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tials of his name) have been attributed to a William Kendall, or to a person of the name of Kelton, evidently without sufficient authority. The Psalms which appear to be exclusively appropriated to the Scotish collection were done by two authors, one of whom is known to all-the other, we believe, to none. To ROBERT PONT belong the 57th, 59th, 76th, 80th, 81st, and 83d Psalms. In some of the old editions we see the 85th and 149th (certainly erroneously) also attributed to the same. Psalms 56, 75, 102, 105, 108, 110, 117, 118, 132, 136, 140, 141, 143, and 145, bear the initials "I. C."* Who he was, we cannot ascertain; but extract, as a specimen of his style

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Thy people shall come willingly to thee, What time thine host in holy beauty shew; The youth that of thy womb doe spring shall be

Compared like vnto the morning dew.

Thus God hath sworn, and it perform will he,
And not repent, nor any time it break :
Thou art a Priest for euer vnto me,
After the form of King Melchisedek.
The Lord our God, who is at euery stound,
At thy right hand to be thine help and stay,
He princes proud, and statlie kings shall
wound,

For love of thee, in his fierce wrathfull day.

He shall be judge among the heathen all, He places voyde with carcasses shall fill, And in his rage the heads eke smite he shall, That ouer countries great do work their will.

Yea, he through hast for to pursue his foes, Shall drink the broke that runneth in the way;

And thus, when he confounded shall have those,

To this we shall add the first verses of the 145th Psalm, which may be compared with those of our present collection. Indeed, the second versions which our collection contains of the 136th, 143d, and 145th Psalms, are in fact those by I. C., as they stand in the former one, only some lines being a little altered, or, it may be improved.

"O Lorde that art my God and King
Vndoubtedlie, I will thee praise :
I will extoll and blessings sing,
Vnto thyne holie name alwaies.
From day to day I will thee blesse,
And laude thy name world without end,
For great is God, most worthie praise,
Whose greatnes none may comprehend.
Race shall thy warkes praise vnto race :
And so declare thy power, O Lord:
The glorious bewtie of thy grace,
And wondrous works will I recorde.
And all men shall the power of God,
Of all thy fearfull actes declare:
Thy greatnes at no time will spair.*
And I to publish all abrode,

The earliest impression of this version of the Psalms, exclusively intended" for the use of the Church of Scotland," which we have seen is one printed in 1565. This one was printed at Edinburgh, by Robert Lekpreuik, in sm. 8vo.; though, from what is stated above, it appears there were others of an earlier date. It is a singular fact, that books in universal use, and of which numerous editions have been printed, are often those, of which, in future times, not a single copy is to be found. How many editions of this version must have been printed, and yet how few we know of, printed during a period of near fifty years,-and often of these few editions, only one solitary copy is to be found, and even then probably in a defective state. Numerous editions of the plain Donat (as it was called) were early printed in Scotland, and yet, who has ever seen one copy of any of them? But to keep within our subject, let us notice one, of which a singular circumstance respecting it is on record-one which has eluded the research of the most keen-eyed collector. In July 1568, Mr Arbuthnot was appointed bly, July 1568. The order stands thus (says to revise a book complained of by the AssemMr Wodrow, in his MS. collections) in the Registers, sess. 3. in which he adds, he could find no report." The Assembly ordean Thomas Bassandon printer, to call in the books

His head on high then shall he lift that printed by him, Intituled The fall of the day."

To the same author some of the old editions falsely assign the 24th, which is by Sternhold, the 54th, by Kethe, and 60th, which is by Hopkins.

Roman Kirk, wherein the King is called supreme head of the primitive Kirk, &c. and to keep the rest unsold till he alter the forsaid title. Item, to delete the Baudie Song (Welcome Fortune, &c.), printed at the end of the Psalme Book, without licence; and that he abstain in times coming

We come now to notice what is mentioned in the said document, the design for the revisal of the psalmody, projected by the Assembly in 1601,

when a new translation of the Bible was also proposed. Nothing appears to have been done as to the one, and the other was, a few years afterwards, carried into effect in England. The words of the register of the General Assembly are nearly to the same purpose as those already given. "Sess. ultima 16 Maij. 1601. Anent ye Translation of ye Psalmes in meeter, It is ordainit yt ye same be revisit be Mr Rot Pont, minister at St cuthbert's kirk, and his traveles to be revisit at ye nixt asslie." This design is noticed in the different histories of that period, but we prefer extracting the words of Bishop Spotswood, as being the most particular. No further notice respecting this proposal was taken in any future assembly.

from printing any thing without the licence of the Supreme Magistrate, or if it concern religion, be such as shall be appointed by the Assembly to revise. Mr Alex. Arbuthnet was apointed to revise the foresaid tractat, and report to the next Assembly."

We may further mention some of the earlier editions which we have met with, they are generally reprinted from each other, and mostly without being overburdened with accuracy; and it is curious to see an exact list of the editions which are known, as it may lead to the discovery of some which are not. The Psalmes of David in meeter, &c. printed at Edinburgh, by Thomas Bassandyne, 1575, 8vo: at London, by Thomas Vau troullier, 1587, 8vo: at Edinburgh, be Henrie Charteris, 1594, and again, in 1595, both in 8vo: at Dort, by Isaac Canin, at the expenses of the aires of Henrie Charteris, and Andrew Hart, in Edinburgh, 1601, 8vo : at Edinburgh, by Andro Hart, 1611, and again, by the same printer, 1615, both in 8vo: at Aberdene, by Edward Raban, for David Melvill, 1633, 8vo: and at Edinburgh, by the heires of Andrew Hart, 1635, 8vo (this last edition, in one point of view, to be spoken of by-and-by, is the most valuable). These are all attached to the Confession of Faith, and are accompanied with the forms of discipline, &c. could easily extend the note, (already we begin to think of sufficient length) with mentioning impressions of a smaller form, by Hart, his successors, Bryson, and other printers; but these, having no intrinsic value, we leave to be particularised by whoever chooses to undertake a History of the Scotish Press, for which abundant food might easily be found.

We

"After this a proposition was made for a new translation of the Bible, and the correcting of the Psalms in metre: his Majesty did urge it earnestly, and with many reasons did persuade the undertaking of the of it, and what glory the performing therework, shewing the necessity and the profit of should bring to this Church: speaking of the necessity, he did mention sundry escapes in the common translation, and made it seem that he was no less conversant in the Scripture than they whose profession it was; and when he came to speak of the Psalms, did recite whole verses of the and the discrepance from the text. It was same, shewing both the faults of the metre the joy of all that were present to hear it, and bred not little admiration in the whole Assembly, who approving the motion, did recommend the translation to such of their Brethren as were most skilled in the Languages, and the revising of the Psalms particularly to Mr Robert Pont; but nothing not the King let this his intention fall to was done in the one or the other: yet did the ground, but after his happy coming to

the Crown of England, set the most learned divines of that Church, a work for the Translation of the Bible; which, with great pains and the singular profit of the Church, they perfected. The revising of the Psalms he made his own labor, and, at such hours as he might spare from the publick cares, went through a number of them, &c.—Bp. Spotswood's History, edition, Lond. 1677, p. 466.

When the Assembly appointed Mr Pont to this task, they no doubt had some regard to his services on the same subject at a former time. What was the cause of this project ending with its proposal, we are uninformed. Mr Pont, either at his advanced age was prevented by indisposition from executing what was intended, or he had considered any material revision to be unnecessary. Of his merits as a poet (with exception of a few straggling lines in some of his works), we are left to judge merely from the Psalms which carry his initials as the translator. Of these we have already spoken, and, with the following animated lines, which form a sort of chorus to the 80th, we shall extract the 76th psalm as a specimen of his poetical talents.

O Lord God of Armies, our Strength and

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which stands not in need of our commendation, else it should be heartily given.

In Iurie land God is well knowne,
In Israel great is his name:
He chose out Salem for his owne,
His Tabernacle of great fame,
Therein to rayse: and mount Sion
To make his habitation,

And residence within the same.

There did he break the bowmen's shafts,
Their fyrie dartes so swift of flight,
Their sheilds, their swords, and all their crafts
Of weir when they were boun to fight.
More excellent and more mightie,
Art thou therefore than Mountaines hie
Of ravenous wolues, without all right.
The stout hearted were made a pray,
A sudden sleep did them confound:
And all the strong men in that fraye
Their feble hands they haue not found.
At thy rebuke, O Iacob's God,
Horses with Chariots ouertrod,

As with dead sleep were cast to ground.
Fearefull art thou, (O Lord our guyde)
Yea, thou alone: and who is he
That in thy presence may abyde,
If once thine anger kindled be!

Thou makest men from heauen to heare,
The judgments just: the earth for feare
Stilled with silence then we se.
When thou, O Lord, beginst to rise
Sentence to giue as Iudge of all:
And in the earth dost enterpryse,
To ridde the humble out of thrall:
Certes, the rage of mortall men,

Shall be thy praise: the remnant then
Of their furie thou bindst withall.
Vow and performe your vowes therefore,
Vnto the Lord your God, all ye
That round about him dwell; adore
This fearfull one with offrings free.
Which may cut of at his vintage,
The breath of Princes in their rage,
To earthlie Kings fearfull is he.
The Conclusion.

To God alone of michtis most,
Be loud praise, gloir, and dignitie;
The Father, Sonne, and holie Ghost,
Three persons in Divinitie :
As ay has bene in tymes before,
Is now, and shalbe euermore,
Throu sea and land in ilk degre."

During the period while this version continued to be used in our country, many Scotish poets, besides those already mentioned, have left us so much as informs us that their attention had been directed to the cultivation of sacred poetry. Of these we cannot at present take full notice, but shall mention some of them whose labours on the Psalmody still remain. The name of King James stands first.

In his well-known volume, published in his youth, entitled, "The Essayes of a Prentise in the Divine Art of Poesie. Imprinted at Edinburgh, by Thomas Vautroullier, 1584, 4to, is a paraphrase of the civ. psalme translated out of Tremellivs. Though this rare volume has of late been rendered more accessible by the late reprint edited by the author of "Childe Alarique," (by the way, why are his Majesty's Poetical Exercises of 1591 thus long of making their appearance after being promised to the world by the same excellent and accomplished Editor?) we shall give the first two stanzas, in order to compare his Majesty's youthful essay with the same passage as attempted by another eminent Scotish Poet a few years after.

"O Lord inspyre my spreit' and pen to praise

Thy name, whose greatnes far surpassis all: That syne, I may thy gloir and honour blaise, Which cleithis the ouer: about the lyke a

wall

The light remainis. O thow, whose charge and call,

Made Heauens lyke courtenis for to spred abreid,

Who bowed the waters so, as serve they shall For cristall syilring over thy house to gleid. Who walks vpon the wings of restles winde Who of the clouds his chariot made, euen he, Who in his present still the spreits doeth find, Ay ready to fulfill ilk just decrie

Of his, whose seruants fyre and flammis they be.

Who set the earth on her foundations sure, So as her brangling none shall euer see: Who at thy charge the deip vpon her bure."

So much for his Majesty at present: we shall ere long have occasion again to speak of him and his paraphrase of the Psalms. The rival specimen is as follows:

"My Soule praise thou Iehouah's holie Name,

For he is great, and of exceeding Might,
Who, cloth'd with Glorie, Maiestie,and Fame,
And couered with the garments of the light,
Theazure Heauen doth like a Courtaine spred,
And in the depths his chalmer beames hath
layd.

The clouds he makes his chariot to be,
On them he wheeles the christall skies about,
And on the wings of Æolus, doth Hee
At pleasour walke; and sends his Angels out,
Swift Heraulds that doe execute his will,
His word the Heauens with firie lightnings

fill."

We are induced to give two other stanzas of this beautiful ode.

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[A Paraphrase of the civ. Psalme, by David Mvrray. Edinburgh, printed by Andro Hart, 1615, 4to.]

There was a little volume, which comes within our notice, printed at this time, now of rare occurrence, with this title: "The Mindes Melodie. Contayning certayne Psalmes of the Kinglie Prophete Dauid, applyed to a new pleasant tune, verie comfortable to euerie one that is rightlie acquainted therewith. Edinburgh, printed be Robert Charteris, 1605," 8vo. These certain Psalmes are fourteen in number; but the "new pleasant tune" spoken of, is as uncertain as the name of the author.

This recalls to our mind the curious notice, in the foresaid paper, respecting the gratuitous offer made by Montgomery and other Poets, to versify the Psalms anew. We wish this information had been more particular. The time when, and the names of the Poets who concurred with him in making this offer, are equally unknown. The few Psalms that are known to exist by Montgomery, are composed to peculiar tunes, evidently in imitation of the Wedderburns, whose godly hymns and verses were adapted to the measures of "prophaine sangis." Thus the first Psalm is to the tune of "The Solsequium," and the "2 psal. to the Tone of In thro the To." As some of these Psalms are preserved in the Bannatyne MS., a volume written in 1568, it carries the period of their composision farther back than is generally supposed. Only the 1st and 23d Psalms have yet been printed; these are generally found along with Montgomery's well-known and admired allegorical poem, The Cherrie and the Slae.

VOL. III.

We had intended in this place to bring forward some anecdotes, and make a few observations on the state of sacred music in our country after the Reformation, but find it will be necessary to defer doing so to some future Number, as already, we fear, able bounds; so that the following we have greatly exceeded all reasonwords of the poet may in earnest be applied to us, both by the reader and editor,

"Jam lector queriturque, deficitque, Ohe jam satis est, ohe libelle.-MARTIAL. Jam librarius hoc et ipse dicit! (To be continued.)

LETTER FROM ANDREW FAIRSERVICE, JUN. TO DOCTOR NICOL JARVIE.

MY DEAR DOCTOR,

ALLOW me to congratulate you on the successful termination of your remonstrances regarding the abuses in the management of the University Library. Your spirited epistle, which appeared in Blackwood's Magazine a few months ago, put the good folks of the College into a state of violent fermentation, and created a strong and universal interest in this town. The public has ever since been standing on the tiptoe of expectation, looking either for a reply from the able pen of some of the writing Professors, or for their silent acquiescence in the justice of your remarks, testified by the removal of the grievances libelled, and by the adoption of the measures recommended by Dr Nicol Jarvie. The frequent appearance of John Maclaughlan, parading the courts with his mace, and gown, and solemn visage,—the busy bustling looks of the Professors,-a report from Archie Cameron's, that the Faculty had been sitting, during several successive days, to a late hour, in deep divan,-all these circumstances were well known in the town, and portended that something was in the wind. At last our anxious curiosity has been satisfied. Your exertions have been crowned with their merited success. The professors have at last unbolted the doors of the library, that the students may enter in. Thanks to your spirited and patriotic media.tion.

2 A

We are indebted to you, Sir, for having fought and conquered in our cause. There is now no Student, even the son of the most humble parents, who can plead the want of opportunity as an excuse for his ignorance.

Having deposited the small sum of five shillings (the price of subscription fixed by the wisdom of the Faculty), I now enjoy, in common with my fellow-students, the unspeakable benefit of free access to the fountain of knowledge in these parts,―of sharing, in company with the professors and their families, a benefit which all of us agree in estimating at a very high rate. I have already, Sir, (thanks to your manly exertions,) luxuriated in the pages of the Poet of Order,-travelled the Low Countries with your friend the facetious Professor Muirhead, sucking in the ineffable waggery of his jokes, and tuned my voice to the expression of all those high, he roic feelings, those most divine afflafus, which characterise and adorn the poetry of our British Tyrtaeus. Mistake me not. I mention not these particulars from any feeling of vanity (at which I spurn), but by way of reply to an accusation frequently brought forward by the worthy but mistaken professors, viz. "That it is useless to open the library to the students, because they read nothing but the trash." When my friend, Professor gave me the account of the new decree of the Faculty touching the library, my heart first beat with gratitude to you, who had the glory of being prime mover in a business so powerfully affecting the state of letters in this part of Scotland. Sir, you stand deservedly at the top of your profession in this place, and are equally distinguished above the herd of practitioners, by the depth and extent of your information, as by your skill in the practice of physic. But, Sir, I believe you now stand higher than you ever did before; and however much you may be envied and calumniated by scurvy wits (for scribes must scribble, and genius must pay its tax), be not discouraged. Pursue the same course which you have begun, and you will never cease to have the noble-spirited and the good to love and admire you.

There is another individual who has exerted himself with zeal like yours in defending the cause of the students. His name I cannot pass over in silence. Need I mention that of the represen

tative of the illustrious Millar. He, as you well know, had always been incensed against the abettors of the system of depriving the students of their just rights, and he dexterously took advantage of the tide of popular opinion, excited by your letter; and which, in a country like ours, must, ever in the long-run, bear down all the obstacles which the selfishness and barbarity of individuals, or of bodies of men, may raise in opposition to what is calculated to cherish the spirit of free inquiry, and of literary enthusiasm. By his prudence and zeal he has brought about that revolution, which you, and all of us, had so much at heart. He has, in one word, approved himself worthy of that truly great man, whose blood flows in his veins; and I trust that we shall never fail to pay our humble tribute of respect and gratitude to one who has fought and conquered in our cause.

I trust that the victory now gained is the earnest of great things yet to come,-the earnest of more liberality in the general management of University concerns on the part of the Professors, and of a more watchful eye on the part of the Students, and of more spirited opposition from them to every semblance of encroachment on their rights. The Students (if they are not stark-blind), must now perceive, that although deprived of many of those privileges in which they were vested by the founder of the college, still, in the present day, if they have one soul and one mind, nothing detrimental to their interests can be firmly established. The Professors, although living within walls of their ownbreathing an atmosphere of their own

exercising a jurisdiction of their own-enjoying funds of their ownwriting books of their own-although possessing all the essentials of a distinct and chartered community, are still amenable to the tribunal of public opinion.

Rumours are afloat at present with respect to certain intended innovations as to the college garden. The same hand, I feel convinced, which has opened the library, will prevent the field of recreation from being converted into a suburb of soapworks and cotton-mills. When you are so near its site, may I hope that you will perhaps vouchsafe a single visit, en passant, to the Hunterian Museum. -Adieu! sir; there has not

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