Though they blessed God
for the religious endeavours of them who translated the Psalms into the
_meetre _usually annexed at the end of the Bible, yet they beheld
in the translation so many _detractions _from, _additions
_to, and _variations _of, not only the text, but the very
_sense _of the psalmist, that it was an offense unto them.
Resolving then upon a new translation, the chief divines in the country
took each of them a portion to be translated; among whom were Mr. Welds
and Mr. Eliot of Eoxbury, and Mr. Mather of Dorchester. These like the
rest were so very different a _genius_ for their poetry that Mr.
Shephard, of Cambridge, on the occasion addressed them to this purpose:
You Roxb'ry poets keep clear of the crime
Of missing to give us very good rhime.
And you of Dorchester, your verses lengthen
And with the text's own words, you will them strengthen.
The Psalms thus turned into _meetre_ were printed at Cambridge, in
the year 1640. But afterwards it was thought that a little more of art
was to be employed upon them; and for that cause they were committed
unto Mr. Dunster, who revised and refined this translation; and (with
some assistance from Mr. Richard Lyon who being sent over by Sir Henry
Mildmay as an attendant unto his, son, then a student at Harvard
College, now resided in Mr.
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