The Whole Booke of Psalmes, collected into Englysh metre by T. Starnhold I. Hopkins & others: conferred with the Ebrue, with apt Notes to synge the[m] withal

A prayer of the faythful, oppressed by idolatrous tirants, against whō they desire that God woulde succor them: for as muche as there is no comparyson betwene him and theyr false God, or Idoles, trustyng most constantly that God will preserue them in this theyr nede, seeyng that he hath adopted, and receaued them to hys fauoure: promising finally, that they will not be vnmindfull, of so greate a benefyte, if it would please God to heare theyr prayer, and delyuer them by his omnipotent power.

[The first parte.]

Not vnto vs, Lord, not to vs,
but to thy name geue prayse,
bothe for the mercy and the truthe.
that are in thee alwayes.
Why shall the Heathen scorners say,
where is theyr God become?
Our God in heauen is, and what,
he will, that hath he done.

292

Their idols siluer are and gold,
worke of mens handes they be:
They haue a mouth and do not speake:
and eyes, and doo not see.
And they haue eares ioynd to their heds
and doo not heare at all:
And noses eke they formed haue,
and doo not smell withall.

And handes they haue, and handle not:
and feete and doo not goo:
A throte they haue, yet through the same
they make no sounde to blowe.
Those that make them be like to them.
and those whose trust they be.
O Israell trust in the Lorde,
their help and shield is he.

O Aarons house trust in the Lorde:
their helpe and shield is he:
Trust ye the Lorde that feare the Lord
their help and sheld is he.
The Lord hath mindefull ben of vs,
and will vs bles also:
On Israels and Aarons house,
his blissing he will shew.

They did beset me round about,
with wordes of hatefull spite:
Without all cause of my desert,
against me did they fight,
For my good will they were my foes,
but then gan I to pray:

293

my good with ill, my frendlynes,
with hate, they did repay,

The second parte.

Set thou the wicked ouer him,
to haue the vpper hand:
At his right hand eke suffer thou,
his hatefull foe to stand.
When he is iudged, let him then,
condemned be therin:
And let the prayer that he makes,
be turned into sinne.

Few be his dayes, his charge also,
let thou an other take,
His children let be fatherles,
his wyfe a wydow make:
Let his ofspring be vagabundes,
to begge and seke theyr bread,
Wandring out of the wasted place,
where erst they haue ben fed.

Let couetous extorcioner,
catch all his goods and store,
And let the straungers spoyle the frutes
of all his toyle before.
Let there be none to pitie him,
let there be none at all:
That on his children fatherles,
will let their mercye fall.

And so let his posteritie.
for euer be destroyed:
Their name out blotted in the age,
that after shall succed.

294

Let not his fathers wickednes,
from Gods remembrance fall,
And let thou not his mothers sinne,
be done away at all.

But in the presence of the Lorde,
let them remayne for ay,
That from the earth their memorye,
he may cut cleane away.
Sith mercye he forgat to shew,
but did pursue with spite:
The troubled man and sought to slay,
the woefull harted wight.

The third parte.

As he did cursing loue, it shall,
betide vnto him so:
And as he did not blessing loue,
it shalbe far him froe.
As he with cursing clad himself,
so it like water shall:
Into his bowels, and like oyle,
into his bones befall.

As garment let it be to him,
to couer him for ay,
And as a girdle wherwith he,
shall girded be alwaye.
Lo let this same be from the Lord,
the guerdon of my foe,
Yea and of those that euell speake,
against my soule also.

But thou, O Lorde that art my God,
deale thou I say with me.

295

After thy name: delyuer me,
for good thy mercies be:
Because in depth of great distres,
I nedy am and pore,
And eke within my payned brest,
my hart is wounded sore.

Them that be fearers of the Lord,
the lorde will blesse them all:
Euen he will blesse them euery one,
the great and eke the small.
To you I say the louing Lord,
will multiplie his grace,
To you and to the children that,
shall follow of your race.

Ye are the blessed of the Lorde,
euen of the lorde I say,
Which both the heauen and the earth,
hath made and set in stay.
The heauens, yea the heauens hye,
belong vnto the Lord:
The earth vnto the sonnes of men,
he gaue of free accorde.

They that be dead doo not with prayse,
set fourth the Lordes renoume,
Nor any that into the place,
of silence doo goe downe.
But we will prayse the Lorde our god,
from hencefourth and for ay
Sound ye the prayses of the Lorde,
prayse ye the Lorde I say.

University of Virginia Library

Non nobis domine.

Psalme. Cxv.

[The first parte.]

The second parte.

The third parte.