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.