The Poems of Alexander Montgomerie :: :: University of Virginia Library

As Natur passis Nuriture,
Of Natur all things hes a strynd;
So evrie leving creature
Ay covets comounly thair kynd:
As buk the dae—the harte the hynd:
Lyk drauis to lyk, we sie this sure;
So I am aluayis of that mynd,
That Natur passis Nuriture.

Thoght Nuriture be of that strenth,
To war the Natur vhylis a wie;
Ȝit Natur ay prevailis at lenth,
As by experience we sie;
Except throu destinie it be
In some; vhilk does not long indure.
Vhat fortun will, may no man flie;
Bot Natur passis Nuritur

156

To prove this proverbe to be true,
Difficultie, I think, is nane,
By ald examplis past aneu,
Quharof I mycht haif tuentie tane.
Nou I will vse bot only ane,
Quhilk lang within my breist I bure,
And let the lave nou all alane;
Hou Natur passis Nuriture.

Thair wes a gentle girking gay,
Of plesand plume, and fair of flicht,
Quha wes so proud, vhen he wald pray,
That he outsprang all halks for hight.
He wes so lordly, for to light,
He wald not look vpon a lure;
Bot fleu, ay soaring, out of sight,
As Natur passis Nuriture.

The falconis folouit vhair he fleu;
To fang his friendship they war fane
Quharof so glorious he greu,
That he thair offers did disdane;
Quhilks vhen they sau they wroght in vane,
The formels fair auay they fure.
Ingratitude gets sik agane,
As Natur passis Nuriture.

This girking pearkit in a place,
Quharin ouer long he did delyt;
Quhill, at the last, throu love, alace!
He come acquantit with a kyt,
And quat his auld acquentance quyt.
Of his oun kynd he took no cure:
Wo worth the Weirds that had the wyt
That Natur ȝeildt to Nuriture!

157

Fra once hir company he vsit,
He greu so goked with that gled;
Blind love his reson so abvsit,
He suore that they suld neuer shed.
Fra sho with fedrit flesh wes fed,
Quhilk prayd befor on poddoks pure,
With tym sho tystit him to tred:
Thair Natur ȝeildt to Nuriture.

Hir meit of modeuarts and myce,
He changed in partridge, and in pout.
Ȝit Natur, nottheles, is nyce:
Thair brald a bissat neir about,
Quhilk vsd hir, vhen the halk fleu out,
Suppose they held it long obscure.
Do vhat ȝe dou, thair is no doubt
Bot Natur passis Nuriture.

Thair companie [it] wes not quyet,
Bot or they wist they wer beuryde;
And that throu pearking of a pyet
Besyde thame, vhilk thair palks espyde.
To tell the halk, in haist sho hyde,
The kyt wes palȝard and perjure.
The tersel troude not, vhill he tryde,
That Natur passis Nuriture.