Poem by Alexander Montgomerie

Sonnet 37. “My plesuris past procures my present pain…”

My plesuris past procures my present pain ;
My present pain expels my plesurs past ;
My languishing, alace ! is lyk to last ;
My greif ay groues, my gladenes wants a grane ;

My bygane joyes I can not get agane,
Bot, once imbarkit, I must byde the blast.
I can not chuse ; my kinsh is not to cast :
To wish it war, my wish wald be bot vane :

Jit, vhill I sey my senses to dissaive,
To pleis my thoght, I think a thousand things,
Quhilks to my breist bot boroude blythnes brings :
Anis hope I had, thoght nou dispair I halve :

A stratagem, thoght strange, to stay my sturt,
By apprehensioun for to heill my hurt.

1. The Cherrie and the Slae
2. Sonnet 30. Christen Lyndesay to Ro. Hudsone
3. Sonnet 18. To the Lords of the Session. I
4. Sonnet 61. Of the Duleweid. III
5. Sonnet 9. In Praise of M. J. M., Chanceller

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