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A PARAPHRASE ON

PSALM CXIV.

[This and the following Psalm were done by the Author at fifteen years old.]

WHEN the blest seed of Terah's faithful son,
After long toil, their liberty had won;
And past from Pharian fields to Canaan land,
Led by the strength of the Almighty's hand;
Jehovah's wonders were in Israel shown,
His praise and glory was in Israel known.
That saw the troubled sea, and shivering fled,
And sought to hide his froth-becurled head
Low in the earth; Jordan's clear streams recoil,
As a faint host that hath receiv'd the foil.

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The high, huge-bellied mountains skip, like rams
Amongst their ewes; the little hills, like lambs.
Why fled the ocean? And why skipt the mountains?
Why turned Jordan tow'ard his crystal fountains?
Shake, Earth; and at the presence be aghast
Of Him that ever was, and aye shall last;
That glassy floods from rugged rocks can crush,
And make soft rills from fiery flint-stones gush!

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PSALM CXXXVI.

LET us, with a gladsome mind,
Praise the Lord. for he is kind;
For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

Let us blaze his name abroad,

For of Gods he is the God.

For his, &c.

O let us his praises tell,

Who doth the wrathful tyrants quell.
For his, &c.

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Who, with his miracles, doth make
Amazed Heav'n and earth to shake.
For his, &c.

Who, by his wisdom, did create
The painted Heav'ns so full of state.
For his, &c.

Who did the solid earth ordain

To rise above the wat❜ry plain,

For his, &c.

Who, by his all-commanding might,
Did fill the new-made world with light.
For his, &c.

And caus'd the golden-tressed sun
All the day long his course to run.
For his, &c.

The horned moon to shine by night,
Amongst her spangled sisters bright.
For his, &c.

He with his thunder-clasping hand
Smote the first-born of Egypt land.
For his, &c.

And, in despite of Pharoah fell,

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He brought from thence his Israël.

The ruddy waves he cleft in twain
Of the Erythræan main.

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For his, &c.

For his, &c.

The floods stood still, like walls of glass,
While the Hebrew bands did pass.

For his, &c.

But full soon they did devour

The tawny king with all his power.

For his, &c.

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His chosen people he did bless
In the wasteful wilderness.
For his, &c.

In bloody battle he brought down
Kings of prowess and renown.
For his, &c.

He foil'd bold Seon and his host,
That rul'd the Amorrean coast.
For his, &c.

And large-limb'd Og he did subdue,
With all his over-hardy crew.
For his, &c.

And to his servant Israel

He gave their land therein to dwell.
For his, &c.

He hath, with a piteous eye,
Beheld us in our misery.

For his, &c.

And freed us from the slavery

Of the invading enemy.

For his, &c.

All living creatures he doth feed,

And with full hand supplies their need.
For his, &c.

Let us therefore warble forth

His mighty majesty and worth.
For his, &c.

That his mansion hath on high
Above the reach of mortal eye.

For his mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

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TRANSLATIONS.

FROM GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH*

Brutus thus addresses Diana in the country of Leogecia.

GODDESS of shades, and huntress, who at will
Walk'st on the rowling spheres, and through the deep;
On thy third reign, the earth, look now, and tell
What land, what seat of rest, thou bidst me seek,
What certain seat, where I may worship thee
For aye, with temples vow'd and virgin quires.

To whom, sleeping before the altar, Diana answers in a vision the same night.

Brutus, far to the west, in the ocean wide,
Beyond the realm of Gaul, a land there lies,
Sea-girt it lies, where giants dwelt of old;
Now void, it fits thy people: Thither bend
Thy course; there shalt thou find a lasting seat;
There to thy sons another Troy shall rise,

And kings be born of thee, whose dreadful might
Shall awe the world, and conquer nations bold.

FROM DANTE‡.

Ah Constantine, of how much ill was cause,
Not thy conversion, but those rich domains
That the first wealthy pope receiv'd of thee.

* Hist. Brit. i. xi. "Diva potens nemorum," &c. + From Milton's Hist. Engl. Pr. W. vol. i. p. 7. edit. 1698. + Infern. C. xix. From Of Reformation in England. Pr. W. vol. i.

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