CERTAIN Psalms chosen out of the Psalter of David, and drawn forth into English metre by William Hunnis servant to the right honourable sir William Harberde knight Newly collected & imprinted. William Hunnis to the reader. I Have here picked out (most gentle reader) these psalms following which no late writer hath hitherto touched, & yet for the excellency of the matter in them contained, seemed most worthy this labour and pain. And this enterprise I have taken in hand not in tending thereby any praises or glory should redound unto me but chiefly for this purpose that those, which in psalms and pleasant songs hath delight, might hereof receive some pleasure or profit. Reed them therefore most gentle reader with judgement judge with discretion. And although that in some places they be not so eloquently turned as peradventure the matter of them requireth, yet for the exceeding profit that doth proceed of them, reject them not, but accept my good will, which wholly endeavoured myself and go about to satisfy, and to accomplish thy desire to profit every man and disprofit in no wise, which thing if I do obtain, I have that I look for, if not, yet I ought to be pardoned, forasmuch as my good will to please and profit failed not, but power only lacked. Hereafter god willing other things shallbe taken in hand of me, both more willingly and also finished more exactly, if I do perceive these the first fruits of my labours and pains to be accepted & taken in good worth Far well. Certain Psalms of David, drawn into english metre. The li Psalm. Miserere mei deus. Have mercy lord, upon my soul thy goodness me restore, And for thy mercy infinite my sin think on no more. From wickedness lord wash thou me and cleanse me from my sin, For I confess my evil life that I before was in. Only to the have I sinned and done ill in thy sight, That in thy words when men the judge mightest overcome by right. Behold I was begot in sin and so my mother bore me Wherefore I claim thy saving health Mercy good lord and spare me. That I may render unto the truth in the inward part Then secretly I shall receive thy wisdom in my heart. With hyssop lord thou sprinkell me And so shall I be clean, And whiter thus shall I be made then ever snow hath been. Replenyshe me with joy and mirth my bruised bones restore. From my misdeeds turn thou thy face In mind have them no more. A perfect spirit and a pure heart O god renew in me, And cast me not out of thy sight For mine iniquity. give me the comfort of thy help And stablish me for ay And I shall then, the wicked men convert unto thy way. deliver me from blood guilt thou god my health always Thou shalt open my lips to speak my mouth shall show thy praise Burnt offerings that wouldst none have else I had given if the A broken and a contrite heart is it that pleaseth the. To Zion lord, be good again after thy godly will and let thy kindness, there abide thy promise to fulfil. Then sacrifices of righteousness thou lord wilt well regard And they shall offer their bullocks thine altar to reward. Praise we the father and the son and eke the holy ghost As hath been is and still shallbe in every age and cost. The lvi psalm. Miserere mei deus quoniam. BE merciful to me o god mine enemies withstand Which always go about to seek my life to have in hand For they run daily to and fro my body to annoy And many they in number be that would my soul destroy And though sometime I am afraid Yet do I trust in the Wherefore o lord, I will not fear what flesh can do to me. My words always they do mistake thus for to do me ill, Often they do imagine how My life and soul to kill. They cleave and hold, as thick as burrs and keep thus on a throng. They mark the steps, that I do use and all to do me wrong. O lord for this their wickedness thou wilt them soon confound And in thy rage thou shalt them cast headlong unto the ground. My coming in, and going out is known, to the o lord And eke my tears, be in thy sight thy word doth it record. When so that I shall call to the thou wilt guide me aright. So that my foes shall have no power But run and take their flight My mirth and joy is in the word of god, and parsons three In him I trust and will not fear What man can do to me. The vows of thanks and righteousness to the lord, will I give My tongue shall never stint thy praise so long as I here live For thou hast kept my soul from death and eke my feet from falling That I may walk before thy face in the light, of the living. Praise we the father. etc. The lvii Psalm. Miserere mei deus. BE merciful to me o god be merciful to me, My flesh, and heart, my soul and mind putteth their trust in the. Under the shadow, of thy wings there shall be my defence Until this time of tyranny be passed away from hence I call unto the most just god which made both sea and land He will perform his servants cause that he did take in hand He shall send down from heaven above his stretched arm in might And will me save from their repose which would do me untyght God shall send forth his mercy great and therewith will me arm And he shall stop the lions mouths to save my soul from harm For it doth lie among those men that be so set on fire Whose teeth are spears, their tongues be sword so hot is their desire, But set thou up thyself o god and let thy power be known. So that the wicked men in earth may quite be overthrown They lie in wait, and have laid forth a net to take me in A pit allo they made for me But they be caught therein. This is the goodness of my god Such comfort to upraise My heart alway shall ready be to sing, and to give praise Awake my lute and eke my harp and give forth pleasant sound And I shall praise the lord with you as I thereto am bound I will give praise to the o god thy people shall it here And I shall sing unto thy praise among them every where Thy mercies great, exceed the hevyns in breadth and eke in length. even as thy truth doth pass the clouds in beauty and in strength. O god, exalt thyself therefore above thy heavyns high, Thy glory is above the earth no man can it deny. Praise we the father. & c? The c.xiii psalm. Laudate pueri. O All ye servants, praise the lord Praise ye his holy name, And every thing that beareth life Likewise do ye the same. Bless ye the name, of god the lord and praises in great store Be unto god and Christ his son From henseforthe evermore. From the uprising of the son until his going down Praise ye the lord in every place both in the field and town. The lord is high above all lands his glory pass the heavens, Like as the son doth pass all light with clearness of his beams. Who may be like unto our god That hath his seat on high, Which will not let to see the things That on the earth doth lie? The simple men he doth uprayse and sets them up aloft even with the princes of his flock these be his doings oft. And eke the woman he hath made that long before was barren Now she remaineth in her house a glad mother of children. Praise we the father. etc. The c.xvii psalm Laudate dominum. O All ye lands, praise ye the lord that in the earth doth bide And every thing that there in is throughout the world so wide His mercy is to us alway increasing more and more And eke his truth shall still remain praise ye the lord therefore Praise we the father. etc. The c.xlvii psalm. Laudate dominum. HOw good it is to praise the lord no tongue can it express A joyful and a pleasant thing the lords praise is doubtless The lord doth build jerusalem So that it shall remain And the outcasts of Israel he bringeth home again The lord doth heal, the contrytt heart and medicine doth him give And in his sickness, thus saith he, thou shalt not die, but live The stars also he doth number and calleth them by name, And every one in order due, doth answer to the same Great is our god, & eke his power his wisdom hath no end, He setteth up the meek in heart, the wyckyde do contend, O sing unto the lord our god, a song of thankfulness Sing praise upon the ●unyd ha●● his goodness to express For he doth hide the heavens with clouds that no man may it see And doth prepare the rain for earth to water the plant and tree. And on the hills that be so high he maketh grass to grow And all is for the use of man such kindness he doth show And eyke the beasts, that be in field he helpeth, them at need And the young ravens, that call on him he doth them all ways feed As in the strength of horses great the lord hath no delight Nor neither in the legs of men that be so full of might The lords delight, is in those men, that fear, and do him serve, And they which put their trust in him, for mercy shall not starve jerusalem, jerusalem praise thou the lord above, And thou Zion do not forget his mercy and his love. For he hath fortified thy gates With bars that be right sue● And he in the hath blessed thy seed for ever to endure. And in thy borders, he hath set peace in every place, With grain and corn he hath the filled of him thou found such grace. He sendeth forth his holy word the world to run about, That every man might know his powe● and therein have no doubt He giveth snow whiter then will as we often do see. And skateteth the hoary frosts list ashes made of tree. He casteth forth his ice abroad Whose cold no man may bide Again his word soon doth them melt throughout the world so wide To jacob then the lord did show his word both pure and right And Israel his ordinance to keep both day and night He hath not dealt with any land such kindness for to show Neither his words nor yet his laws the heathen doth not know. Praise we the father. etc. The song of zacharias. Benedictus dominus deus Israel THe lord our god of Israel Be blessed now therefore That hath his people visited with mercy evermore And hath life up his saving health that is both firm and strong To david who his servant is and all that of him sprung As god did speak by his prophets Even since the world begun Whose sayings true shall still remain until the world be done. That we should thus be saved than from all our enemies hands And from those giants cruelty that would us tie with bands. This shall he do which promised Our father's mercy great And will remember his covenant Of promise that is sweet And eke the oath, perform will he which long before was sworn Unto our father Abraham before that we were borne That we being delivered out of the wicked hand Might serve the lord in love and fear as well by sea as land. In holiness and righteousness abhorring bate and strife Before the lord and Christ his son the days of all our life. And then thou child shalt called be the prophet of an high For thou shalt go before the lord his word to preach truly. And to give knowledge of his health Unto his people dear, For the forgiveness of their sins that they before in were. And through the mercy of our god whereby the day doth springe That from an high, doth visit us and light on earth doth bring That they which sit, beneath in dark and light, there can none see Might see to guide their feet in peace that they from death might i'll. Praise we the father. etc. The song of the three children. Benedicite omnia opera. O All ye works, in heaven and earth, and angels in due order, Speak ye good of the lord our god and set him up for ever. O ye heavyns and waters high and powers great persever To speak good of the lord our god and set him up for ever. O sun and moan that is so bright and stars of heaven endeavour, To speak good of the lord our god and set him up for ever, O ye showers ye dews and winds that goeth no man knoweth whether Speak ye good of the lord our god and set him up for ever. O ye fire and heat fervent eke ye winter and summer Speak ye good of the lord our god and set him up for ever Ye frost and cold, with ice and snow praise ye the lord together And speak good of his holy name and set him up for ever. O nights and days light & darkness adjoining each together Speak ye good of the lord our god and set him up for ever. O mountains hills, & ye green woods that fruit in time doth render Speak ye good of the lord our god and set him up for ever. O all ye wells, with seas, and floods and all that moveth in water Speak ye good of the lord our god. and set him up for ever. O all ye cattle beasts and fowls bearing hear, or feather, Speak ye good of the lord our god and set him up for ever. O Israel praise thou the lord And eke ye men, and childer Speak ye good of the lord our god and set him up for ever. Ye priests and servants of the lord● always do your endeavour: To speak good of the lord our god and set him up for ever. ye souls of men, of meek in heart from this do not dissever To speak good of the lord our god and set him up for ever. O Ananias Azarias and Mysaell together Speak ye good of the lord our god and set him up for ever Praise we the father and the son and eke the holy ghost As hath been, is, and still shallbe in every age and cost Finis A THANKESGEVINGE TO god for delivering from adversity. Ecclesiastus the last. I Thank the lord & god my king And praise the Christ my saviour Early and late whiles I here live Alway to exalt thine honour. ¶ I will yield praise unto thy name For thou hast been my buckler Against those men that sought my life Thou art my aid and succour And hast preserved my body Iron them that thought to destroy it With their false and traitorous tongues Yet could they nothing annoy it Thou gavest me the upperhand Of them that rose up against me So that my foes could find no cause Of right to triumph over me. When I was compassed round about And no man by that could help me I looked back but none was there that then might help or secure me Then lord thought I upon thine acts And had in mind thy great mercy Namely of old how thou dost them Preserve that put their trust in the Thus life I up my prayer then and prayed for deliverance Thou lord didst hear me by and by Whereof I had perseverance, Therefore will I acknowledge thee So long as life doth in me bide I will not stint thy name to praise Throughout the world so wide: Finis. The complaint of a sinner. ALas wretched sinner that I am Comfortless and of men forsaken A sinner into the world I came From whence I know I shallbe taken yet of my sinful life amending to the I try O Lord sweet jesus. Miserere mei deus: I have offended both heaven and earth Now whether shall I go or turn me I have transgressed from my birth The laws of god and that grievously To whom should I for succour fly But unto the o lord sweet jesus Miserere mei deus. To heaven I dare not life up mine eyes I have so sore sinned against it Yet lord thy servant do not despise Which willingly doth now repent it All sins hast thou forgiven & granted To him in faith that doth cry thus Miserere mei deus. In earth I find no place of defence I have been so noisome unto it Shall I despair in this my offence Then am i dampened God forbid it My soul shall cry in the lords presence Evermore continually thus Miserere mei deus. Mercy is with god my saviour And he only shallbe my refuge He will not despise his creature Ne yet forsake his own image But giveth increase of knowledge To him that in faith doth still cry thus Miserere mei deus. FINIS. ¶ Imprinted at London in Aldersgate street by the widow of John Herforde, for John Harrington the year of our lord. M. D. and L. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.