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    of the Old Version ( Sternhold's , &c . ) extracted from Mr . Eliis ' s Specimens of early E ng lish Poets . In the Catalogue Raisonne of 44 those who have translated the

    whole Book of Psalms / occurs the name of Henry King , Bishop of Chichester . He was the friend of Dr . Donne ; and further particulars of him , as well as more

    specimens of the poetry of Dr . S . Wood ford , may be seen in / . Walton * & Lives , ifC . and in the instructive notes subjoined to that work , by its learned editor . The contrast between Sir J . Denham ' s

    happier productions and hjs translation of the Psalms ^ was thus described by Watts . << The bard that climbed to Cowper ' s hill , Reaching at Zion , shamed his skill . "

    Of Watts himself , in the character of a translator- this editor

    has not formed the most favourable opinion : with few exceptions , we subscribe to the decision , that his Psalms are commended far beyond their real merits : we believe that the fact is . owing to the early associations of which we have before spoken ; and we agree with

    Mr . Cottle , who is here quoted , that u it is a violation ef terms to call that a version which , rightly denominated , is no other than a collection of hymns , or divine poems , founded upon the Psalms . ' " To Merrick , we consider the editor as in some , degree unjust . It

    is true that this translator is rather elegant than forcible , that his version has too much of a classi - cal air and style , and that his metres are ^ frgqvtpntly , reprehensible . But , though ym dislike his translation of the Psalms , as a whole , we regard him us singularly happy iniff ^ WtB pC W * uflite * -

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    taking , and often perceive the skill and taste and beauty , if we do not meet with the sublimity and raptures of a poet . We have a strong objection , we confess , to any anomalous measures in serious poetry . It might be shewn from exy am pies afforded by our versifiers , and by writers of a yet higher rank , that they give a great facility to incoherence of ideas , to the

    exclusion of sense ,, and spmetinaes of grammar , for sound . * The translation of the eighth Psalm by C . Pitt , is truly excellent , though , perhaps , more paraphrastical than was to be wished . Merrick ' s version of the same

    Psalm , is also very meritorious and would not have disgraced this selection : we prefer it to his execution of the tenth , which has a place in these pages . The

    thirteenth is given as rendered by the late Dr . Cotton . Concerning this gentleman , the world has fcn 6 wr > something more , since the publication of Hayley ' s Life of Cowper . We are able to add that his life

    was pious , that his manners were attractive , that he had the talent of engaging , in particular , the affection of young persQns , that all his writings were ' directed to the most useful objects , and that he brought up a large family , the offspring of two marriages , with much su < v

    cess . His versions of the thirteenth and forty-second Psalms first appeared , if we mistake not ^ in a periodical work , entitled The Visitor ' , which was said to be edited by Dr . Dodd . We h ^ re meet with the nineteenth Psalm , as might be

    expect-* On this subject $ cc JVJasonfo ^ ray , (* 77 # k VqL 4 » * b 6—* 17 > andKStew *»* %

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    320 " Review . —Select Psalms in Verse .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1812, page 320, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1748/page/40/