Then Man, though virtue of extremities,

The middle be, and so hath two to one;

By place and nature constant enemies,

And against both these no strength but her own:

Yet quit thou for her Friends, Fame, Fortune's throne;

Devils there many be, and Gods but one.

SONNET CVIII.

WHAT is the cause why states, that war and win,
Have honour, and breed men of better fame
Than states in peace, since war and conquest sin
In blood, wrong liberty, all trades of shame?

Force-framing instruments which it must use,
Proud in excess, and glory to abuse.

The reason is, Peace is a quiet nurse

Of idleness, and idleness the field

Where wit and power change all seeds to the worse,
By narrow self-wit upon which they build;

And thence bring forth captiv'd inconstant ends,
Neither to princes nor to people friends.

Besides, the sins of peace on subjects feed,

And thence wound power, which for it all things can;

With wrong to one despairs in many breed,
For while laws, oaths, power's creditors to man,

Make humble subjects dream of native right,
Man's faith abused adds courage to despite.

Where conquest works by strength, and stirs up Fame, A glorious echo, pleasing doom of pain,

"Which in the sleep of death yet keeps a name,

And makes detracting loss speak ill in vain.”

For to great actions time so friendly is,
As o'er the means (albeit the means be ill)
It casts forgetfulness, veils things amiss,
With power and honour to encourage will.

Besides things hard a reputation bear,

To die resolved though guilty wonder breeds;
Yet what strength those be which can blot out fear,
And to self-ruin joyfully proceeds;

Ask them that from the ashes of this fire,

With new lives still to such new flames aspire.

A

TRANSLATION OF THE PSALMS

From the MS. Collection of

FRANCIS DAVISON.

HARL. MSS. 6930.

PSALM 1.

By Joseph Bryan.

Beatur Fir.

1. HE's blest that walks not after ill men's sway, Nor stands in their perverse and crooked way, Nor seats him in the chair of pestilence,

To scorn and scoff at good men's innocence.

2. But his delight and soul's content is fix'd

Still on God's law, and all his thoughts are mix'd
With sacred raptures, which both day and night
His soul revolves with comfort and delight.

3. He shall be like a tree close by the streams,
Spreading his lofty sprouts unto the beams
Of the reviving sun, which doth produce
His timely fruit, to his glad Master's use,

Whose sappy roots so bountiful to all

His laden boughs, that not a leaf doth fall;
So whatsoe'er it be this man intends,

It still is crown'd with most successful ends.

4. As for the Godless men, it fares not so
With their designs, but all doth backward
And as neglected chaff, whiff'd here and there

go;

5. By a rough careless blast. When they appear Before God's dread tribunal, he shall then E'en with his breath confound those evil men.

6. For God doth know, and knowing doth approve The good man's way, and his uprightness love: But wicked men, as both their way and thought, Shall perish utterly, and come to nought.

PSALM I. (aliter.)

By Richard Gipps.

1. HE's blest, that wicked counsel ne'er obeys,

Nor leads a careless life in sinner's ways;

Nor sitting in his chair full fraught with pride,
Will scornfully the righteous deride.

2. But makes God's holy laws his soul's delight, Recording them each day and every night.

3. He shall be like the fruitful tree, which grows Upon a bank, by which a river flows:

Whose leaf shall know no fall; whose fruit deceives No hopeful owner; but exceeds the leaves.

4. But wicked men, as chaff from better corn With every puff of wind away is borne.

5. So when the Judge of Heaven and Earth shall come To sit in judgment at the day of doom,

They shall not stand before his sight, but then
Their sins shall sever them from righteous men.

6. Thus ill men perish: God them not regards; But knows all good men's ways, and them rewards.

PSALM VI.

By Joseph Bryan.

1. WHILE thy rage, Lord, is enflamed,

Let not faulty me be named;