A paraphrase upon the Psalms of David by George Sandys ; set to new tunes for private devotion and a thorough-base for voice or instrument by Henry Lawes ; and in this edition carefully revised and corrected from many errors which passed in former impressions by John Playford.

PSALM XXXV.

LOrd, plead my cause against my foes; With such as fight against me, fight: Arise, thy ample Shield oppose, And with thy Sword defend my right. Address thy Spear; those in their way Encounter, who my Soul invade: To her O let thy Spirit say, I am thy God, and saving Aide. Let those, who my disgrace contrive, Hang down their heads, for flight design'd: Who seek my fall, let Angels drive Like Chaff befo••e the blustring wind. Obscure and slippery be their path; Let winged Troops pursue their foil; Since they for me with causeless wrath Have dig'd a pit, and pitch'd a Toil; Let suddain ruin them destroy; Mesht in the Nets themselves had laid:

Then in the Lord my Soul shall joy, And glory in his timely Aid. My Bones shall say, O who like thee, That arm'st the Weak against the Strong; That do'st the Poor and Needy free From outrage, and too powerful wrong?

False witnesses against me stood, Who unknown accusations brought: That Evil rendered for Good, And closely my confusion sought. I in their sickness did condole; Unfainedly in Sack-cloth mourn'd: With fasting humbled my sad Soul, And often to my Prayers return'd: Him visited both Night and Day, As if an ancient Friend or Brother: In Black upon the Earth I lay, And wept as for my dying Mother. Yet these rejoyced in my woe, False Comforters about me croud; And least I should their cunning know, They rent their Cloths, and cry'd aloud. Like Hypocrites at Feasts, they jeer; Whose gnashing teeth their hate profess: O Lord, how long wilt thou forbear, And only look on my distress? O save from those, who smile, and kill; My Dearling from the Lions Jaws: I in the great Assembly will Then praise thy Name with full applause.

Let not my causeless Enemies Rejoyce in my afflicted state: Nor wink at me with scornful eyes, Who swell with undeserved hate.

Of Peace they speak not; rather they The peaceable with fraud pursue: Who wry their mouths at me, and say, Ha, Ha! our eyes thy ruin view. This seen, O stand no longer mute; Nor, Lord, desert my Innocence. Awake, arise: O prosecute My Cause, and plead in my Defence. With Justice Judge: nor let them say In triumph; We our wish possess: Not in their mirthful hearts, Ha, Ha! W' have swallow'd him in his distress. Wrath and confusion seize on those, Who in my tribulation joy: Let them who glory in my woes, Be cloth'd with shame and infamy. Let those eternally rejoyce, Who favour and assist my right: For ever with exalted voice The goodness of our God recite. And say, O magnifie his Name, Who glories in his servants peace. My tongue his Justice shall proclame, Nor ever in his praises cease.

Notes

• As the 3.
• Part 2.
• Part 3.