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Poems of John Stewart of Baldyneiss

From the MS. in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh: Edited by Thomas Crockett

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IN NAME OF ANE AMORUS LADIE.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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115

IN NAME OF ANE AMORUS LADIE.

Perturbit is my pansiwe spreit,
Beset about vith saddest smart,
Sutch contrarieteis dois fleit,
Oppressing my perplexit part.
It veill accordis vith my hart
To luife quhair luife hes meed me thrall,
Bot Reson sayis, “pull back that dart,
And rather chose thy peregall.”
Sen I am frie to scherse my peir,
I knaw my freinds vill so desyn;
Bot than sall I vith cairfull cheir
Drywe out my duilfull dayis in pyn,
Sen that this luifing hart of myn
Hes chosin ane Inferior,
To quhom my nature dois Inclyn
To luif as my superior.
The falcon fair in till hir flycht,
Espying furth hir plesand pray,
Quhyls on ane litle lark vill lycht
And for ane greatter foull effray.
Sir Icarus, In till his vay
Quhan he for fleing meed him boune,
So hichlie did him self assay,
His feddrum faild, And he fell doune.

116

I mycht exemples monie find
for this my mening manifest:
Gods law in lykwayis dois me bind
To chose the man quhom I luif best.
for better var vith mynd at rest
So till obteine my harts desyr,
Than dalie ay in dolor drest
To reule abowe ane great Impyr.
The meine estate in mirrines
But dainger standith maist secuir;
The moir of mycht that we posses,
The moir of trubill ve Induir.
The prowerbe plaine doith vs assuir
Thay haif aneuch that ar content,
And suddan fall may tham InIuir
Quho clymmyng vp dois suiftlie sprent.
Bot ȝit my honor dois reclame
from this my foirsaid sentence far.
Sall I my former famus fame
So for my vanton vill debar?
Me to guwerne It better var
Be counsell of my freindis vyse,
And not to schaw my self so har
In ane venerian Interpryse.
Remembring on my nobill race,
And to lat sic effection cuill,
In this contrarius state, alace,
I plungit am in painfull puill.
for sall I So in dalie duill
Doune cast my self, abiectit so
In playing schamfullie the fuill
As Medea, And vthers mo?

117

Na. first sall I torment in greife,
Quhill cairfull corps consume in ly,
Or that I virk sic mad mischeife.
O than quhat frantick fuill var I?
Ȝe luifers leill, that standis by,
haif reuth vpon my endles paine:
O Cupid keine, on the I cry
for to pull bak thy dart againe,
Quhilk griwouslie brings me to grawe
Vith hawie hart And mirthles mynd:
And him agains my vill I lawe
To quhom I am So far Inclynd.
Quhan sall my dayis to end be pynd?
Quhan sall my vofull veird compleit,
Quhan I efter my constant kynd
May rander vp ane faythfull spreit?