Poems of James Graham: Marquis of Montrose ... With introduction and notes by J. L. Weir ... and a preface by the Rt. Hon. Lord Tweedsmuir |
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| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
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| XIII. |
 | Poems of James Graham: Marquis of Montrose |  |
18
IV
SOME LYNES ON THE KILLING OF YE EARLE OF NEWCASTELL'S SONNE'S DOGE
By ye Marquess Hamilton, in the Queen's Garden at Yorke. Written there by the Earle of Montrois.
Heir layes a doge, quhosse qualities did plead,Such fatall end from a Renouned blade,
And blame him not, though he succumbed now,
For Hercules could not combat against two;
For whilst he on hes foe revenge did take
He manfully was killed behind his back.
Then say to eternize the curr thats gone,
He flech't the Mayden sword of Hamiltone.
19
V
MONTROSE TO HIS MISTRESS
PART FIRST
My dear and only Love, I pray
This noble World of thee,
Be govern'd by no other Sway
But purest Monarchie.
For if Confusion have a Part,
Which vertuous Souls abhore,
And hold a Synod in thy Heart,
I'll never love thee more.
This noble World of thee,
Be govern'd by no other Sway
But purest Monarchie.
For if Confusion have a Part,
Which vertuous Souls abhore,
And hold a Synod in thy Heart,
I'll never love thee more.
Like Alexander I will reign,
And I will reign alone,
My Thoughts shall evermore disdain
A Rival on my Throne.
He either fears his Fate too much,
Or his Deserts are small,
That puts it not unto the Touch,
To win or lose it all.
And I will reign alone,
My Thoughts shall evermore disdain
A Rival on my Throne.
He either fears his Fate too much,
Or his Deserts are small,
That puts it not unto the Touch,
To win or lose it all.
20
But I must rule, and govern still,
And always give the Law,
And have each Subject at my Will,
And all to stand in awe.
But 'gainst my Battery if I find
Thou shun'st the Prize so sore,
As that thou set'st me up a Blind,
I'll never love thee more.
And always give the Law,
And have each Subject at my Will,
And all to stand in awe.
But 'gainst my Battery if I find
Thou shun'st the Prize so sore,
As that thou set'st me up a Blind,
I'll never love thee more.
Or in the Empire of thy Heart,
Where I should solely be,
Another do pretend a Part,
And dares to Vie with me,
Or if Committees thou erect,
And goes on such a Score,
I'll sing and laugh at thy Neglect,
And never love thee more.
Where I should solely be,
Another do pretend a Part,
And dares to Vie with me,
Or if Committees thou erect,
And goes on such a Score,
I'll sing and laugh at thy Neglect,
And never love thee more.
But if thou wilt be constant then,
And faithful of thy Word,
I'll make thee glorious by my Pen,
And famous by my Sword.
I'll serve thee in such noble Ways
Was never heard before:
I'll crown and deck thee all with Bays,
And love thee evermore.
And faithful of thy Word,
I'll make thee glorious by my Pen,
And famous by my Sword.
I'll serve thee in such noble Ways
Was never heard before:
I'll crown and deck thee all with Bays,
And love thee evermore.
21
My dear and only Love, take heed,
Lest thou thy self expose,
And let all longing Lovers feed
Upon such Looks as those.
A Marble Wall then build about,
Beset without a Door;
But thou let thy Heart fly out,
I'll never love thee more.
Lest thou thy self expose,
And let all longing Lovers feed
Upon such Looks as those.
A Marble Wall then build about,
Beset without a Door;
But thou let thy Heart fly out,
I'll never love thee more.
Let not their Oaths, like Vollies shot,
Make any Breach at all;
Nor Smoothness of their Language plot
Which way to scale the Wall;
Nor Balls of Wild-fire Love consume
The Shrine which I adore:
For if such Smoak about thee fume,
I'll never love thee more.
Make any Breach at all;
Nor Smoothness of their Language plot
Which way to scale the Wall;
Nor Balls of Wild-fire Love consume
The Shrine which I adore:
For if such Smoak about thee fume,
I'll never love thee more.
I think thy Virtues be too strong
To suffer by Surprise:
Which Victual'd by my Love so long,
Their Siege at length must rise,
And leave thee ruled in that Health
And State thou was before:
But if thou turn a Common-Wealth,
I'll never love thee more.
To suffer by Surprise:
Which Victual'd by my Love so long,
Their Siege at length must rise,
And leave thee ruled in that Health
And State thou was before:
But if thou turn a Common-Wealth,
I'll never love thee more.
22
But if by Fraud, or by Consent,
Thy Heart to Ruine come,
I'll sound no Trumpet as I wont,
Nor march by Tuck of Drum:
But hold my Arms, like Ensigns, up,
Thy Falshood to deplore,
And bitterly will sigh and weep,
And never love thee more.
Thy Heart to Ruine come,
I'll sound no Trumpet as I wont,
Nor march by Tuck of Drum:
But hold my Arms, like Ensigns, up,
Thy Falshood to deplore,
And bitterly will sigh and weep,
And never love thee more.
I'll do with thee as Nero did
When Rome was set on fire;
Not only all Relief forbid,
But to a Hill retire;
And scorn to shed a Tear to see
Thy Spirit grown so poor:
But smiling, sing until I die,
I'll never love thee more.
When Rome was set on fire;
Not only all Relief forbid,
But to a Hill retire;
And scorn to shed a Tear to see
Thy Spirit grown so poor:
But smiling, sing until I die,
I'll never love thee more.
Yet for the Love I bare thee once,
Lest that thy Name should die,
A Monument of Marble-stone
The Truth shall testifie;
That every Pilgrim passing by,
May pity and deplore
My Case, and read the Reason why
I can love thee no more.
Lest that thy Name should die,
A Monument of Marble-stone
The Truth shall testifie;
That every Pilgrim passing by,
May pity and deplore
My Case, and read the Reason why
I can love thee no more.
The golden Laws of Love shall be
Upon this Pillar hung;
A simple Heart, a single Eye,
A true and constant Tongue.
Let no Man for more Love pretend
Than he has Hearts in store:
True Love begun shall never end;
Love one and love no more.
Upon this Pillar hung;
A simple Heart, a single Eye,
A true and constant Tongue.
23
Than he has Hearts in store:
True Love begun shall never end;
Love one and love no more.
Then shall thy Heart be set by mine,
But in far different Case:
For mine was true, so was not thine,
But lookt like Janus Face.
For as the Waves with every Wind,
So sails thou every Shore,
And leaves my constant Heart behind,
How can I love thee more?
But in far different Case:
For mine was true, so was not thine,
But lookt like Janus Face.
For as the Waves with every Wind,
So sails thou every Shore,
And leaves my constant Heart behind,
How can I love thee more?
My Heart shall with the Sun be fix'd
For Constancy most strange,
And thine shall with the Moon be mix'd,
Delighting ay in Change.
Thy Beauty shin'd at first most bright,
And wo is me therefore,
That ever I found thy Love so light,
I could love thee no more.
For Constancy most strange,
And thine shall with the Moon be mix'd,
Delighting ay in Change.
Thy Beauty shin'd at first most bright,
And wo is me therefore,
That ever I found thy Love so light,
I could love thee no more.
The misty Mountains, smoaking Lakes,
The Rocks resounding Echo;
The whistling Wind that Murmur makes,
Shall with me sing Hey ho.
The tossing Seas, the tumbling Boats,
Tears droping from each Shore,
Shall tune with me their Turtle Notes,
I'll never love thee more.
The Rocks resounding Echo;
The whistling Wind that Murmur makes,
Shall with me sing Hey ho.
The tossing Seas, the tumbling Boats,
Tears droping from each Shore,
Shall tune with me their Turtle Notes,
I'll never love thee more.
24
As doth the Turtle chaste and true
Her Fellow's Death regrete,
And daily mourns for his Adieu,
And ne'er renews her Mate;
So though thy Faith was never fast,
Which grieves me wond'rous sore,
Yet I shall live in Love so chast,
That I shall love no more.
Her Fellow's Death regrete,
And daily mourns for his Adieu,
And ne'er renews her Mate;
So though thy Faith was never fast,
Which grieves me wond'rous sore,
Yet I shall live in Love so chast,
That I shall love no more.
And when all Gallants rides about
These Monuments to view,
Whereon is written in and out,
Thou traiterous and untrue;
Then in a Passion they shall pause,
And thus say, sighing sore,
Alas! he had too just a Cause
Never to love thee more.
These Monuments to view,
Whereon is written in and out,
Thou traiterous and untrue;
Then in a Passion they shall pause,
And thus say, sighing sore,
Alas! he had too just a Cause
Never to love thee more.
And when that tracing Goddess Fame
From East to West shall flee,
She shall Record it to thy Shame,
How thou hast loved me;
And how in Odds our Love was such,
As few has been before;
Thou loved too many, and I too much,
That I can love no more.
From East to West shall flee,
She shall Record it to thy Shame,
How thou hast loved me;
And how in Odds our Love was such,
As few has been before;
Thou loved too many, and I too much,
That I can love no more.
25
VI
SOVEREIGNTY IN DANGER
Can little Beasts with Lions roar,
And little Birds with Eagles soar;
And little Birds with Eagles soar;
Can shallow Streams command the Seas,
And little Ants the humming Bees?
And little Ants the humming Bees?
No, no, no, no, it is not meet
The Head should stoup unto the Feet.
The Head should stoup unto the Feet.
26
VII
ON THE FAITHLESSNESS AND VENALITY OF THE TIMES
Unhappy is the Man
In whose Breast is confin'd
The Sorrows and Distresses all
Of an afflicted Mind.
In whose Breast is confin'd
The Sorrows and Distresses all
Of an afflicted Mind.
The Extremity is great,
He dies if he conceal,
The World's so void of secret Friends,
Betray'd if he reveal.
He dies if he conceal,
The World's so void of secret Friends,
Betray'd if he reveal.
Then break afflicted Hearts,
And live not in these Days,
When all prove Merchants of their Faith,
None trusts what other says.
And live not in these Days,
When all prove Merchants of their Faith,
None trusts what other says.
For when the Sun doth shine,
Then Shadows do appear;
But when the Sun doth hide his Face,
They with the Sun retire.
Then Shadows do appear;
But when the Sun doth hide his Face,
They with the Sun retire.
27
Some Friends as Shadows are,
And Fortune as the Sun;
They never proffer any Help
Till Fortune first begun.
And Fortune as the Sun;
They never proffer any Help
Till Fortune first begun.
But if in any Case
Fortune shall first decay,
Then they as Shadows of the Sun,
With Fortune run away.
Fortune shall first decay,
Then they as Shadows of the Sun,
With Fortune run away.
28
VIII
SYMPATHY IN LOVE
There's nothing in this World can prove
So true and real Pleasure,
As perfect Sympathy in Love,
Which is a real Treasure.
So true and real Pleasure,
As perfect Sympathy in Love,
Which is a real Treasure.
The purest Strain of perfect Love
In Vertue's Dye and Season,
Is that whose Influence doth move,
And doth convince our Reason.
In Vertue's Dye and Season,
Is that whose Influence doth move,
And doth convince our Reason.
Designs attend, Desires give place,
Hopes had no more availeth;
The Cause remov'd the Effect doth cease,
Flames not maintain'd soon faileth.
Hopes had no more availeth;
The Cause remov'd the Effect doth cease,
Flames not maintain'd soon faileth.
The Conquest then of richest Hearts,
Well lodg'd and trim'd by Nature,
Is that which true Content imparts,
Where Worth is join'd with Feature.
Well lodg'd and trim'd by Nature,
Is that which true Content imparts,
Where Worth is join'd with Feature.
29
Fill'd with sweet Hope then must I still
Love what's to be admired;
When frowning Aspects cross the Will,
Desires are more endeared.
Love what's to be admired;
When frowning Aspects cross the Will,
Desires are more endeared.
Unhappy then unhappy I,
To joy in tragick Pleasure,
And in so dear and desperate Way
T'abound yet have no Treasure.
To joy in tragick Pleasure,
And in so dear and desperate Way
T'abound yet have no Treasure.
Yet will I not of Fate despair,
Time oft in End relieveth,
But hopes my Star will change her Air,
And joy where now she grieveth.
Time oft in End relieveth,
But hopes my Star will change her Air,
And joy where now she grieveth.
30
IX
SPEECHLESS GRIEF
Burst out my Soul in Main of Tears,
And thou my Heart Sighs Tempest move,
My Tongue let never Plaints forbear,
But murmure still my crossed Love;
Combine together all in one,
And thunder forth my tragick Moan.
And thou my Heart Sighs Tempest move,
My Tongue let never Plaints forbear,
But murmure still my crossed Love;
Combine together all in one,
And thunder forth my tragick Moan.
But, tush, poor Drop, cut Breath, broke Air,
Can you my Passions [ere] express?
No: rather but augment my Care,
In making them appear the less.
Seeing [that] but from small Woes Words do come,
And great ones they sing always dumb.
Can you my Passions [ere] express?
No: rather but augment my Care,
In making them appear the less.
Seeing [that] but from small Woes Words do come,
And great ones they sing always dumb.
My swelling Griefs then bend your self
This fatal Breast of mine to fill,
The Center where all Sorrows dwell,
The Limbeck where all Griefs distil,
That silent thus in Plaints, I may
Consume and melt myself away.
This fatal Breast of mine to fill,
The Center where all Sorrows dwell,
The Limbeck where all Griefs distil,
That silent thus in Plaints, I may
Consume and melt myself away.
31
Yet that I may contented die,
I only wish, before my Death,
Transparent that my Breast may be,
E're that I do expire my Breath;
Since Sighs, Tears, Plaints, express no Smart,
It might be seen into my Heart.
I only wish, before my Death,
Transparent that my Breast may be,
E're that I do expire my Breath;
Since Sighs, Tears, Plaints, express no Smart,
It might be seen into my Heart.
32
X
IN PRAISE OF WOMEN
When Heav'ns great Jove had made the World's round Frame,
Earth, Water, Air, and Fire; above the same,
The rolling Orbs, the Planets, Spheres, and all
The lesser Creatures, in the Earth's vast Ball:
But, as a curious Alchimist, still draws
From grosser Mettals finer, and from those
Extracts another, and from that again
Another that doth far excel the same.
So fram'd he Man of Elements combin'd
T'excel that Substance where he was refin'd:
But that poor Creature, drawn from his Breast
Excelleth him, as he excell'd the rest:
Or as a stubborn Stalk, whereon there grows
A dainty Lilly or a fragrant Rose;
The Stalk may boast, and set its Vertues forth,
But take away the Flow'r, where is its Worth?
But yet, fair Ladies, you must know
Howbeit I do adore you so:
Reciprocal your Flames must prove,
Or my Ambition scorns to love:
A Noble Soul doth still abhore
To strike, but where its Conquerour.
33
XI
HIS METRICAL VOW
Great, Good and Just, could I but rate
My Grief to Thy too Rigid Fate!
I'd weep the World in such a Strain,
As it would once deluge again:
But since Thy loud-tongu'd Blood demands Supplies,
More from Briareus Hands, than Argus Eyes,
I'll tune Thy Elegies to Trumpet-sounds,
And write Thy Epitaph in Blood and Wounds!
34
XII
HIS METRICAL PRAYER
Let them bestow on ev'ry Airth a Limb;
Open all my Veins, that I may swim
To Thee my Saviour, in that Crimson Lake;
Then place my pur-boil'd Head upon a Stake;
Scatter my Ashes, throw them in the Air:
Lord (since Thou know'st where all these Atoms are)
I'm hopeful, once Thou'lt recollect my Dust,
And confident Thou'lt raise me with the Just.
| Poems of James Graham: Marquis of Montrose | |