The whole Psalter translated into English Metre :: :: University of Virginia Library

In letter prayd: king Dauid playne,
His sonne to spede: in all hys raigne:
In sprite more true: yet ment it is,
Of Christes God sonne: and king of blis.

Deus iudicium.

1

Bestow O God: thy iudgements true
Upon the kyng: annoynted due:
Thy iustice eke: geue thou therto,
To this kings sonne: in it to go.

2

Then shall he iudge: the people ryght,
The good to saue: the bad to smyte:
He shall the poore: afflict defend,
The meke to quyte: the proud to bend.

3

The mountaines great: swete peace shal bring
Unto thy folke: in gouernyng:
The smaller hils: shall righteousnes,
So sprede a lyke: in faythfulnes.

199

4

The simple sort: in misery,
To holde their right: he shall applye:
The poore mans childe: he shall protect,
And briber stroy: that him so wrect.

5

They shall feare thee: in reuerence,
As long as sunne hath influence:
Or while the moone: her face doth showe,
From age to age: from hye to lowe.

6

He shall come down: as rayn from seas,
On grasse new shorne: or woll the flease:
As showers sweete: on earth do lyte,
To cheare all thing: in fruitfull sight.

7

In his good dayes: all rightwise men,
Shall floryshe then and rise agayne:
Sweete peace shalbe: on euery side,
As long as Moone: her sphere doth ryde.

8

From sea to sea: his rule shalbe,
From Palestyne: to deepe red sea:
From Euphrates: to holy land,
From cost to cost: how wyde it standth.

9

The Ethiopes: in wildernes,
Full meeke to hym: shall bowe their knees:
His foes shall seeme: to licke the dust,
All prostrate ligh: to hym they must.

10

Of Tharsys kings: and other Iles,
shall gifts present: him otherwhiles:
Of arabye: and saba kings,
shall humbly bryng: their offeryngs.

200

11

To make short tale: what kings there be,
In earth must geue: hym homage free:
Yea nations all: shall them submyt,
To hold of hym: and kysse his feete.

12

For he the poore: shall soone releife,
The crying wretch: to ryd from griefe:
The nedy man: all comfortles,
Without all helpe: he will release.

13

I saye agayne: he will be good,
To nedy man: and poore of bloud:
Though here he be: both torne and brent,
Their soules to saue: he will consent.

14

Their soules from fraude: in vsurye,
He will them ryd: that tyranny:
Theyr names to him shall shine full cleare,
Their bloud, his sight: shall count full deare.

15

And liue he shall: to hym shalbe,
So geuen the golde: of Arabye:
He shall for poore: make sute alway,
The poore for it: shall prayse hym aye.

16

One hand full sowen: of wheate on hyll,
For growth and length: then shake it will.
In Lybanon: eke trees so hye,
As greene as grasse: all townes shall lygh.

17

Hys name shall still: and aye endure,
Before the sonne: it was full sure:
Hys grace shall blesse: all people iust,
All heathen him: shall prayse and trust.

201

18

This God our Lord: he blest full well,
Euen iust the God: of Israell:
He wondrous thinges: doth worke alone,
All mysteries: by hym be done.

19

Hys name be blest: in vnitie,
For euer one: in trinitie:
This name shall fill: the earth agayne,
Say we therto, Amen, Amen.