Page images
PDF
EPUB

And praise thee 'from their loathsome bed
With pale and hollow eyes?'

11 Shall they thy loving kindness tell
On whom the grave' hath hold,'
Or they who in perdition' dwell,'
Thy faithfulness' unfold?'

12 In darkness can thy mighty 'hand
Or' wonderous acts be known,
Thy justice in the 'gloomy' land
Of'dark' oblivion?

13 But I to thee, O Lord, do cry,

[ocr errors]

Ere yet my life be spent,'

And up to thee' my prayer' doth hie,'
Each morn, and thee prevent.

14 Why wilt thou, Lord, my soul forsake,
And hide thy face from me?

15 That am already bruised, and shake With terror sent from thee?

[ocr errors]

Bruised, and afflicted, and so low'
As ready to expire,

While I thy terrors undergo

Astonish'd with thine ire.

16 Thy fierce wrath over me doth flow, Thy threatenings cut me through: 17 All day they round about me go, Like waves they me pursue.

18 Lover and friend thou hast removed,
And sever'd from me far:

They fly me now' whom I have loved,
And as in darkness are.

A PARAPHRASE ON PSALM CXIV.

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

WHEN the bless'd seed of Terah's faithful son
After long toil, their liberty had won,
And pass'd 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 received the foil.
The high, huge-bellied mountains skip like rams
Amongst their ewes, the little hills like lambs.
Why fled the ocean? and why skipp'd the mountains?
Why turned Jordan toward 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.

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.

Who with his miracles doth make

Amazed Heaven and Earth to shake.

For his, &c.

Who by his wisdom did create

The painted heavens so full of state.

[blocks in formation]

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

And caused 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 Pharaoh fell,
He brought from thence his Israel.
For his, &c.

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

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.

His chosen people he did bless
In the wasteful widerness.

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.

[blocks in formation]

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.

JOANNIS MILTONI

EONDINENSIS

POEMATA.

QUORUM PLERAQUE INTRA ANNUM ÆTATIS VIGESIMUM CONSCRIPSIT.

Hæc quæ sequuntur de Authore testimonia, tametsi ipse intelligebat non tam de se quàm supra se esse dicta, eò quòd præclaro ingenio viri, nec non amici ita feré solent laudare, ut omnia suis potiùs virtutibus, quám veritati congruentia nimis cupidè affingant noluit tamen horum egregiam in se voluntatem non esse notam; cùm alii præsertim ut id faceret magnoperè suaderent Dum enim nimiæ laudis invidiam totis ab se viribis amolitur, sibique quod plus æquo est non attributum esse mavult, judicium interim hominum cordatorum atque illustrium quin summo sibi honori ducat, negare non potest.

Joannes Baptista Mansus, Marchio Villensis, Neapolitanus ad JOANNEM MILTONIUM Anglum.

UT mens, forma, decor, facies, mos, si pietas sic,
Non Anglus, verùm herclè Angelus ipse fores.

Ad JOANNEM MILTONEM Anglum triplici poeseos laurea, coronandum, Græca nimirum, Latina, atque Hetrusca, Epigramma Joannis Salsilli Romani.

EDF Meles cedat depressâ Mincius urnà ;
Sebetus Tassum disinat usque loqui;

At Thamesis victor cunctis ferat altior undas,
Nam per te, Milto, par tribus unus erit.

Ad JOANNEM MILTONEM.

GRECIA Mæonidem, jactet sibi Roma Maronem,
Anglia Miltonum jactat utrique parem.

Selvaggi.

AL SIGNOR GIO. MILTONI NOBILE INGLESE

ERGIMI all' Etra ò Clio

ODE.

Perche di stelle intreccierò corona
Non più del Biondo Dio

La Fronde eterna in Pindo, e in Elicona,
Diensi a merto maggior, maggiori i fregi,
A' celeste virtù celesti pregi.

Non puo del tempo edace
Rimaner preda, eterno alto valore
Non puo l'oblio rapace

Furar dalle memorie eccelso onore,

Su l'arco di mia cetra un dardo forte
Virtu m' adatti, e ferirò la morte.

Del Ocean profondo

Cinta dagli ampi gorghi Anglia resiede
Separata dal mondo,

Però che il suo valor l' umano eccede:

Questa feconda sà produrre Eroi,

Ch' hanno a ragion del sovruman tra noi.

Alla virtù sbandita

Danno ne i petti lor fido ricetto,
Quella gli è sol gradita,

Perche in lei san trovar gioia, e diletto
Ridillo tu, Giovanni, e mostra in tanto
Con tua vera virtù, vero il mio Canto.

Lungi dal Patrio lido

Spinse Zeusi l' industre ardente brama;
Ch' udio d'Helena il grido

Con aurea tromba rimbombar la fama,
E per poterla effigiare al paro
Dalle più belle Idee trasse ill più raro.

Cosi l'Ape Ingegnosa

Trae con industria il suo liquor pregiato
Dal giglio e dalla rosa,

E quanti vaghi fiori ornano il prato ;
Formano un dolce suon diverse Chorde
Fan varie voci melodia concorde.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »