WHAT slender youth, bedew'd with liquid odours, Courts thee on roses in some pleasant cave, In wreaths thy golden hair, Plain in thy neatness? O, how oft shall he Who now enjoys thee credulous, all gold, Hopes thee, of flattering gales To whom thou untried seem'st fair! Me, in my vow'd Picture, the sacred wall declares to have hung Shall awe the world, and conquer nations bold.' Ah Constantine, of how much ill was cause, Founded in chaste and humble poverty, Impudent whore, where hast thou plac'd thy hope? In thy adulterers, or thy ill-got wealth? Another Constantine comnes not in haste3. From ARIOSTO. Then pass'd he to a flowery mountain green, From HORACE. Whom do we count a good man? Whom but he Sees his foul inside through his whited skin'. From EURIPIDES. This is true liberty, when freeborn men, praise: Who neither can, nor will, may hold his peace; What can be a juster in a state than this? From HORACE1. Laughing, to teach the truth? What hinders? As some teachers give to boys Junkets and knacks, that they may learn apace. 1 From Milton's Hist. Engl. Pr. W. vol. i. p. 7. edit. 1698. These fragments of translation were collected from Milton's Prose-Works. 2 From Of Reformation in England. Pr. W. vol. i. p. 10. p. 10. 3 From Of Reformation, &c. Pr. W. vol. i. 4 From Of Reformation, &c. Pr. W. vol. i. p. 10. From Tetrachordon, Pr. W. vol. i. 239. 6 Milton's Motto to his Areopagica,, A speech for the liberty of unlincensed Printing, &c. Prose W. vol. i. 141. Sat. i. i. 24. From Apol. Smectymn. Pr. W. vol. i. 116. From HORACES. Joking decides great things, Stronger and better oft than earnest can1o. From SOPHOCLES". 'Tis you that say it, not I. You do the deeds, And your ungodly deeds find me the words12. From SENECA13.. There can be slain No sacrifice to God more acceptable, Than an unjust and wicked king14. PSALM 1. Done into verse, 1653. BLESS'D is the man who hath not walk'd astray 13 Hercul. Fur. As thy possession I on thee bestow [sway'd, The Heathen; and, as thy conquest to be Earth's utmost bounds: them shalt thou bring full low With iron sceptre bruis'd, and them disperse Like to a potter's vessel shiver'd so. And now be wise at length, ye kings averse, Be taught, ye judges of the Earth; with fear Jehovah serve, and let your joy converse With trembling; kiss the Son lest he appear In anger, and ye perish in the way, If once his wrath take fire, like fuel sere. Happy all those who have in him their stay. PSALM III. Aug. 9, 1653. When he fled from Absalom. LORD, how many are my foes! How many those, That in arms against me rise; That of my life distrustfully thus say The exalter of my head I count; Unto Jehovah, he full soon replied, Was the Lord. Of many millions The populous rout I fear not, though, encamping round about, They pitch against me their pavilions. Rise, Lord; save me, my God; for thou Will hear my voice, what time to him I cry. Be aw'd, and do not sin; Speak to your hearts alone, Upon your beds, each one, And be at peace within. 14 From Tenure of Kings, &c. Pr. W. vol. i. Offer the offerings just 315. Of righteousness, and in Jehovah trust. Many there be that say, On us lift up the light, Lift up the favour of thy countenance bright. Into my heart more joy And gladness thou hast put, Than when a year of glut Their stores doth over-cloy, And from their plenteous grounds With vast encrease their corn and wine abounds. In peace at once will I Both lay me down and sleep; For thou alone dost keep Me safe where'er I lie; As in a rocky cell For all my bones, that even with anguish ake, Are troubled, yea, my soul is troubled sore, And thou, O Lord, how long? Turn, Lord; restore My soul; O save me for thy goodness sake: Who in the grave can celebrate thy praise? I' the midst of all my enemies that mark. Depart, all ye that work iniquity, De part from me; for the voice of my weeping The Lord hath heard; the Lord hath heard my prayer; My supplication with acceptance fair Thou, Lord, alone, in safety mak'st me dwell. The Lord will own, and have me in his keeping. PSALM V. Aug. 12, 1653. JEHOVAH, to my words give ear, My meditation weigh; The voice of my complaining hear, My King and God; for unto thee I pray. Jehovah, thou my early voice Shalt in the morning hear: I' the morning I to thee with choice Mine enemies shall all be blank and dash'd With much confusion; then, grown red with shame, They shall return in haste the way they came, And in a moment shall be quite abash'd. PSALM VII. Aug. 14, 1653. Upon the words of Chush the Benjamite against him. Will rank my prayers, and watch till thou appear. LORD, my God, to thee I fly; For thou art not a God that takes In wickedness delight; Evil with thee no biding makes; Fools or mad men stand not within thy sight. All workers of iniquity Thou hat'st; and them unblest Thou wilt destroy that speak a lye ; The bloody and guileful man God doth detest. But I will, in thy mercies dear, Thy numerous mercies, go Into thy house; I, in thy fear, Will towards thy holy temple worship low. Lead me, because of those Set thy ways right before, where my step goes. For,in his faltering mouth unstatle, No word is firm or sooth; Their inside, troubles miserable; [smooth. An open grave their throat, their tongue they God, find them guilty, let them fall By their own counsels quell'd; To bless the just man still; PSALM VI. Aug. 13, 1653. LORD, in thine anger do not reprehend me Save me and secure me under Lord, my God, if I have thought Let the enemy pursue my soul, So the assemblies of cach nation Judge me, Lord; be judge in this But the just establish fast, Since thou art the just God that tries God is a just judge and severe, His sword he whets, his bow hath bended Already, and for him intended The tools of death, that waits him near. (His arrows purposely made he As in a womb; and from that mould He digg'd a pit, and delv'dit deep, His mischief, that due course doth keep, Fall on his crown with ruin steep. April, 1648. J. M; Nine of the Psalms done into metre, wherein all ut what is in a different character, are the very words of the text, translated from the original. PSALM LXXX. 1. THOU Shepherd, that dost Israel keep, Give ear in time of need; Who leadest like a flock of sheep Thy loved Joseph's seed; That sitt'st between the cherubs bright, 2. In Ephraim's view and Benjamin's, Awake thy strength, come, and be seen To save us by thy might. 3. Turn us again, thy grace divine And then we shall be safe. 4. Lord God of Hosts, how long wilt thou, How long wilt thou declare Thy smoking wrath, and angry brow Against thy people's prayer! 5. Thou feed'st them with the bread of tears; And mak'st them largely drink the tears 6. A strife thou mak'st us and a prey Among themselves they laugh, they play, 7. Return us, and thy grace divine, And then we shall be safe. 8. A vine from Egypt thou hast brought, And drov'st out nations, proud and haut, 9. Thou didst prepare for it a place, And fill'd the land at last. 10. With her green shade that cover'd all, Her boughs as high as cedars tall 11. Her branches on the western side And upward to that river wide Her other branches went. 12. Why hast thou laid her hedges low, 13. The tusked boar out of the wood Wild beasts there brouze, and make their food 14. Return now, God of Hosts, look down And visit this thy v ne. 15. Visit this vine, which thy right hand 16. But now it is consum'd with fire, And cut with axes down; They perish at thy dreadful ire, 17. Upon the man of thy right hand 18. So shall we not go back from thee PSALM LXXXI. 1. To God our strength sing loud, and clear, Sing loud to God our King; To Jacob's God, that all may hear, Loud acclamations ring. 2. Prepare a hymn, prepare a song, A law of Jacob's God, to hold, From whence they might not swerve. 5. This he a testimony ordain'd In Joseph, not to change, When as he pass'd through Egypt land; 6. From burden, and from slavish toil, His hands from pots, and miry soil, 7. When trouble did thee sore assail, 8. Hear, O my People, hearken well; Thou ancient stock of Israel, If thou wilt list to me: 9. Throughout the land of thy abode No alien God shall be, Nor shalt thou to a foreign God In honour bend thy knee. 10. I am the Lord thy God, which brought Thee out of Egypt land; Ask large enough, and I, besought, 11. And yet my people would not hear, And Israel, whom I lov'd so dear, 12. Then did I leave them to their will, 13. O, that my people would be wise, And O, that Israel would advise To walk my righteous ways! 14. Then would I soon bring down their foes, That now so proudly rise; And turn my hand against all those, That are their enemies. 15. Who hate the Lord should then be 'fain To bow to him and bend; But they, his people, should remain, Their time should have no end. 16. And he would feed them from the shock And satisfy them from the rock PSALM LXXXII. 1. GOD in the great assembly stands 2. How long will ye pervert the right Who thence grow bold and strong? Of him that help demands. 5. They know not, nor will understand The Earth's foundations all are mov'd, 6. I said that ye were gods, yea all 7. But ye shall die like men, and fall As other princes die. 8. Rise, God; judge thou the Earth in might, This wicked Earth redress; For thou art he who shall by right PSALM LXXXIII. 1. BE not thou silent now at length, 2. For lo, thy furious foes now swell, And they that hate thee, proud and fell, 3. Against thy people they contrive 4. Come, let us cut them off, say they, Till they no nation be; That Israel's name for ever may Be lost in memory. |