University of Virginia Library


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EARLY MISCELLANEOUS POEMS


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I. ANE CONFLICT TUIX LOVE AND RESSOUN.

Quhen Morpheus, wt his sleepie vaile,
Apollo's brightnes did assaile,
And forc'd him chainge his course,
Towards ye Ocean streamis,
To coole his burning beimis
In ould Neptunus' source,
And quhen the Night the Stigian caues had schroudit,
And ye Horizons of myne eyes o'rcloudit,
The Citherean boy in Airmes
Appeird then, sounding Loues alarmes.
Ane Ensigne displayed
In sing of ware he bair,
Quhose colours to declair
Ȝit maks my hert affrayed,
Resolu'd, by force, by subtil slight, or treassoune,
To siege, and sack the Rampier of my ressoune.
His campe was arm'd wt horrid night
As one quho lothed to sie ye Light,
A bow bent in his hand
He caryed to invaid
All such as durst wpbraid,
Or contrar his com̄and.
Inventing then all the Ingynes he can,
To brash my breast ye battery thus began.

4

Cup.
“Ȝeeld to his powar quho rules and ringis
Both ower mein men, and o're kingis;
Quhose schafts hath ay subdued
Ye most heroick hertis;
Quhose flames and deidly derts
No martiall mynds eschued;
Ȝeild thou and learne how to practize and proue
The heavinly Joyes, and suggared sweits of Loue.
“Once taist yat nectared delyte,
Of all pleasoures ye most perfyte,
To spend thy tender ȝeiris
In loves lascivious layes
Sporting thy ȝouthfull dayes
In Vens wantoune weiris:
O, so the springtyme of thyne age t'imploy,
It is to baith in oceanes of Joy.”
His speichis beutifully sainted,
And for ye present purpose painted,
Mou'd, (by thair chairming power,)
Against me to conspyre,
Ȝouth, courage, and desyer,
To haist my fatall houer;
Ressoune alone, to ratifie my right,
To Cupid then replyed, suolne wt dispicht:

R.
“Cease, serpent, seik no to subdue
And kill ane hert, bot for a vieu;
Thy pleasour is bot paine,
A dreame, a toy, a schadou,
Lyk to a blooming meadou,
Quhose pryd doth schort remaine.
Thy sweitest joyes proue oft in end most sowre,
Lyk to a fair sunschyne befoir a schoure.”

5

Ȝouth then, with courage and desyer,
All flaming in voluptuouse fyre,
Wt fervent mynds assayed
My Sences to suppryse,
Esteiming me wnwyse
To ressoune to be tyed,
So that, by only his adwyce and will,
My actiounes all must be directed still.

Z.
“Fy thou,” (quod ȝouth,) “faint is the spirit,
Of lytill vertue, worth, or merit,
Can tolerat to liue,
Thrall to an oyers will,
His humour to fulfill,
As he com̄and doth giwe.
Fy thou, contemne such servile slawischnes,
If any spunk of valour ye possesse.”

R.
“Peace, peace,” (qd ressoune), “stint thy tounge,
No lesse he profits hes bein dumbe;
Thoght thine owin eyes be blind,
Ȝit woldst thou teach ane oyer,
To saile wtout ane routher,
Contrair both waue and wind;
To losse ane Infinit and endles treassour,
In hope to gaine ye fleiting frooths of pleassour.”
I then perplex'd qt to performe,
To hazard or escheu ȝe storme:
To suime in sueatned seas
Now loues delights bereaues me:
Now feir of falling greeues me,
To such as raschly flies:
Sua, now to loue, now contrairely inclyn'd,
A field of fancies musterd in my mynd.

6

To flie I long'd, aboue all things;
Ȝit loth to trust in Cupid's wings,
Tuix danger and desyer,
Thus howering to and fro,
Ȝouth newer ceas'd to blo,
Forging affectiounes fyre.
Bot ressoune, then, perceauing my estait,
Wt wraithfull voice did thus begin to threat:

R.
“Art thus thy vertue rock'd asleepe,
Thy witt dround in a boundles deepe,
Thy senses so ensnared,
To sie and ȝit miskno
Ane labyrinth of woe,
For ye (puir wretch), prepair'd?
Behold h'ill proue, quho now doth ye promote,
Ane monstruouse Minotaur to cutt thy throate.
“Ane spytfull spidar, ewer spewing
Ye poysonous potioune of late rewing,
Ȝouths venemous infectioune;
In age, a doating madnes,
A schort abiding glaidnes,
A foolisch imperfectioune,
A basse-borne passioune schairce rype till rottin,
Tuix hatefull lust and Idilnes begottin.”

C.
Quod Cupid then: “Let ressoune raue;
Its not his counsell thou must craue;
Bot once his ȝock reject,
And proue yat divine pleassour,
That Joy beȝond all meassour,
First from aboue direct,
That heavinl[y] vniting of tuo mynds in one,
Quhich nothing can dissolue bot death alone.”


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R.
“Abstract,” (qd ressoune,) “then thyne eares
Ye chairming Sirenes songs qch hears,
Flie ye voluptuouse voice,
Quhich hes no other scope
But guyde ye on ye rock
Of thy perpetuell losse.
In tyme tak heid then, least too lait thou mourne,
Ye port is patent, bot wtout retourne.”

C.
“Behold,” (qd Cupid,) “ressounes schifts
Of false philosophie consists;
By sophistrie he schaues
Loues hon̄y to be gall,
A bait only to thrall
Such as obeys his lawes.
Bot quho into such Rhethorick reposses,
Lyfes sueitest joyes, and true contentmēt lossis.
“Since then, to the, consists our stryfe,
Of no lesse momēt then thy lyfe,
Present, befoir thyne eyes,
Ye cause of our dissentioune,
And ponder my intentioune
Wt ressounes fenȝied eyes.
Let yen thy hert discern quho best doth merit.
If subtile fraud, or faith, sould the inherit.”
My hert, elected then to judge,
Armies of diverse thotis did ludge;
Ȝit, out of judgments deepe,
Did loue in end prefer,
Quhose adversar did erre
And thus pronunc'd decreit:
Hencefoorth contemne, reject and banisch reassoune,
A crocodoil, wt tears obscuiring treassoune.

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“Giue place to loues cælestial force,
Quhich joynes tuo soules wtout diworce;
Quhose vertue and true power
No crosse can oght impaire,
Bot still growes mair and mair,
Quhen most it seimes to lowre.
Since then this heavinly essence thus doth proue,
Let death alone put period to thy loue.”

Finis be me, W. Mure.

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II. MES AMOURS ET MES DOULEURS SONT SANS COMPARISOUNE.

Quhill Beutie by a pleasant spring reposes,
Wt fairest schads of trees o'rschadoued, wnder;
Ye cooling air, wt calmest blasts, rejoyses
To sport hir wt hir locks, o'rcume wt wonder;
So then, admiring hir most heavinly featour,
I mervel'd much if scho was form'd by natour.
The smyling blinks, sent from hir wantoune eyes,
Had force to robe proud Cupid of his dairts;
Hir schamefast, blusching smyles quho ever sies,
Must pairt perforce, liuing behind yair herts.
I stuid astonisch'd, greedie to behold
So rair perfectioune as cannot be told.
B.
Scho then, perceauing me in thot perplex'd,
Wt voice angelicall did thus begin:
“Thy gesture doth bewray thy mynd is wexed,
Wt crosses compast and invironed in:
Schau then if loue, or qt misfortoune else,
Such sings of sorow in thy saule compellis.”

A.
“No crosse at all, fair dame, no force in loue
Can aght disquyet or perturbe my mynde.
Ye wonders now ar present me doth moue
To sie heavins excellence in humane kynd.”


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B.
“No, Cupid the molestis, cease to deny him.”

A.
“Fy, treacherouse loue, fond Cupid I defy him.”

Evin at this tyme the blindit god arywed,
His bow bent in his hand ready to nocke:
Bot qll he aim'd, of power quyte deprywed,
Himself he band in his awin flattring ȝocke.
Feeding his eyes on beuties tempting lookes,
His pain he thot to ease wt baited hookes.
C.
So boyl'd wt flames, vex'd both wt feir and teires,
Out of the anguisch of his hert did plaine:
“Ah, mackles dame, quhom all ye world admires,
Pitty, I pray, my never ceasing paine.
Do not thy rigour wnto me extend,
Quhome once no mortall durst presume t'offend.
“Bot now at last, o'rcume, I humbly ȝeild;
Save then or sloe ane captiue beggand grace:
Receaue, in sing that thou hes won the field,
Ye bow, ye schafts, ye quaver and ye brace,
Once qch I bruick'd, bot now wtout invy
I yeild to the, more worthie thame nor I.”
The homage endit, and ye goddesse airmed
Wt proud, presuming Cupid's conquered spoyle,
He then, remitted, fled away wnhairmed:
Bot, (woes me,) left behind his tort'ring toyle.
Scho, spying me ȝit wnacquaint in loue,
Hir new got dairts throught my puir hert did roue.

[B.]
“Sport now,” (scho sayes), “wt Cupid: boldly try him;
In loue if any force, no[w] proue, I pray:
Too lait, I feir, thow rew thou did espy him,
Thyne insolence 'gainst him or he repay.”
Disdainfully delywring thus hir words,
No small displeasour to my saule affordis.

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I, ȝit ane novice in my new learned airt,
Admir'd so quick a chainge from joy to woe;
Doubted myself; ewin gif it was my hert;
My tears, quhich trickling from myne eyes did go,
Bot (ah) in vaine, for ȝit my wound did bleede;
No spaits of teires culd quench ye boyling leede.
I flam'd, I fruise, in loue, in cold disdaine,
Dyed in dispair, in hope againe I liued.
All pleasours past agredg'd my present paine,
Hir froune did kill, hir smyle againe reviued.
Qll death I wish'd, lyf then refuised to liue me:
Liue qll I wold, death then propon'd to riue me.
Quhil in this weak estait, all meanes I soght
To be aweng'd on him quhose schaftes did greiue me:
Alace! ane faint persuit; I furthered noht.
For he, now Cupid, now a spreit, did liue me.
Thus metamorphos'd fled away for ayde,
In Beuties lippes, qr I durst not invaid.
Then favour beg'd, pitty moued hir consent
Rendir ye fortresse, and his suirest scheild.
Great searche I maid to mak ye wretch repent
His bold attemps, intreating him to ȝeild.
Bot nather prayers could prevaile nor wisses,
Then I resolued to kill him euen wt kissis.
Afrayed he fled then in hir eyes to hyde him,
Out of hir eyes into hir lipps againe.
“Stay, fond wretch, stay,” thus I beguth to chyde him,
“Or chuise hir hert, thou chainges oft in vaine.
Sua, as by the, our lipps els ar vnited,
Our herts als to conioyne may be invited.”

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Bot nothing could ye cruel spidar moue
To liue his hold, delichting in my woe:
Sche lykwyse, quhom I serued, bot scorn'd my loue,
Lauching to sie my trickling teirs doune go.
The more sche did perceaue increase my paine,
The more sche mach'd my loue wt cold disdaine.
Quhat then, sall I liue off my hope to speid,
And liue no more, cros'd wt consuming cair?
No! let hir froune and flit, yairs no remeid;
I liue resolued neaver to dispair.
Content I am, (and sua my faith deserwest,)
My spring be toylsume wt a pleasent herwest.

Finis, 1611.

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III. ANE REPLY TO I CAIR NOT QUITHER I GET HIR OR NO.

To pleid bot qr mutuel kyndnes is gain'd,
And fancie alone quhair favour hath place,
Such frozen affectioune I ewer disdain'd.
Can oght be impaird by distance or space?
My loue salbe endles quhair once I affect.
Ewin thoght it sould please hir my service reject,
Still sall I determine, till breath and lyfe go,
To loue hir quither scho loue me or no.
If sche, by quhose favour I liue, sould disdaine,
Sall I match hir wnkyndnes by prowing wngrait?
O no! in hir keiping my hert must remaine,
To honour and loue hir, more then sche can heat.
Hir pleasour can nowayes retourne to my smairt,
Quhose lyfe, in hir power, must stay or depairt.
Thoght fortoune delyt into my owirthro,
I loue hir quither scho loue me or no.
To losse both trawel and tyme for a froune,
And chainge for a secreit surmize of disdaine;
Loues force, and trew vertue to such is wnknowne,
Quhose faintnes of courage is constancies staine.

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My loyal affectioune no tyme sall diminisch.
Quhair once I affect my favour sall finisch.
So sall I determine, till breath and lyfe go,
To loue hir quither scho loue me or no.

Finis, 1614, 10 Octob.


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IV. ELEGIE.

Alace! qll I begin into my mynd to call
The tragick end of Icarus and his most fatall fall;
My stait yen worse then his, if any worse can be,
Convoyed wt duilfull death, ensues to end the fait's decree,
Lyk as he did presume, too hie wt borrowed pends,
Bot by the raiging force of floods o'rquhelm'd but mercie endis.
Sua qll aboue my bounds fondly I did aspyre,
Deceau'd by loues alluiring wingis, I fell in quenchles fyre,
In quhich alace I boyle but mercie or retourne.
Sche quhom I serue the fornace feeds, quhair my puir hert doth burne;
Bot causles is sche blaim'd, in hir no wayt remaines,
Nocht els bot cruell Cupid's ire my martyrdome constrainis.
In endles pain I liue, in furiouse flam̄s I fume,
Death still doth threat my dayes to end, I sie no other doome.
My passiounes ar extreame, my hert doth brist for woe,
My tears lyk water from a spring doune from myne eyes doth go.
Consum'd wt secreit sighs, but confort I remaine;
Ilk thing on earth gainst me conspyre to agravat my paine.
Bot most of all, alace! that sche by quhom I liue,
Feeling, by simpathie, my smairt, from death wold me reviue.
Bot (ah), the frouning faits, alwayes my fatall foes,
Noch bot our mynds permits to meet, to periodize our woes.
Ȝit thot ane perfyte end in loue ye faits deny,
Still sall I hir adoir and serwe, ewer till death envy:

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Resolu'd I am but chainge to loue hir qll I liue.
Let fortoune froune, the world invy, hir smyle will me reviue.
And thot, against my will, distant we must remaine,
Ȝit in a breist sall both our herts no more at all be tuaine.
Thoght crossis intervein to mak our myndis remoue,
Ȝit still sall I most constant liue, death sall dissolue my loue.

Finis, 1611.


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V. CHAUNSOUNE.

Calling to mynd the heauinly featour,
The baschfull blinks, and comely grace,
The forme of hir angelick face
Deckt wt ye quintascence of natour,
To none inferiour in place,
Oft am I forc'd,
Altho diuors'd
From presence of my deirests eyes,
The too slou day
To steil away,
Admiring hir, my smairt quho sies.
Thoght by myne eyes I sould distill,
And quyt dissolue in tears my hert
To satisfie hir causles smairt;
Ȝit rather sche delytis to kill,
Then any joy to me impairt.
Bot since ye faits,
Qch ruils all staits,
Such tragick luck to me doth threat,
Do quhat sche can,
Resolued I am
To loue hir more then sche can heat.

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Altho sche froune, sall I dispair?
Or, if it please hir prove wnkynd,
Sall I abstrack my loyal mynd?
O no! its sche must hail my sair.
For hir I loth no to be pyn'd.
Shee, I suppose,
Lyk to the rose,
The prick befoir ye smell impairts.
Hert-breking woes
Oft-tymes forgoes
The mirth of murning, martyred herts.

Finis,

1611.

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VI. ANAGRAME.

To the Cupido ȝeilds his golden dairt,
Quhoise name aboue both fame and envy flies;
No rair decoirment natour can impairt,
Qch doth not schyne in those sueit Angel's eyes,
Heauin's admiratioune, and ye world's terrour,
Earth's excellence, and loue's most machles mirrour.
A machles mirrour of vnstain'd renoune,
Quhair beutie, (by wnspotted puirnes graced,)
Adorn'd wt chest Dianais sacred croune,
(To tymes amaizment,) from above is plac'd;
So that to the, in nather earth nor heauin,
In all preferment, any match is giwin.
Na maches giuin to equall thy perfectioune
In diuin rairnes, vertue, worth, or witt.
Euin so, (the heauins doth kno,) in true affectioune,
In spotles loue, no maches I admitt.
Since then on earth machles we liue alone,
Justly, (sueit loue), we sould be mach'd in one.

Finis,

1614, W. Muir.

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VII. ANE REPROCH TO YE PRATLER.

Enviouse wretch, on earth ye most ingrait,
In Venus Court thy libertie is loissed,
Deseruing punischment as Momus mait,
Misconstruing ladies mirrily disposit.
If proud Ixion, in ye hels incloisit,
Doth suffer tortour on ye restles quheele,
Justly from all felicity depoisit,
Junois discredit quho did not conceale;
And if Acteon Cynthya's ire did feele,
Turn'd in a hert, (thus for a vieu revengit),
Much more thou, then, quho ladyes did reveale,
In worse then he demerites to be chaingit;
Form'd in a doge, to bark at such, most meet,
As chalmer talk divulgats on ye street.

Finis,

1614.

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VIII. TO YE TUNE OF PERT JEAN.

Fair goddes, Loadstar of delight,
Natours triumph, and beuties lyfe,
Earth's ornament, my hopes full hight,
My only peace, and pleasing stryfe
Let mercie mollifie thy mynd!
A Saturnes hert sould Venus haue?
Or sould thou proue to him wnkynd,
Quho humbly lyfe of ye doth craue?
Since all thy pairts sum special grace
Decoris, to schau thy heavinly race,
Vertue thy mynd, and loue thy face,
Proportioune braue thy featour,
Pitty then must neids haue place
In such a diuin creatour,
Quhose sueitnes
And meiknes
Exceids ye bounds of natour.
Quhen first thoise angel's eyes I vieued,
(Tuo sparks t'inflame a world of loue),
My fatal thraldome then ensued,
Then did my liberty remoue.
Thair first infected was my mynd,
Loues nectared poysoune thair I drank,
Thy sacred countenance so schyn'd
So far aboue all humane rank.

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Let then thoise eyes qch did insnair,
(Those schyning stares), thair fault repair,
Dispersing by thair beimes preclair
The clouds of thy disdaining.
Wosdome, vertue, beutie rair,
In the haue all remaining.
Let not then
Ye spot then
Of rigour be thy staining.
Sould crueltie, (sueit loue,) ecclips
Ye sunschyne of those glorious rayes?
Or sould thoise louely smyling lips
Breath foorth affectiounes delayes?
Let mercie countervail thy worth,
And measour pitty by my paine;
Sua, thy perfectiounes to paint foorth
Ane endles labour sall remaine.
Lat beuties beames then thau away,
(Reflecting only on ws tuay),
The ycinesse of loues delay,
And melt disdaines cold treassour.
Natours due so sall we pay,
Baithing in boundles pleassour,
Inioying
That toying,
Quhose sueits exceid all meassour.

Finis,

1615.

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IX. [ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME.]

[_]

[In this version the first two verses are the same as in the other, with the following exceptions:— Verse 1, line 2, has “Triumph of nature,” for “Natours triumph.” Verse 1, line 8, reads—“Quho lyfe of the alone doth craue.” Verse 2, line 6, has “potions,” for “poysoune.” Verse 3 is given here in full.]

Sould crueltie, sueit love, ecclipse
Those eyes quhos smyls seame voyd of wraith?
Or sould those soule enchanting lips
Pronounce the sentance of my death?
Banisch disdain, (my deirt), O spair
In guiltles blood thy hands to stayne!
Be bountifull as thow art fair,
Measur thy pitty wt my pain.
So shall my Muse rich trophes rayse
To eternize thy endles prayse,
Qll heavins haue stars, qll sune hath rayes,
Wt light all creatours cheering;
Qll Cupid's scepter earth o'rsweyes
Nor great nor small forbearing,
Thy prayse sall
Amaze all
Things sensible of heering.

Finis,

S. W. M., Rowallan.

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X. TO THE TUNE OF ANE NEW LILT.

Beutie hath myne eyes assailed,
And subdued my saulis affectioune.
Cupid's dairt hath so prevail'd,
That I must liue in his subiectioune,
Tyed till one,
Quho's machles alone,
And secund to none
In all perfectioune.
Since my fortoune such must be,
No chainge sall pairt my loue and me.
Wosdome, meiknes, vertue, grace,
Sueitnes, modestie, bontie but meassour,
Decks her sueit celestial face,
Rich in beuties heavinly treassour.
Joy nor smairt
Sall newer diuert
My most loyall hert
For paine nor pleassour.
Bot resolu'd, I auou, till I die,
No chainge sall pairt my loue and me.
Tyme nor distance sall have force,
(Altho by fortounes smyle invited),
Ws tuo ewer to diuorce,
By such a sympathie vnited.

25

True loue hates
Ye waw'ring estaits
Of such as ye faits
Hath chaing'd or retreited.
But recourse in any degre,
No chainge sall pairt my loue and me.
Deir! Let death then only finisch,
And alter alone our choyse and electioune.
Let no chainge our loue diminisch,
Nor breed from constancie any defectioune.
Time nor space,
No distance of place,
Sall ewer deface
Our fervēt affectioune.
Then, (sueit loue), thus let us decrie,
No chainge sall pairt ws qll we die.

Finis,

1615.

26

XI. ANE LETTER TO ANE MUSICALL TUNE.

Gaise, eyes, on nocht quhich can content ȝor sight,
Sad tragoedies behold alone!
Ears, heir no sounds quhich can afford delight,
Till sight and heiring both be gone!
Hands, forbeare to tuich
Oght ȝor tuiching can bewitch!
Ah! since scho doth disdain,
Eyes, ears, hands and heart,
Seing, heiring, feeling, smairt
All in one consort plain,
Since sche, alace!
Quhose bright angelick face
Did sett my woundit hert on fyre,
Will ȝeild no grace,
Regairdles of my cace,
Bot doth against hir awne conspyre.
Eyes, by ȝor streames of silwer trickling teares,
Regrait, since sche is butt remorce!
Ears, heir no sweits, since nothing sweit apears,
Qll thus the faits do us diworce!
Die, most haples heart!
Newer cease wt greif to smairt,
In tears and sighs consume.
Sorow, smairt and greiff,
Be only thy releiff,
Since sche hath giwin thy dome.

27

Oh, (sueit!) then scho
Compassioun on my woe,
Or lett no longer lyf remain.
Lyf giwes no more
To cuir my inward soare,
Bot ȝeilds the greatter sence of pain.
Hatred (alace!) for deirest loue I gain,
(Ay me!) this is my best rewaird,
And, for my paines, reaps wndeserwed disdain.
My serwice sche doth thus regaird,
Thot I plead in vain
Loue for loue of hir t'obtean,
And humbly begs remorce;
Thoght my tears doun rain,
Qch my sorowing cheiks do stain,
Such is hir bewties force
To charme my mynd,
To liue, alace, thus pynd
For hir, in such a ruefull stait,
Resoluing still
To wait wpon hir will,
And loue hir more then sche can heat.
Bot as the rose, in pulling, oft impairts
The prick, before the smell be found,
Sua may my Loue now, wt disdainfull dairts
Thocht sche my hert but mercie wound.
Sche the stroak did giwe,
Only sche must me reviue,
Thocht reuthles now sche proue.
Such ane heavinly face
Can not bot giwe pitty place,
And ȝeild at lenth to loue.
Sueit! then, the more
Thou heats, I sall adore,

28

And serwe the qll my breath be gone.
My changles mynd
No tyme sall mak wnkynd,
Bot death my loue sall end alone.

Finis,

S. W. M., Rowallan, Ȝoungar, 1616.

29

XII. HYMNE.

Help, help, O Lord! sueit saviour aryse,
Giwe ear unto my humble suits, and heir my wofull cryes,
My sorowing sighes, (guid Lord!), do not dispyse,
Awalk, my sillie saul, in sin qch too securely lyes.
Help (blessed Lord!) I pray,
Thy servant in distresse;
Haist, (sueit Jehova!) schune delay,
My hynous sins redresse.
Deir Father, I confesse
Still yat I ran astray;
Bot now recall me, not ye lesse,
Out of ye wandring way,
In quhich so long
I have gone wronge,
Alace!
Accompany'd wt bluid convoyes.
One drop afford,
O heavinly Lord!
Of grace,
And cloath my sorowing saule wt joyes.
Thyne ayde, O my creatour, I implore;
Withhold from me thy favour now no more;
Justly thot I deserued thyne ire,
And nothing bot hels fyre,

30

Ȝit, Lord, I humbly the requyre,
Contemne not my desyre.
Erect my puir dejected spreit,
Prostrat befoir thy mercies feete,
Full sore affrayed to pleid for grace,
Wnworthy to present thy face.
Ȝit suffer not, sueit Lord, I pray,
My silly saule decay,
Bot once remitt, wtout delay,
My sinis for now and ay.
Finis.

31

XIII. THE EPITAPH OF THE RYT VENERABLE, GODLY AND LEARNED FATHER GEORGE,

BE GRACE FROM GOD, ORDERLY CALLIT, AND BE HIS PRINCE APOYNTED TO BE GREATEST PRELAT IN SCOTLAND, ARCHBISCHOPE OF SANCTANDROIS.

Bereft of breath, ȝit nocht from lyfe depoised,
Heir lyes inclos'd Sanctandrois richest treassour,
A pearle but meassour hath ye word ill loossed
Quhoise mynd repoissed in no decaying pleassour,
A machles Phoenix, quho, from mein estait,
Becam a prelat and a prince's mait.
A painfull pastour, worthy such a place,
Too schort a space his natioune hath decoired;
Quho now restord to earth, doth rest in peace,
Receaued in grace, the heawins in sanctis hath stoired.
Quhoise corps t'intomb, glaid ar ye sensles stones,
Promou'd to honour by his buried bones,

In Zoilum

Thou then, quho by thy false and fenzied fact,
Strywes to detract this prudent prelat's name,
Bewar such schame becum thy suirest hap,
Thrawin from ye tap of fortoune to defame.
No blot, no blemisch, no defect, no moth
Presum'd to enter in so rich a cleath.

32

XIV. ANE EPITAPH (EFTER YE VULGAR OPINIOUNE)

WPON YE D(EATH) OF GEORGE GLAIDSTANES B. of S. A.

Glaidstones is gone, his corps doth heir duell,
Bot qr be his oyer halfe no man can tell.
The heauins doth abhor to ludge such a ghost,
Quho still, qll he liued, to Pluto raid post.
The earth hath expell'd him, as loathing such load,
Quho honoured Bacchus and no other god.
Since both then reiect him, t' this outcast of heavin
In midst of ye furies a place must be giwin;
Quhose covetouse mynd no richesse contented,
Bot heiping wp treassour wnmyndfull quho lēt it,
Till contrarie fortoun, by turning ye dyce,
Metamorphos'd his thowsands in milleounes of lyce;
Quhich endit ye dayes of this sensuall slaue,
Wnwordy the earth sould ȝeild him a graue.
By him quho wischeth that this wretches fait
May giwe exemple wnto ewery stait;
That hyer Powares be wt feir regairdit,
Or by this Athist's punischmēt rewairded.

Finis,

1615.

33

XV. THE EPITAPH OF THE WERY VERTUOUSE AND EXCELLENT GENTELUOMAN A. C. SISTER

TO ȜE RIGHT HONOLL THE LAIRD OF CAPRINTOUNE.

Ah! qt ecclipse, qt night of sad an̄oyis
Thus hath o'rschadoued Phoebus' schyning face?
Art natour's pryde, loue's mirrour, earthis true joyes,
Fled and evanischt in a moment's space?
Ah! art affectioune's florisch, beutie's vigour,
Crop't in the floure, and slain by Clotho's rigour?
Ah! art ye sunschyne of those machles beames
In sorowes seas so suddenly gone doune,
Lyk fleing schadoues, and deceauing dreames,
Tomorrou clay, today perfectioune's croune?
Ah! art ye world of hir rair Phoenix spoyld,
And earth's decoirment by death's furie soyld?
Ȝit nothing straunge, thot Joue chusd such a mait,
This age wnworthy such a braue ingyne;
And chaing't this mortal's mutable estait
For ay in immortality to schyne.
Thus sche, to quhom belou na mache's giuin,
Triumphs in endles glorie, mached in heauin.

34

Then happie nimph, quhoise spreit in peace repoises,
Fred of all chainge and to na frailtie thrall,
The tomb thryse happie, qch thy corps incloises,
So happie ay, bot happiest nou of all,
That, as ye world did learne to liue by the,
Sua, by thy death, ye world may learne to die.
Be then comforted, ȝe, whom natour tyes
Wt weiping eyes this spectacle to vieu.
Heauins did afford, and now ȝe heauins denyes
This staige of toyes sould more retein thair due.
Since all must die, thē let no mortall froune,
Thot hyer powers do reclaime thair owin.

35

XVI. SAX LYNES WPON THE FALL OF SOMERSAIT.

Each man wt silence stopes his mouth, and heares
Sad newes wt wonder, bot my barren muse
Fain wold brust foorth, bot ȝit to wryt forbear[s];
Feir to offend must be my best excuise.
Since malice thrists for braue Ephestion's blood,
I'le wryt no Ill, nor dar I wryt no good.

36

XVII. EPITAPH OF THE WERY EXCELLENT, VERTUOUSE AND TRULIE HONOURED LADY, THE LADY ARNESTOUN.

Peace! wantone Muse, Leave now thy lovelie layes.
Here, here a sadder subject thou doth fynd.
Hence Helicon, hence Phoebus blooming bayes,
The sorowing Cypres now thy brows must bynd,
Ane Tragick Tokin of a mourning mynd,
Quhich fain wold wtter, (if it could for smairt,)
Thir latest dutyes of a dulefull hert.
Quhat ey so cruell must no melt in teares?
Qt flintie hert from sorow can refrain?
Qt ruthles care, this tragedy qch heares,
Can inward anguish smother and restrain?
O! sence wnsensible qch feeles no pain,
And, pittiles, doth not wt greif regrait
This ruefull object and wntymely fait.
Death hath subdued Wit, Vertue, Beutie braue,
By conquering hir in qm those all remain'd.
Nane humbler, meiker, modester, more graue,
Mor wyse, more worthy, natour ewer framed.
Few matches earth hath any quhair retain'd
So prudent, patient, pittifull, but pryde.
More courtesse, comelie creator newer dyed.

37

Then nothing strange thot Joue chus'd such a mait,
This age wnworthy such a rair ingyne,
And chang't this mortal's mutable estate,
For ay in im̄ortality to schyne;
Quho glorefied amidst the schads dewyne,
In place of wordlie transitorie toyes
Reaps now all plentie of Celestiall joyes.

Finis,

1616.

38

XVIII. VPON THE DEATH OF THE RICHT WORSCHIPFULL, VERTEOUSE AND WERY WORTHY GENTLEMAN, THE LAIRD OF ARNESTON ȜOUNGAR

Thou, thou, quhose lovelie schaip, of all admyr'de,
In robs most rich a richer spreit attyrd;
In quhom true vertue, worth and valour schynd;
In face a Venus, and a Mars in mynd.
Too sone, (alace!) in blossome of thyn age
Thy pairt is acted on this wordlie stage.
Ȝit happie, happie thou, in earth quho lyes!
Quhose ghost triumphes in azor-volted skyes!
Lou'd qll thou liu'd, of all, all now regrait
In ȝouthes Apryle thy far vntymelie fait.
Bot ah! no eyes can render store of teares
To mourne aneugh thy losse in such ȝoung ȝeares.
Then, (worthy ȝouth,) dear to thy freinds, adieu!
Heawins have reclaimed bot qt to thame was due.
Ane Angel's place far better doth beseame the,
For this inferiour fram could no conteane the.
For quhy, (braue ȝouth,) basse earth was far wnfitt
To comprehend such beutie, grace, and wit.
S. W. M., Rowallane, Ȝoungar, 1617.

39

XIX. [MUST I WNPITTIED STILL REMAIN].

Must I wnpittied still remain,
But regaird,
Or rewaird,
Nothing caird,
Bot by my sueitest slain?
Ah! sall I still contemned remain,
Still, alace!
Begging grace,
Bot in place
Of favor reap disdain?
Ȝit, most sueit,
I must no retreat,
Altho thou froun a quhyle.
Since my pain proceeds of the,
All is sueit it breeds to me,
If thou wouchaife bot on smyle.

40

XX. TO THE MOST HOPEFUL AND HIGH-BORN PRINCE CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES.

Machles Montgomery in his native tounge,
In former tymes to thy Great Syre hath sung,
And often ravischt his harmonious ear
Wt straynes fitt only for a prince to heir.
My muse, qch noght doth challenge worthy fame,
Saue from Montgomery sche hir birth doth clayme,
(Altho his Phoenix ashes have sent forth
Pan for Apollo, if compaird in worth),
Pretending tytyls to supply his place
By ryt hereditar to serve thy grace.
Tho the puir issues of my weak ingyne
Can add smal luster to thy gloryes schyne,
Qch, (lyk the boundles oceā), swels no moir,
Tho springs and founts infuis thair liquid stoir;
And tho the guift be mean I may bestow,
Ȝit, (gratiows prince,) my myt to thee I owe,
Qch I wt ȝeale present. O daigne to vieu
Those airtles measurs, to thee only due;
Qn thy auntcestors' passiouns I have schowne,
Iff, (but offence,) Great Charles, Ile sing thyne owne.
The most wnworthy of ȝor hy: Wassels, S. W. M.

41

XXI. THE KINGS MAIESTIE CAME TO HAMILTON ON MONDAY THE XXVIII IULY

[1617].
Burst furth, my Muse, Too long thou holds thy peace.
Paint furth the passions of thy new-borne joy:
Forbear to sing thy lovelie layes a space;
Leave wanton Venus and her blinded boy.
Raise vp thy voice and now, deare Muse, proclaime
A greater subject and a graver theame.
Since our much lov'd Apollo doth appeare
In pompe and pow'r, busked with golden rayes,
More brigt heir shyning on our hemispheare,
Nor that great planet, father of the dayes;
With boldnes offer at his sacred shryne
These firstlings of thy weake and poore ingyne.
Great Iames, whose hand a thre-fold scepter swayes,
By heavens exalted to so high a place,
Both crown'd with gold and never fading bayes.
Who keps three kingdoms in so still a peace,
Whose love, cair, wisdome, grace & high deserts
Have maid thee Monarch of thy subjects' harts.
Thogh thou by armes great empyrs may'st emprise,
Mak Europ thrall and over Asia reigne,
Yet at thy feet despysed, Bellona lyes:
No crownes thou craves which bloodie conqueis staine.

42

Whill others aime at greatnes boght with blood,
Not to bee great thou stryves, bot to bee good.
Whome snakie hatred, soule conceav'd disdaine,
Hart-rooted rancor, envy borne in hell
Did long in long antipathie detaine
To eithers ruine, as they both can tell.
Uniting them thou hast enlarged thy throne,
And maid devyded Albion all bee one.
O heavenlie vnion! O thryse happie change!
From bloodie broyles, from battells and debait,
From mischeifs, cruelties and sad revenge
To love and peace thou hes transformd our stait,
Which now confirmed, by thee before begunne,
Shall last till earth is circuit with the Sunne.
Jov's great vice-gerent, Neptun's richest treasure,
Earth's glorie, Europ's wonder, Britann's pryde,
Thy wit (lyk heaven) in such a divyne measure
This litle world so happilie doth guyd,
That Caesar, Trajan, Pompey, Alexander,
If now they liv'd, the place to thee might rander.
What wants in the (O king) heavens could impairt?
Or what is in thee not of highest pryce?
A liberall hand, a most magnifick hart,
A readie judgment, and a prompt advyse,
A mynd onconquered, fearcest foes to thrall,
Bright eye of knowledge: singular in all.
Thy waitchfull caire, thy ȝeale, and fervent love,
The Church, the laye, each high or low estaite
Long-since by many worthie deeds did prove;
Bot most of all by these effects of laite.
For thou affects amongst thy high designs
To build the Sanctuarie of the King of Kings.

43

Heavens therefore did thy royall grandeur guaird;
Thy Royall person from the cradle keap'd
From thousand plots t'eclips thy Sunne, prepair'd
By these who horror vpon horror heap'd
Their barbarous hands into thy blood to bathe
And mak thee (guiltles) object of their wrathe.
Thogh Anak's cursed children did repyne,
Yet heavens made Josua over them prevaill:
Thogh hellish harts envyd'd thy glories shyne,
Yet in the practise their attempts did faill.
But loe, thy mercie still to be admir'd!
Thou spared them against thee who conspyr'd.
For as in all thou second art to none,
To thee all kings in clemencie give place.
Thryce happie people rul'd by such a one,
Whose lyfe both this and after-tymes shall grace:
Long may thy subjects, are thy glasse outrunne,
Enjoy the light of thee, their glorious Sunne.
What Load-stone strange had such attractive force
To draw thee home-ward to these northerne parts?
Whill Mars the world affrights with trumpets hoarse,
Broyls inhumaine devyding humane harts;
Whill Belgium braine-sick is, France mother sick,
And with Iberian fyres the Alpes doe reik.
Most lyk that fishe, whose golden shape of late
Was to thee given, thy love to represent,
Which in the Ocean thogh she doe grow great,
And many foraine floods and shelves frequēt;
Yet not vnmyndfull of her native Burnes,
Thogh with great toyle, vnto them back returnes.

44

Rejoyce then, Scotland; change thy mourning weed;
Now deck thyselfe into thy best attyre:
And lyk a bryd advance thy chearfull head;
Enjoy with surfet now thy soules desyre;
Uncessantlie with sights importune heaven
That thou may long enjoy this gift new given.
Welcome, O welcome thryse, our glorious guyd;
A thousand tymes this soyle doth thee salute;
Welcome, O welcome, Britann's greatest pryde,
By thee which happie doth it selfe repute.
Thogh all-where welcome; yet most welcome heir;
Long haunt thir bounds, ere thou from hence retire.
Heir plesant plains alongst the crystall Clyd,
Which in a flowrie labyrinth her playes,
Heir blooming banks, heir silver brooks doe slyd,
Heir Mearle and Mavis sing melodious layes,
Heir heards of Deer defy the fleetest hounds;
Heir wods and vails and echoes that resounds.
Stay then, O stay, and with thy presence grace
That noble race, which famous by thy blood,
Long toyle and trouble glaidlie did embrace,
And wounded oft gusht furth a crimson flood,
In hazards great defending with renowne
The liberties and glorie of thy Crowne.
But leaving more to entertaine thyn ears
With airie accents, hoarse and homelie songs,
My solitarie Muse her selfe reteirs,
Un-usd abroad to haunt such pompous throngs.
Sua renders place that after emptie words
Thou may partack such as this soyle affords.
Sr. William Mure, younger: of Rowallan.