Poems of Alexander Montgomerie And Other Pieces from Laing MS. No. 447: Supplementary Volume: Edited with Introduction, Appendices, Notes, and Glossary by George Stevenson |
 |
|
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. | VII. [FRESCHE FLUREIS FAIR, AND LUSUM LADIE QUHYTE.] |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
| XXX. |
| XXXI. |
| XXXII. |
| XXXIII. |
| XXXIV. |
| XXXV. |
| XXXVI. |
 | Poems of Alexander Montgomerie |  |
VII. [FRESCHE FLUREIS FAIR, AND LUSUM LADIE QUHYTE.]
Fresche flureis fair, and lusum ladie quhyte,
Off natouris work in erthe the maist perfyte,
Gewe eir vnto my wofull hewines:
This sedell schorte my sorrowis sall resyite,
And bitter greife, that dois my bowellis byte,
That toung, nor tyme, nocht trewlie can expres;
Bot being drewin throw dolour to distres,
Pane doithe me preis this paper to present,
In my absence, my langour to lament.
Off natouris work in erthe the maist perfyte,
Gewe eir vnto my wofull hewines:
This sedell schorte my sorrowis sall resyite,
And bitter greife, that dois my bowellis byte,
202
Bot being drewin throw dolour to distres,
Pane doithe me preis this paper to present,
In my absence, my langour to lament.
For as the seik in dainger oft is sene,
lang tyme he hoipis for help of medecein,
his sair to cuir, and dollour to remeid;
Sua haif I fund aganis my predestene,
The lang dissimulance of my cairis kene,
To my grit greife and sorrow to succeid;
Quhairthrow at lenthe, taisting the stoundis of deid,
Forceit I am ȝour mercie to Imploir,
To be my leiche, or dollour me dewoir.
lang tyme he hoipis for help of medecein,
his sair to cuir, and dollour to remeid;
Sua haif I fund aganis my predestene,
The lang dissimulance of my cairis kene,
To my grit greife and sorrow to succeid;
Quhairthrow at lenthe, taisting the stoundis of deid,
Forceit I am ȝour mercie to Imploir,
To be my leiche, or dollour me dewoir.
Oft in deserte I wander myne alone,
From day to nicht in mynd makand my mone,
Calling to count þe caussis of my cair.
Sum tyme guid hoip ȝour luiff trowis to obtane,
Sum tyme dispair byddis me lat it alane:
Ȝour hie estait to myne is na compair.
Sum tyme I think, quhairfoir sould I dispair,
Sen luiffe is blind, & fleis but Iudgement?
Quhair luiffe doith licht sould nane be miscontent.
From day to nicht in mynd makand my mone,
Calling to count þe caussis of my cair.
Sum tyme guid hoip ȝour luiff trowis to obtane,
Sum tyme dispair byddis me lat it alane:
Ȝour hie estait to myne is na compair.
Sum tyme I think, quhairfoir sould I dispair,
Sen luiffe is blind, & fleis but Iudgement?
Quhair luiffe doith licht sould nane be miscontent.
Sua esperance my fyrie flameis doith feid,
Prowoiking will in purpois to proceid,
Dryweand of tyme in rampart of the laife;
And I agre, thocht I sould suffer deid,
Tyme to prowyde, quhill tyme prowyde remeid,
For tyme of tymeis to luiffaris is releife;
Quhilk tyme, I dout nocht, gewe ȝe haid to preife,
And my trew pairt and Faythfull constantnes,
Bot sumtyme ȝe wald pitie my distres.
Prowoiking will in purpois to proceid,
Dryweand of tyme in rampart of the laife;
And I agre, thocht I sould suffer deid,
Tyme to prowyde, quhill tyme prowyde remeid,
For tyme of tymeis to luiffaris is releife;
Quhilk tyme, I dout nocht, gewe ȝe haid to preife,
And my trew pairt and Faythfull constantnes,
Bot sumtyme ȝe wald pitie my distres.
203
Christ, gewe my Breist war of the cristell cleir,
That my trew hairt in presence micht appeir,
With Iudgeing eis beffore ȝow to be sene,
Thair sould ȝe se ȝour portratour but peir,
Ȝour face so sueit to me that is sa deir,
Ȝour cheik, ȝour chin, ȝour lywelie cristell ene;
Thair sould ȝe se þe dairtis and arrowis kene,
quihilk in ȝour handis my bludie hert doith pers,
mair crewalie nor I can heir reherse.
That my trew hairt in presence micht appeir,
With Iudgeing eis beffore ȝow to be sene,
Thair sould ȝe se ȝour portratour but peir,
Ȝour face so sueit to me that is sa deir,
Ȝour cheik, ȝour chin, ȝour lywelie cristell ene;
Thair sould ȝe se þe dairtis and arrowis kene,
quihilk in ȝour handis my bludie hert doith pers,
mair crewalie nor I can heir reherse.
With perceing eis, fra that I did persaife
the guidlie gift þat natour to ȝow gaife,
Ȝour bewtie Bricht, ȝour bountie but compair,
the wantoune ȝouthe, quhilk libertie doith craiffe,
Fredome forsuik & vald na fredome haiff,
bynding myself to be ȝour pressoner;
my mynd also opprest with crewell cair,
Into ȝour will dois ȝeld without ane straik,
refuseand lyfe and Fredome For ȝour saik.
the guidlie gift þat natour to ȝow gaife,
Ȝour bewtie Bricht, ȝour bountie but compair,
the wantoune ȝouthe, quhilk libertie doith craiffe,
Fredome forsuik & vald na fredome haiff,
bynding myself to be ȝour pressoner;
my mynd also opprest with crewell cair,
Into ȝour will dois ȝeld without ane straik,
refuseand lyfe and Fredome For ȝour saik.
O sueit, contreit, my spreit talk in ȝour hauld,
With hert Inwart, conwert my cairis cauld;
lang thocht hes socht, and brocht me to this place;
persaife ȝour slaiff, ȝe hawe me as ȝe wald,
heir to fulfill ȝour will, my ffeit I fawld;
Sen I apply, deny me nocht ȝour grace,
In neid, vith speid, remeid my crewall caiss;
It war to Far to mar me but offence,
Sen stay ȝe may alway my wiolence.
With hert Inwart, conwert my cairis cauld;
lang thocht hes socht, and brocht me to this place;
persaife ȝour slaiff, ȝe hawe me as ȝe wald,
heir to fulfill ȝour will, my ffeit I fawld;
Sen I apply, deny me nocht ȝour grace,
In neid, vith speid, remeid my crewall caiss;
It war to Far to mar me but offence,
Sen stay ȝe may alway my wiolence.
Sueit thing, conding, benyng of memorie,
my Paneis to lane war wane but remedie;
But sen ȝe ken quhairin the mater standis,
my sair dispair prepair to pacifie.
hawe reuthe, with trewth, let nocht ȝour schiruand[is]
For stownd of wond ar found amang ȝour handis;
Bot sen ȝe ken that men ar in ȝour bandis,
Crowall at all ȝe wilbe callit awayis,
to sla þe man that ȝeldis at ȝour deuyse.
my Paneis to lane war wane but remedie;
But sen ȝe ken quhairin the mater standis,
my sair dispair prepair to pacifie.
hawe reuthe, with trewth, let nocht ȝour schiruand[is]
204
Bot sen ȝe ken that men ar in ȝour bandis,
Crowall at all ȝe wilbe callit awayis,
to sla þe man that ȝeldis at ȝour deuyse.
Finis. Amen. quod I Nisbit.
| Poems of Alexander Montgomerie | |