When I behold thy Heav'ns, thy fingers' art,

The moon and stars which thou so bright hast set In the pure firmament, then saith my heart, O what is man that thou remember'st yet,

And think'st upon him; or of man begot,

That him thou visit'st, and of him art found? Scarce to be less than Gods, thou mad'st his lot, With honour and with state thou hast him crown'd.

O'er the works of thy hand thou mad'st him lord,
Thou hast put all under his lordly feet,
All flocks, and herds, by thy commanding word,
All beasts that in the field or forest meet,

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Fowl of the Heavens, and fish that through the wet Sea paths in shoals do slide, and know no dearth. O Jehovah our Lord, how wondrous great

And glorious is thy name through all the earth!

APRIL, 1648. J. M.

Nine of the Psalms done into metre, wherein all, but 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, 5 Between their wings out-spread,

Shine forth, and from thy cloud give light, And on our foes thy dread. 2 In Ephraim's view and Benjamin's, And in Manasse's sight,

Awake thy strength, come, and be seen
To save us by thy might.

3 Turn us again, thy grace divine
To us, O God, vouchsafe;

Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
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,
Their bread with tears they eat,

And mak'st them largely drink the tears
Wherewith their cheeks are wet.

6 A strife thou mak'st us and a prey
To every neighbour foe,

Among themselves they laugh, they play,
And flouts at us they throw.
7 Return us, and thy grace divine,
O God of Hosts, vouchsafe,
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
And then we shall be safe.

8 A Vine from Egypt thou hast brought, Thy free love made it thine,

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And drov'st out nations, proud and haut,' 35
To plant this lovely vine.

9 Thou did'st prepare for it a place,
And root it deep and fast,

That it began to grow apace,
And fill'd the land at last.

10 With her green shade that cover'd all,
The hills were over-spread,

Her boughs as high as cedars tall
Advanc'd their lofty head.

11 Her branches on the western side
Down to the sea she sent,

And upward to that river wide
Her other branches went.

12 Why hast thou laid her hedges low,
And broken down her fence,

That all may pluck her, as they go,
With rudest violence?

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35 haut]

p. xi. xxvi. 214.240. Bartas, p. 135.

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13 The tusked boar out of the wood

Up turns it by the roots,

Wild beasts there brouze, and make their food
Her grapes and tender shoots.

14 Return now, God of Hosts, look down
From Heav'n, thy seat divine,
Behold us, but without a frown,
And visit this thy vine.

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Proude and haute.' Skelton's Magnyfycence, Ill and haut.' Barclay's Ship of Fooles, p. Strife hatching haut ambition.' Sylvester's Du

15 Visit this vine, which thy right hand Hath set, and planted long,

And the young branch, that for thyself
Thou hast made firm and strong.
16 But now it is consum'd with fire,
And cut with axes down,
They perish at thy dreadful ire,
At thy rebuke and frown.

17 Upon the man of thy right hand
Let thy good hand be laid,

Upon the son of man, whom thou
Strong for thyself hast made.

18 So shall we not go back from thee
To ways of sin and shame,
Quicken us thou, then gladly we
Shall call upon thy Name.
19 Return us, and thy grace divine,
Lord God of Hosts, vouchsafe,
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,
And then we shall be safe.

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,
The timbrel hither bring,

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The cheerful psaltry bring along,
And harp with pleasant string.
3 Blow, as is wont, in the new moon
With trumpets' lofty sound,
Th' appointed time, the day whereon
Our solemn feast comes round.

4 This was a statute giv'n of old For Israel to observe,

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;
The tongue I heard was strange.
6 From burden, and from slavish toil
I set his shoulder free;

His hands from pots, and miry soil,
Deliver'd were by me.

7 When trouble did thee sore assail,
On me then didst thou call,
And I to free thee did not fail,

And led thee out of thrall.
I answer'd thee in thunder deep
With clouds encompass'd round;

I tried thee at the water steep
Of Meribah renown'd.

8 Hear, O my People, hearken well,
I testify to thee,

Thou ancient stock of Israel,
If thou wilt list to me,

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