A PARAPHRASE OF SOME OF THE PSALMS OF DAVID. PROEM. WHERE reckless youth in an unquiet breast, That of my fault thus pardon should be sought. PSALM LXXXVIII. O LORD! upon whose will dependeth my welfare, spare, Grant that the just request of this repentant mind So pierce thine ears, that in thy sight some favour it may find. My soul is fraughted full with grief of follies past; fast: Like them whose fatal thread thy hand hath cut in twain, Of whom there is no further bruit, which in their graves remain. O Lord! thou hast me cast headlong, to please my foe, Into a pit all bottomless, whereas I plain my woe. 10 1' Denny' in the old edition the word is not 'Denny,' but 'conscience.' Sir Walter Denny, a friend of the Howard family, and one of the executors of Henry VIII., may be the person meant. 11 The burden of thy wrath it doth me sore oppress, distress. The faithful friends are fled and banish'd from my sight, And such as I have held full dear, have set my friendship light. My durance doth persuade of freedom such despair, That by the tears that bain my breast, mine eyesight doth appair.1 Yet do I never cease thine aid for to desire, With humble heart and stretched hands, for to appease thine ire. Wherefore dost thou forbear in the defence of thine, line, 20 Whereby each feeble heart with faith might so be fed, That in the mouth of thy elect thy mercies might be spread? The flesh that feedeth worms cannot thy love declare! Nor such set forth thy praise as dwell in the land of despair. In blind indured hearts light of thy lively name same: Nor blazed may thy name be by the mouths of those Whom death hath shut in silence, so as they may not disclose : The lively voice of them that in thy word delight, Must be the trump that must resound the glory of thy might; 30 Wherefore I shall not cease, in chief of my distress oppress; Appair: impair, fail. And in the morning eke when that the sleep is fled, ss With floods of salt repentant tears to wash my restless bed. Within this careful mind, burden'd with care and grief, Why dost thou not appear, O Lord! that shouldst be his relief? My wretched state behold, whom death shall straight assail; Of one, from youth afflicted still, that never did but wail. The dread, lo! of thine ire hath trod me under feet: The scourges of thine angry hand hath made death seem full sweet. 40 Like as the roaring waves the sunken ship surround, Great heaps of care did swallow me, and I no succour found: For they whom no mischance could from my love divide, Are forced, for my greater grief, from me their face to hide. PSALM LXXIII. THE sudden storms that heave me to and fro, To succour truth, and falsehood to assail, 10 1 'Blage:' George Blage, a friend of Surrey's, who accompanied him to Landrecy. THOUGH, Lord, to Israel thy graces plenteous be; I mean to such, with pure intent as fix their trust in Thee, Yet whiles the faith did faint that should have been my guide; Like them that walk in slipper paths, my feet began to slide; Whiles I did grudge at those that glory in their gold, they wold. To see by course of years what nature doth appair, 10 Whereof their scornful pride, and gloried with their eyes; As garments clothe the naked man, thus are they clad in vice. Thus, as they wish, succeeds the mischief that they mean; Whose glutted cheeks sloth feeds so fat, as scant their eyes be seen; Unto whose cruel power most men for dread are fain To bend or bow; with lofty looks, whiles they vaunt in their reign; And in their bloody hands, whose cruelty that frame The wailful works that scourge the poor, without regard of blame. To tempt the living God they think it no offence; And pierce the simple with their tongues that can make no defence. 20 Such proofs before the just, to cause the hearts to waver, Be set, like cups mingled with gall, of bitter taste and savour. 1 Annotators see in this an allusion to Henry VIII. Then say thy foes in scorn, that taste no other food, 23 But suck the flesh of thy elect, and bathe them in their blood; 'Should we believe the Lord doth know, and suffer this? Fooled be he with fables vain that so abused is.' In terror of the just, thus reigns iniquity, Armed with power, laden with gold, and dread for cruelty. Then vain the war might seem, that I by faith maintain Against the flesh, whose false affects my pure heart would distain. 30 For I am scourgèd still, that no offence have done, begun. When I beheld their pride, and slackness of thy hand, I found no wit could pierce so far, thy holy dooms to know: And that no mysteries nor doubt could be distrust,1 40 Oh how their ground is false! and all their building vain! And they shall fall; their power shall fail that did their pride maintain. As charged hearts with care, that dream some pleasant turn After their sleep find their abuse, and to their plaint return, So shall their glory fade; thy sword of vengeance shall Unto their drunken eyes in blood disclose their errors all. Distrust.' untrussed, untied, |