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

Hou oft throu compass of the christall skyis—
Hou oft throu voyd and watrie vaults of air—
Hou oft throu cluds vhair exhalations lyis—
Hou oft, Cupido, vnto thyn auin repair,
For sacrifice, haif I sent sighing sair,
Accompanied with sharpe and bitter teirs?
Hou oft haif I—thou knauis hou, vhen, and vhair—
Causd my complante ascend into thy eirs?
Suppose thou sees not, ȝit I hope thou heirs,
Or otherwyse, but dout, I suld dispair.
Releiv my breist, that sik a burthen beirs,
And thou sall be my maister evermair;

And I sall be thy seruand, in sik sort
To merit thy mantenance, if I may.
My pen thy princely pussance sall report:
Ȝea, I sall on thyn alter, evrie day,
Tua turtle dous, for ane oblatione, lay;
A pair of pigeons, vhyt as ony flour;
A harte of wax; a branch of myrhe; and ay
The blood of sparouis thairon sprinkle and pour.
Ȝea, I sall, for thyn honour, evrie hour,
In songs and sonets sueetly sing and say,
Tuyse or atanes, “Vive, vive l'amour!”
And sa my voues I promise for to pay.

168

Triumphantly thy trophee sall I trim;
Quhair I sall brave and gallant buitings bring,
And wryt thairon: “Behold the spoills of him
Quha, for his conqueis, may be calde a king.”
My happy harte thair highest sall I hing,
In signe that thou by victorie it wan;
A rubie rich, within a royal ring,
Quhilk first I got vhen I to love began.
Als willing nou, as I ressavt it than,
To thee my self, with service, I resigne.
Quhat wald a maister wish mair of his man,
Then till obey his thoght in evry thing?

Bot, oh! as one that in a rageing ravis,
Bereft of baith his resone and his rest,
Compeld to cry, bot knauis not vhat he craivis,
Impatient throu poysone of his pest:
So do I nou, mair painfully opprest,
Hope help at him, vhais help culd nevir heall,
Bot, be the contrair, martyr and molest.
Forgive me, Cupid, I confess I faill,
To crave the thing that may me not availl;
Ȝit, to the end I may my grief digest,
Anis burne hir breist, that first begouth my baill,
That sho may sey vhat sicknes me possest.