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VVoundit I am and in my breist expresse,
Ane dart obscure lies lurken priuilie:
Nocht onely lufe throuch my corps dois acres
Bot dolour daily dois augment in me.
Quho schot the schaft and strucke the straik trulie,
The name na waies I dare expreme nor tell:
For lufe, I say, may neuer thole nor see,
The sight or contemplatioun of it sell.
Quhairthrow the perrells greter are I say,
Nor is the domage of my skaith indeid:
No helpe of helth I thinke in ony way.
May medecene giue, my pains for to remeid.
Be what way than; can I cum ony speid,
To plucke my selfe from yis cairfull consait.
Alas, quhat sall I do now into neid,
I may be countit in ane stackren stait.
I murne, I plene in anguisch and in baill,
And not but caus to cares I do incline,
Seeing no helpe of counsall can awaill,
Vnto my persoun quhilk remains in pine.
Of mony things sin I suffer reuine,
Of mony things I had gret mister to,
For oft times craft with pleasour dois propine,
The awin maister quhen he hes ado.
Bot gif my lufe discouer and lat see,
And in effect the face make sene and bair,


Quhairfra it come and quhat it selfe mot be,
And quha the armour dewly did prepaire:
Perchance the selfe sic esperance micht spaire,
That it wald schortly make the awin remeid,
Hope, oft times helps the Maister into cair,
And oft times it dois him desaiue indeid.
Or gif it couer the face in sic a sort,
Throuch dolour and feir, that it may not be kend,
Or gif that lufe, sal neuer seike support,
Of helth, quhilk first that maladie man mend:
Perchance war things, sall cum me til offend,
Nor were the former, quhilk molestit me,
So sall it cum to passe into the end,
Into displesour for to duine and die.
Better it is to let things cum to licht,
For fire vnseene is vehement with reik,
Bot as for fire that is put into sicht,
Ye se it is mair moderate and meik:
And thairfoir now to Venvs will I speik,
Our life, our deid, and naturall nourishment,
All things are led and gidit be hir eik,
Sic is hir counsal and gouernement.