEXANDER MONTGOMERIE.
 I. 
I. THE BANKIS OF HELICON.
 II. 
II. [MY LADYIS PULCRITUD.]
 III. 
III. [WHEN ȜE WERE PLESIT.]
 IV. 
IV. [QUHY SOWLD I LUVE.]
 V. 
V.

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PSALME XIX.

The firmament,
And heauens out-stent,
So excellent,
Thy handywork and glorious praise proclaim:
Each day to day
Succeeding ay
In their array,
And night to night, by course, doe preache the same.
253

No sound of breath nor speach
Of men haue they,
Ȝet eueriewhere they preache
Thy praise, I say.
Their lyne goeth out
The earth about:
Their voice is heard throughout the world so wide.
There he a throne
Set for the sunne,
And paylion plight, his mansion to abide;
Who, like a groome
Of great renoume,
Right braue doth come
From chamber straight, with comlie countenance;
Or, like a knight
In pleasant plight,
Doth haste with might
To runne the race, his honor to aduance.
His rysing and his race,
It doth appeare
Euen from the out-most space
Of heauens spheare.
Then hes he taine
His course againe,
Through aȝurde sky, by reuolution right.
Nothing can be
Hid from the eye
And burning beames of that great lampe of light.
God's word is cleare;
His law sinceere,
And most enteere,
254

The sinfull soule to him for to conuert:
His precepts pure,
Both firme and sure,
And can allure,
And make right wise the sober simple heart.
Thy ways and statutes all
Are righteousnesse,
Which glad the soules in thrall,
With joyfulnesse:
They giue cleare light
To our blinde sight.
Thy feare is pure, and euer permanent:
Thou cannot rew:
Thy judgments trew
And righteous are, O Lord Omnipotent.
Much gold of price,
Refyned twyce,
Ȝea, more than thryce,
Is not in worth with them for to be valude:
The honie white,
Pure and perfite,
Mouing delite,
Is not so sweete, nor so much to be craued.
They make thy seruants wise
And circumspect;
And, what to enterprise,
They him direct.
In keeping them,
Great is the gaine,
And rich rewarde, for such lade vp for euer.
Bot who can count
Sinnes that surmount?
From secreet sins, good Lord, my soule deliuer.
255

O Lord, vouchsaue,
I humblie craue,
Me for to saue,
And cleanse my hart from proud presumptuous sin:
Then shall I bee
From sinnes set free,
That troubles mee.
Preserue me, Lord, that I walke not therein;
And let them not preuaile,
Me to possesse:
Then I will, without faile,
Loue righteousnesse.
Accept my plaint,
Which I present
Before thy sight, with humble hart and voice.
My strength and stay
Thou art for ay,
And Sauiour sweete, in whom I do rejoyce.
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