MR. TO HIS VERY GOOD FRIEND GEORGE HERBERT. The pains that it pleased you to take about some of my writings, I cannot forget; which did put me in mind to dedicate to you this poor exercise of my sickness. Besides, it being my manner for dedications, to choose those that I hold most fit for the argument, I thought, that in respect of divinity and poesy met, whereof the one is the matter, the other the stile of this little writing, I could not make better choice: so, with signification of my love and acknowledgment I ever rest, Your affectionate Friend, FR. ST. ALBAN. Of translating part of the Advancement of Learning into Latin. The TRANSLATION of the 1st PSALM. WHO never gave to wicked reed On law of God to meditate; He shall be like the fruitful tree, A goodly yield of fruit doth bring: Whose leaves continue always green, And are no prey to winter's power: So shall that man not once be seen Surprised with an evil hour. With wicked men it is not so, For why? the Lord hath special eye To be the godly's stay at call: And hath given over, righteously, The wicked man to take his fall. The TRANSLATION of the XIIth PSALM. HELP, Lord, for godly men have took their flight, Their meaning go'th not with their words, in proof, But fair they flatter, with a cloven heart, By pleasing words, to work their own behoof. But God cut off the lips, that are all set To trap the harmless soul, that peace hath vow'd; And pierce the tongues, that seek to counterfeit The confidence of truth, by lying loud: Yet so they think to reign, and work their will By subtile speech, which enters ev'ry where; And say: Our tongues are ours, to help us still; What need we any higher pow'r to fear? Now for the bitter sighing of the poor, The Lord hath said, I will no more forbear The wicked's kingdom to invade and scour. And set at large the men restrain'd in fear. And sure the word of God is pure and fine, And in the trial never loseth weight; Like noble gold, which, since it left the mine, And now thou wilt not first thy word forsake, In spite of all their force and wiles can do. The TRANSLATION of the XCth PSALM. O LORD, thou art our home, to whom we fly, Or that the frame was up of earthly stage, One God thou wert, and art, and still shalt be; Both death and life obey thy holy lore, And visit in their turns, as they are sent; Or as a watch by night, that course doth keep. Thou carry'st man away as with a tide: Then down swim all his thoughts that mounted high: Much like a mocking dream, that will not bide, Or as the grass, that cannot term obtain, At morning, fair it musters on the ground; Thou bury'st not within oblivion's tomb As a tale told, which sometimes men attend, The life of man is threescore years and ten, But who considers duly of thine ire? Or doth the thoughts thereof wisely embrace? For thou, O God, art a consuming fire: Frail man, how can he stand before thy face? If thy displeasure thou dost not refrain, A moment brings all back to dust again. Teach us, O Lord, to number well our days, This bubble light, this vapour of our breath, Return unto us, Lord, and balance now, Then shall thy servants both with heart and voice. Begin thy work, O Lord, in this our age, |