Sacred Hymns, Consisting of Fifti Select Psalms of David and others, Paraphrastically turned into English Verse. And by Robert Tailovr, set to be sung in Five parts, as also to the Viole, and Lute or Orph-arion. Published for the vse of such as delight in the exercise of Mvsic in hir original honour

A noble act, of Kings dezirĕd;
Makes gladsom hart, with high conceipts inspirĕd,
Boil o're; and tong streams loveli sound;
Which echŏing pen through world shal ay rebound.
Of peerles King my song I frame:
And to that King, give, consecrate, the same.
NOT mortal beauti decks thy face;
Ne humane sounds those princeli lips engrace:
That hieu divine, those heavĕnli woords,
Nor race of man, nor bliss of earth affoords.
Sure heavĕns, fair wight, thee God hath blest:
So blest, in bliss eternal shalt thou rest.
THEN on; but first gird swoord to thigh,
Thow pŭisant Prince; advance with glori high;
Ride stately foorth, in comli sight:
Stil prosper, still prevail, brave Lord, in fight.
So woord of trueth through world disspred;
Give laws; fierce mynds in love to iustice wed:
With iustice myldnes still reside;
And striking arm, let hart of merci guid.
BUT foes, whom goodnes none can win,
Shal lightning hand with terrours dire begin
To fright; then shafts, as thundred darts,
Sharp shafts shal pierce their blunt unpliant harts.
Thus to our King shal Nations bend:
And arm victorious wide his rule extend.
THY throne, ô God, for evĕr endures:
Thy scepter, right through all thy state procures:
Thow iustice lovĕst; hatĕst lawles ways:
Therfore dooth God, thy God, thy glori raize
Yond all thy troop; whose faithful love,
Thee serves, by thee partakes same grace above.
BUT thow bove all, with sacred oil,
With oils of ioy, (that earths unpleazing toil
Alay,) imbuĕd; drawst odour sweet:
Mir, alöĕ, cassia, in thy garments meet.
Thus doost from ivorĭe rooms proceed;
Whose pleasures deer stil ioying thoughts refeed.

Strait bevi fair prezents sweet vieu;
Kings daughters chief, and lead the noble crue:
Bove all the Queen; whom loveli bride
Thou ioious setst on right hand by thy side.
With gold hir brests, with gold hir head
Embellisht, best rich Ophir which had bred.
FAIR daughter, now a while attend
To sage advise; thou happi ear shalt lend:
Thy contries rites, thy peoples guise,
Yea fathers house forget: fix sole thyn eys
On him, who then that beautĕous sight
Shal deerly love, possess with pure delight.
He now thy Lord: with pleazing grace
Bow, fair, to him: so love sweet love embrace.
LO neighbour Tyre, great Queen of seas,
With curious gift ey finest strives to pleaze:
With home-bred purple, far-fet gold,
Wil studious seek thy favŏring grace to hold.
Yea nobles rich, with prezents great,
Shal pleazd aspect of countĕnance thyn entreat.
NOW vieu this Princess, branch of Kings:
See noble birth what genĕrose presence brings:
All gorgeŏus, all with grace performd;
While wealth hath art, and art hath wealth adornd.
Yet beautĕous robes fair face exceeds:
But fairest mynd within chief glori breeds.
THUS happi King, thy spouse to thee,
Dezired spouse is led: and Virgin shee,
With virgin troop, hir sociates deer,
Attended, all to pleazed eys appear.
With signs, with sounds of ioy they com;
Where roial palace yields them grateful room.
AND thow, great King, in fathers place
Shalt children raize, endŭed with fathers grace:
Whom zelous iustice to maintain,
Shalt Princes high through all thy Lands ordain.
AND I thy name shal make renoumd,
While heavĕn leads time, where evĕr fair earth hir ground
Extends; yea whilĕst bothe worlds endure,
My verse thy praise from peoples shall alure.

University of Virginia Library

Psalm 45.

[A noble act, of Kings dezirĕd;]