Synods, or Assemblies, has one heard from year to year telling us of our sins, rousing us from our apathy, and summoning us in God's name to do our duty? Students form missionary associations, write essays, collect a few pounds, but, furnish few missionaries, not even for the colonies, where only three years' service is asked. We publish a “Record," but it is a record of little done, and little given. Long reports are read in the Assembly, but by how many out of it are these perused, and with what interest in the families of our people? There is no mincing the matter; no concealing it, or banishing the pain which it occasions, by any method, however plausible, of accounting for it. The fact stares us in the face, that the National Church of Scotland occupies one of the lowest places, as a Missionary Church, among all the churches on earth!* For the last few years, the prospect, instead of becoming brighter, has been getting darker, until now it has reached such a point that it can bear little reduction without destruction. God grant that the darkest hour may be nearest dawn! What is to be done? Are we to be silent, and conceal our danger-fold our hands, and fear to meet it? Or inculcate the never-failing remedies of "caution" and "prudence," as if these were the noblest virtues on earth? Shall we go on repeating stereotyped phrases about our "admirable schemes," and act as if they were to flourish by some superhuman agency, which freed us from the exercise of all practical wisdom to arrange, or of all manly efforts, earnest zeal, and self-denial to accomplish our purposes? Has the Church of Scotland obtained a prescriptive right from heaven to be preserved and delivered from the destruction to which every institution is doomed, which, either through want of thought, or of love, fails to fulfil its "mission ?" Yet we believe that the great majority of our clergy sincerely wish to know what can be done in the present crisis to awake the dormant energies of the Church, and to • The Moravian Church has 1 communicant, 3 converts, 1 mission station, and 15 missionaries among the heathen, for each communicant in the church at home! concentrate them with wisdom, courage, and perseverance, on her work as a national church and missionary institute. It appears to us, then, that one great want at present is more brotherly UNION. We want means of personal communication on these and very many other matters which concern our Zion, and which cannot be discussed in our Church courts; we want to "assemble ourselves together and provoke one another to love and to good works;" we want to speak our hearts out on those questions which lie near our hearts, because they affect the well-being of our church; and, above all, we want, in humility, sincerity, and love, to come together before a throne of grace, in obedience to that blessed command, and encouraged by the blessed promise," If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." And if we did this, God would doubtless help us, and that right early, and light would arise out of the darkness! We ask our Christian readers to say, candidly, whether if, at this time, even a few met together to pray to God with sincere hearts to help us by His grace to know our sins and to forsake them-to know our duties and to do them; if we met telling Him our anxieties and cares about the Church, and praying for aid to Him who loves what is right and true, and desires to see the right and the true prevail upon the earth,—whether such an answer would not be given as would be to our hearts life from the dead? Could we thus meet in vain? Impossible! unless our faith is vain, and Christ is not risen from the dead. Why, then, should not this means be tried of obtaining light, strength, and comfort, as members of the Church, and with special reference to our public callings and social duties? But our space is exhausted. We may, however, return to this subject. We have written as we felt and believed; and shall only further say, that it will greatly encourage us to go on until our project is matured and accomplished if any reader, whoever he be, will communicate his thoughts on the matter to the writer through the publishers.-A UNIONIST. PSALMODY. No. V. THE famous metrical version which bears the names of Sternhold and Hopkins was completed by slow degrees, and at considerable intervals. There is, however, much inaccuracy in the accounts which have been published of this most interesting work. It has been generally asserted that the first form in which the version appeared, was a small volume published at London in 1549, containing fifty-one psalms by Thomas Sternhold. This is certainly erroneous. The title of this volume was, “All such Psalmes of David as Thomas Sternholde, late grome of the Kynge's Maiestyes robes, did in his lyfe time drawe into Englysshe metre." It actually contained fifty-one psalms, and was published shortly after Sternhold's death, which had taken place in the same year. But there had been an earlier publication, without date, during Sternhold's life, containing only nineteen psalms, and this was truly the first germ of the old Psalter. The edition of 1549 contained many translations which were not by Sternhold, for he was the author of thirty-seven only. This is sufficiently proved by a publication in 1551, edited by Hopkins, who, in addition to thirtyseven Psalms by Sternhold, inserted seven rendered by himself. Had Sternhold left any others, Hopkins would undoubtedly have preserved and published them; for in speaking of his own seven, he modestly says that he did not consider them "in any parte to bee compared with his (Sternholde's) most exquisite dooynges. But for that they are fruitfull, although they bee not fine, and comfortable unto a Chrystian minde, althoughe not so pleasaunt in the mouth or eare." There is also in the Bodleian Library an edition of the Psalms published at Geneva in 1556, which, though a reprint of the English edition of 1549, which was wholly ascribed to Sternhold, is entitled "Fifty-one Psalmes in metre: whereof xxxvii. were made by T. Stern • Dibdin. hold, and the rest by others, &c." Accordingly, in the early editions, the initials of Sternhold are prefixed to only thirty-seven Psalms. The history of this version is associated with those persecutions which, during the reign of Mary of England, drove the most learned and godly men of Britain to seek peace and safety on the continent of Europe. Many of these illustrious exiles gathered in the city of Geneva, and there encouraged each other in desiring a better country, that is, an heavenly. They laboured abundantly in sacred literature, and in all their labour had respect to their kindred and their fathers' houses. In their very exile, they regarded themselves as preserved in an ark from the many waters which were sweeping over their heritage, and in their seclusion they gave the greater diligence, that, when the calamity should be overpast, they should go forth strong and skilful to their glorious work. Exiles like the Hebrews, they yet, in the nobler spirit of the Gospel, sung the Lord's song in a strange land. And Britain was thus indebted to their untiring labours for that most valuable version of the Scriptures in English, still known as the Geneva Bible, and for the whole book of Psalms in English verse. In 1561 the Scottish and English exiles made a considerable addition to their metrical psalter, so that the edition of "the Forme of Prayer," published in that year, contained "fourscore and seven Psalmes." But in 1562, under the editorial care of Hopkins, the work was completed, and "THE WHOLE BOKE OF PSALMES, collected into English metre, by Thomas Starnhold, J. Hopkins, and others, &c.," was published in London. The same version was received and adopted in Scotland. The General Assembly which met in December 1562, "lent Robert Lepreuik, printer, twa hundredth pounds, Scotish money, to help to buy irons, ink, and paper, and to fee craftismen for printing of the Psalmes." These Psalms had been already intro | duced, for in the same year the Assembly "ordained that ane uniforme order be keeped in the ministration of the sacraments, according to the Book of Geneva, that is, the Book of Common Order, prefixed before the Psalms, which was the order observed in the English Church of Geneva." And in the following year, the Assembly specially enjoined, "that every Minister, Exhorter, and Reader shall have ane of the Psalme Books lately printed in Edinburgh, and use the order contained therein in prayers, &c." This metrical version, used alike in England and Scotland, was the composition of not less than seven distinct authors. The early editions differ from each other in the versions of several entire Psalms. The Scotch editions frequently substitute, in forty-one cases, a version different from that used in England, and preferred rather on account of the translator, than any intrinsic superiority. This accounts for the discrepancies which appear in many copies in the initials prefixed to the Psalms to indicate their author. In two editions now before me, the one printed with the Geneva Bible in 1599, and the other at London in 1658, there are fifteen discrepancies in the initials denoting the authorship, PSALM XIX. Edition of 1551. 1 The heavens and the firmament 2 Eche daye declareth by his course And by the night we knowe likewyse, 3 There is no language, tong, or speche 4 In them the Lord made royally 5 And all the skye from ende to ende he compast round about, No man can hide him from his heate, but he will finde him out. though the two versions are precisely the same in every Psalm. It is observable that whenever the earlier edition gives no initials, the later publication invariably inserts those of Hopkins. I may also mention, that this later edition is printed, with a copy of the Scriptures referred to, in a remarkable tract, published in 1660, entitled, "The London Printer, his Lamentation: or, the Press oppressed, or overpressed," which makes fearful charges of inaccuracy in the editions printed after the 6th March 1655. THOMAS STERNHOLD, who projected and began the version, had been greatly distinguished for poetical talent, and, on this account, was appointed to an office in the household of Henry VIII. He retained the same office, groom of the robes, in the court of Edward VI. I have already shown that he translated thirtyseven Psalms, but his version of these was materially altered by subsequent editors. As an illustration of the freedom with which editors amended what Hopkins pronounced to be "the most exquisite dooynges" of Sternhold, I may offer the versions of Psalm xix. from the editions of 1551 and 1556. If Hopkins did not himself make the alterations, he at all events retained and preserved them when he edited the Psalter. 1 The heavens and the firmament 2 The wonderous workes of God appeare The nyghtes which likwise their race runn, 3 There is no language, tong, or speche, 4 In them the Lorde made for the sunne Who, like a bridegrome ready trimed And as a valiant champion, With joye doth haste to take in hande 5 And al the skye from ende to ende, 187 The earlier version is greatly superior, and has fewer of those peculiar blemishes which deteriorate the volume generally. But in judging of these compositions, which are now the mere memorials of ancient piety, is it not necessary that we remember that they are the productions of an age very different from our own, with different customs, different standards of excellence, and that, from our being habituated to another version, we are apt to regard them with prejudice? This consideration is the more imperative, as certain rude and grotesque verses are generally quoted as a fair specimen of Sternhold's Psalms. Dr. Beattie of Aberdeen, in his letter on the Psalmody to Dr. Blair in 1778, stated that the rudeness of the old version had become even proverbial. This was too true, but the condemnation was scarcely deserved. So also was Dr. Beattie's own sentence, that "the verse is very incorrect, the sense not always clear, and the expression sometimes exceedingly vulgar." It is too much forgotten that changes in the pronunciation of words, and in the quantity of syllables, lead men of a different generation to condemn verse as incorrect, which was perfectly accurate according to the standard of the age in which it was written the only standard which is admissible. The poems of Gawin Douglas, of Sir David Lindesay, of Sir Richard Maitland, or of Alexander Montgomerie, seem to us very lawless and incorrect in rhyme, for the simple reason that we cannot read them properly. With regard to the other charges against the old version, it is enough to say, that were a few exceptional lines to decide the fate of any version, the modern Scottish Psalms, of which more hereafter, would be speedily consigned to oblivion or ridicule. And were superiority in isolated passages, which any one might quote, to establish the superiority of the whole version, the same modern Scottish Psalms, and many others, would at once give place to the old version by Sternhold and Hopkins. I may give a single illustration of this. In our modern version of Psalm xviii., we have the following antique stanza:— For, Lord, with him that holy is, And with the good and virtuous man And to the loving and elect thy love thou wilt reserve; It is by no means an easy matter to discriminate the faults and excellences of the several authors of the old version, for the same hand seems to have revised with freedom the majority of the translations, and invested each with a common characteristic. Yet Sternhold, revised and interpolated as his psalms undoubtedly are, retains some traces of his own individuality, and is not chargeable, to the same extent as Hopkins, with indulging in expletives and paraphrases. He generally appreciates the sublimity of the original, and renders it with befitting simplicity; and though sometimes less happy in his diction, he never is betrayed into the rougher style of Hopkins. Indeed, in some obscure passages of the Hebrew, Sternhold proposes an interpretation which is always worthy of attention. For example, he thus renders a difficult phrase in Psalm xvi.:— Lord, keep me, for I trust in thee, I give my goods unto the saints He also in Psalm xix. is guiltless of an error into which most of the versions, metrical and otherwise, have fallen. For example, Tate and Brady render the passage thus: Let no presumptuous sin, O Lord, dominion have o'er me : That by thy grace preserved, I may the great transgression flee. Of JOHN HOPKINS, the principal contributor to the version, and the first editor of the entire work, little is known, Sternhold's translation is more faithful except that he was a clergyman and and correct: And keep me, that presumptuous sins And great offences flee. The power and sublimity of part of his version of Psalm xviii. have been always acknowledged. We cannot but regret, however, that in such a passage the word cherubs is most awkwardly repeated. The Lord descended from above On cherubs and on cherubine Full royally He rode, And on the wings of all the windes The merits and defects of Sternhold's translations are fairly represented in his version of Psalm xxv. It is simple, dignified, and musical, but introduces several ideas not warranted in a translation: 10 Now for thy holy name, O Lord, I thee entreat To grant me pardon for my sinne, Whoso doth feare the Lord, The Lord doth him direct To leade his life in such a way As He doth best accept. His soul shall evermore In goodnesse dwell and stand, His seede and his posterity Inherit shall the land. All those that feare the Lord And unto them He doth declare His Will and Testament. As a specimen of the exceptional and unhappy style of Sternhold, I may give the following lines from Psalm xxii. I have no doubt that they did not appear uncouth to our great grandsires; but on the contrary gave a satisfactory explanation : So many buls doe compasse me schoolmaster in Suffolk, and had been "perhaps a graduate at Oxford" about 1544. His translations are by no means equal to those of Sternhold, and are distinguished by an exaggeration of the same faults. Any one who has read the foregoing specimens of Sternhold's translations will observe their superiority over the following translation by Hopkins: PSALM LXXII. 6 Lord, make the king unto the just The just shall flourish in his time Untill the moone shall leave to prime, He shall be Lord of sea and land From shore to shore throughout, The people that in desert dwell Hopkins also repeats the same expletive in successive stanzas, and thus greatly injures the effect of the composition: PSALM LXXX. 8 O take us, Lord, unto thy grace, From Egypt, where it grew not well, Thou didst prepare for it a place And filled the land at last. In some instances Hopkins gives a correct translation of the original, when the prose version in his possession had failed to do so. An example of this is singularly brought out in his version of Psalm lxxvii. The Geneva Bible did not render the passage properly; neither does our authorised version. Tate and Brady, |