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The Poems of Alexander Montgomerie

Edited by James Cranstoun

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 I. 
 II. 
 III. 
 IV. 
 V. 
 VI. 
 VII. 
 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. 
 XXXVII. 
 XXXVIII. 
 XXXIX. 
 XL. 
 XLI. 
 XLII. 
 XLIII. 
 XLIV. 
XLIV. [HE PRAYIS TO HIS MAISTRES FOR PITIE.]
 XLV. 
 XLVI. 
 XLVII. 
 XLVIII. 
 XLIX. 
 L. 
 LI. 
 LII. 
 LIII. 
 LIV. 
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XLIV. [HE PRAYIS TO HIS MAISTRES FOR PITIE.]

Remember rightly, vhen ȝe reid,
The woe and dreid, but hope to speid,
I drie into dispair.
My hairt within my breist does bleid
Vnto the deid, vithout remeid;
I'm hurt, I wot not vhair.
Alace! vhat is the caus, think I,
But grace that I in langour ly?

198

The more I drink, more I desyr:
As I aspyre, the fervent fyre
My cairfull corps consume.
Me to torment, no tym ȝe tyre,
Baith bane and [lyre,] throu Cupids yre,
To dead, but ony dome.
I burne, I freiȝe in yce also;
I turne, for freindship, to my fo.
In prison sen ȝe hald my hairt,
Releiv my smart; drau out this darte
Furth of my bailfull breist.
Haif pitie on my painfull parte.
As by the carte men knoues the arte,
Both south, north, west, and eist,
Ȝe may persave my wounds ar grene,
I say, and look bot to my ene,
Quhais longsum looks my lyf beuryis.
Wo to the spyis first did suppryis
My hairt within ȝour hald!
Quhilk fast into ȝour fetters lyis,
In dout vhat wyse that feirfull syse
Pronunce thair sentence wald.
I quake for feir—my puncis lope—
I shake betuixt dispair and hope.
To crueltie if ȝe consent,
I am content, as patient,
Ȝour plesur to fulfill;
Or, pleis ȝour pitie to prevent
My grit torment, or I be shent,
Chuse ȝou to spair or kill.
I stand of death no vhitt affrayde:
Command, and ȝe sall be obeyde.