Part 21

["The above may serve for a tolerable specimen of Swift's remarks. The whole should be given, if it were possible to make them intelligible, without copying the version which is ridiculed; a labour for which our readers would scarcely thank us. A few detached stanzas, however, with the Dean's notes on them, shall be transcribed." Thus writes Scott; but I have added a great many more, which deserve reprinting, if only for their humour. [T.S.]]

DR GIBBS. DR SWIFT.

II. PSALM OF DAVID. (1) I do not believe that ever kings entered 1 Why do the heathen nations rise, into plots and And in mad tumults join! confederacies against the reign of God Almighty. 2 Confederate kings vain plots (1) devise Against the Almighty's reign: His Royal Title they deny, (2) What word does Whom God appointed Christ; that plural number belong to? 3 Let us reject their (2) laws, they cry, Their binding force resist.

7 And thus to Him was pleased to say, (3) An excellent drug- As I His words declare; (3) german.

9 But those, that do thy laws refuse, (4) After a man is In pieces thou shalt break; broken in pieces, And with an iron sceptre bruise (4) 'tis no great matter Their disobedient (5) _neck_. to have his neck bruised.

(5) Neak.

10 Ye earthly kings, the caution _hear_; (6) Rulers must _learn_ Ye rulers, _learn_ the same; (6) it, but kings may only _hear_ it.

11 Serve God with reverence, and with _fear_(7) His joyful praise proclaim; (7) Very proper to make a joyful proclamation with fear.

12 Confess the Son, and own His (8) reign, (8) Of Blackmore's Ere He to wrath inclines; reign. And, so resenting your disdain, Confound your vain designs: (9) (9) You with his lines

For should the madness of His foes (1) (1) For should the foes Th' avenging God incense, of David's ape Happy are they that can repose Provoke his grey In Him their confidence. (2) goose quills, Happy are they that can escape The vengeance of his pills.

(2) Admirably reasoned and connected!

III. PSALM OF DAVID.

_When he fled from his son Absalom._ To Dr. Gibbs, _ex aquâ in ignem_.

4 When to the Lord for help I cry, (3) Sec_o_ure. He hears me from the Throne on high; (4) By this I think it 5 And thus I sleep and wake secure, (3) is clear that he cries Guarded by His almighty Power. (4) in his sleep.

6 No fears shall then my soul depress,* *Depre_a_se, Lo_a_rd, Though thus my enemies increase; Scoticé.

7 And (5) therefore, now arise, O Lord,* (5) He desires God's And graciously thy help afford: help, because he is not afraid of his enemies; others, I think, usually desire it when they _are_ afraid.

8 And _thus_ (6) to grant a sure defence, (6) The doctor hath a Belongs to God's (7) omnipotence; mighty affection for the particle _thus_: he uses it four times in this Psalm, and 100 times in other places, and always wrong.

(7) That is as much as to say, he that can do all things can defend a man; which I take to be an undoubted truth.

IV. PSALM OF DAVID.

_Reproving and admonishing his enemies_. Not to burlesque his Psalms.

1 As Thou hast always taken care A pretty phrase! My sufferings to remove.

2 But you, my frail (1) malicious foes, (1) Are they malicious Who do my power despise; out of frailty, or frail Vainly how long will ye oppose, out of malice? And (2) falsely calumnize! (2) That is, they say _false_ things _falsely_.

I will discover the doctor's secret of making the coherence and connection, in the Psalms that he brags of in his title and preface: he lays violent hands on certain particles,(such as _and, when, since, for, but, thus, so_, &c.) and presses them to his service on all occasions sore against their wills, and without any regard whether the sense will admit them or no.

3 Since those alone the Lord has blest, (3) 'Tis plain the doctor That do from sin refrain; never requested to be a He therefore grants what I request, (3) poet. And hears when I (4) complain:

(4) If your requests be granted, why do you complain?

But of Thy face to us do Thou What is it, to The favour still dispense; dispense the favour of his face?

7 Then shall my soul with more divine (5) I have heard of a And solid joys abound, crown or garland of corn, Than they with stores of corn and wine, but a crown of wine is Those earthly riches, crown'd: (5) new, and can hardly be explained, unless we suppose the wine to be in icicles.

8 And thus confiding, Lord, in thee (6) And yet, to shew I I take my calm repose; (6) tell no fibs, For thou each night protectest me Thou hast left me in From all my (7) treacherous foes thrall To Hopkins, eke, and Doctor Gibbs The vilest rogue of all.

(7) Aye, and _open_ foes too; or his repose would not be very calm.

V. PSALM OF DAVID:

Trusting in God, he implores protection Especially Doctor from his enemies._ Gibbs.

1 O Lord, receive my fervent prayer, (1) I suppose he Relieve my soul opprest with care, thought it would be And hear my loud (1) complaint; heard the better for being loud. [Greek: Oion aento mega kekraigenai kai ochlaeson einai.]--LUC. TIM., _Misanth_.

2 On Thee alone I can rely, Do Thou, my God, to whom I fly, My sad (2) petition grant: (2) My poor petition. Ay, a sad one indeed.

5 They on thy favour can't rely, (3) Such vile poetry. That practice such iniquity, (3) What is the meaning of For Thou wilt punish those that word, _such_, in this place?

6 That do malicious lies (4) invent, (4) Malicious lines. And would to death the innocent By treacherous means (5) expose. (5) By doggrel rhimes.

8 Lord, in Thy Laws (6) direct my ways, (6) He perseveres--not Since those my watchful foe surveys, that he values the Laws, And make me persevere: but because his foes watch him. A good principle!

9 They flatter to destroy:

10 But let, O Lord, the vengeance due (7) Horrid rhimes. Those in their horrid crimes (7) pursue, (8) Def_o_y. Who do Thy power defy: (8)

VI. PSALM OF DAVID:

_Penitently complaining of his sufferings_. By this translator.

I Thy heavy hand restrain, (9) (9) Thy heavy hand With mercy, Lord, correct; restrain; Do not, (1) as if in high disdain, Have mercy, Dr. Gibbs: My helpless soul reject: Do not, I pray thee, paper stain 2 For how shall I sustain With rhymes retail'd in (2)Those ills, which now I bear! dribbs. My vitals are consumed with pain, (3)My soul oppress'd with care: (1)That bit is a most glorious botch. (2)The squeaking of a hogrel.

(3)To listen to thy doggrel.

5 For in the silent grave, } Very true all that. When there I lie obscure, No gracious favours I can have, Nor magnify Thy power:

6 Lord, I have pray'd in (1) vain (1)The doctor must So long, so much opprest; mean himself, for I hope My very (2) cries increase my pain, David never thought so. And tears prevent my rest; (2)Then he's a dunce 7 These do my sight impair, for crying. My flowing eyes decay, While to my enemies I fear Thus (3) to become a prey. (3)That is, he is afraid of becoming a prey to his enemies while his eyes are sore.

8 But, ye vain forces! fly, (4) (4)Fl_o_y. For God, Whom I adore, Why then does he tell us just before that he has prayed in vain, and is afraid of becoming a prey to his enemies?

9 My impious foes does still destroy, When I His aid implore.

10 O Lord, by Thy fierce hand repell'd, With sudden shame retire (5) A very proper word for a man that is repell'd by a fierce hand.

VII, PSALM OF DAVID:

_When unjustly persecuted,(6) and accused of (6) By Doctor Gibbs. treachery against King Saul._

I O Lord my God, since I repose (7) By chance. My trust in Thee alone, (7)

Save and defend me from my foes, That furiously come on: (8) (8) Advance.

2 Lest, like a ravenous lion, they What sort of lions are My captive soul devour, they that devour souls?

4 If I've not spared him though he's grown(9) (9) Gro_u_n. My causeless (1) enemy, (1) If he be grown his _causeless_ enemy I presume he is no longer _guiltless_.

5 Then let my life, and future (2) crown (2) He gives a thing Become to him a prey: before he has it, and gives it to him that has it already; for Saul is the person meant.

6 But, Lord, thy kind assistance (1) lend, (1) But why _lend?_ Arise in my defence; Does he design to return According to Thy laws, (2) contend it back when he has done For injured innocence: with it?

(2) Profane rascal! he makes it a struggle and contention between God and the wicked.

7 That all the nations, that oppose, (3) (3) Opp_a_use. May then confess Thy power: Therefore assert my righteous cause, That they may Thee adore: (4) (4) Ado_u_re.

8 For equal judgment, Lord, to Thee (5) Yet in the very The nations (5) all submit; verse before he tells of Be therefore (6) merciful to me. nations that _oppose_. And my just soul acquit: (7) (6) Because all nations submit to God, therefore God must be merciful to Dr. Gibbs.

(7) Of what?

9 Destroy the wicked in their plots: Poor David never could The just with blessings crown: acquit For all the ways and secret thoughts (8) A criminal like thee, Of both to Thee are known. Against his Psalms who couldst commit Such wicked poetry.

(8) Thots.

10 Thus by God's gracious providence (9) (9) Observe the I'm still preserved secure, (1) connection. Who all the good and just defends (1) Sec_ou_re. With a resistless (2) power. (2) That's right, doctor; but then there will be no _contending_, as you desired a while ago.

'Tis wonderful that Providence Should save thee from the halter, Who hast in numbers without sense Burlesqued the holy Psalter.

11 All men He does with justice view, (1) That's no great And their iniquity mark of viewing them With direful vengeance can pursue, with justice. God has Or patiently (1) pass by: wiser ends for passing by His vengeance on the wicked, you profane dunce!

13 For He the artillery directs, What's that charge? it The sudden charge ordains, must allude to a charge of gunpowder, or it is nonsense.

15 Lo! now th'inflictions (2) they design'd (2) Ay, but what sort of By others to be borne, things are these Even all the mischiefs (3) in their mind inflictions? Do on themselves return: (4) (3) If the mischiefs be in their mind, what need they return on themselves? are they not there already?

(4) Ret_o_rn.

16 By their own treachery betray'd (5) Pills To the same ills, (5) that they Invented, and with those essay'd (6) Rich. To make the poor (6) their prey: Does this verse end according to the more modern art of poetry, as the author speaks in his preface?

17 O Lord, how glorious are the ways Do not these verses end Of Thy good Providence! very sublimely? Thou, Lord, Whose blessed Name I praise, True justice dost dispense

VIII. PSALM OF DAVID:

1 The mighty powers, that celebrate That's a lie; for if Thy endless praises, can't relate they The glory they in Heaven survey: can survey it they can easily relate it.

2 _Young_ helpless _infants_ at the breast Young younglings. Their great Creator have confest, [The italics are And in their weakness spoke Thy pow'r, Swift's.] This stanza is just upon the purlieus between sense and nonsense.

4 Lord, what is wretched (7) man, I cry, (7) A very proper epithet Or all his sinful progeny, for those who are scarce That thou to them dost prove so kind! inferior to angels.

5 To honour Thou dost them prefer, A fine cadence that. To angels scarce inferior,

6 They over all Thy works command:

7 The flocks and herds o'er every field (1) That's a lie, for To their just lords obedience yield, sometimes they trespass And all (1) in full subjection stand: on other men's grounds.

8 O'er all the birds, that mount the air, (2) App_ai_r. And fish, that in the floods appear,(2) Man bears an arbitrary sway: Those, I think, are not very many: they are caught, but till then we have no great sway over them.

IX. PSALM OF DAVID:

3 Confounded at the sight of Thee (3) The doctor's mistaken; My foes are put to flight; (3) for, when people are confounded, they cannot fly.

4 Thus thou, great God of equity, (4) Against Sternhold Dost still assert my right. (4) and Hopkins.

6 Insulting foes, how long can ye (5) b_o_st. Of ruin'd cities boast! (5) Blunderings, _Siccorrige Your plunderings now as well as they meo periculo_. That's a Are in oblivion lost: lie, for Gibbs remembers them.

7 But God eternally remains (6) (6) That's false and Fixt in His throne on high, profane; God is not fixed anywhere.

8 And to the world from thence ordains (7) Did anybody ever Impartial equity:(7) hear of _partial_ equity?

9 And for their injured souls extend That extending a refuge, A refuge most secure. is pretty.

12 He hears the injured poor, and then _i.e._ is angry at their Does all their cries resent. cries.

13 And thus consider still, O Lord, (8) Nothing is restored The justice of my cause; but what has been taken Who often hast my life (8) restor'd away; so that he has been From death's devouring jaws: often raised from the dead, if this be true.

15 The heathen nations are dismay'd (9) (9) We heard a while They're all to ruin brought, ago their very names were For in the treacherous nets, they laid, dead,[1] now (it seems) Ev'n they themselves are caught: they're only dismay'd.

[Footnote 1: Ver. 5. "They and their very names are dead."]

16 Lo, thus the Lord to execute True judgment still inclines; This is profane, as if it were only an inclination in God to be just.

X. PSALM OF DAVID:

1 Lord, why in times of deep distress If the woes require aid Dost Thou from us retire, it is to increase them, When dismal woes our souls oppress, they cannot require it And Thy kind aid require! against themselves.

2 The wicked do with lawless pride (1) (1) Proide. Pronounce The helpless persecute; it like the Scotch. But let them be themselves destroy'd, And fall in their pursuit: Ay, let them!

3 For still they triumph, when success I cannot crock this Does their designs attend, stave. And then their ways, who thus oppress, Profanely they commend:

* * * * *

5 And from the barbarous (2) paths they tread,(2) The author should No acts of Providence first have premised what Can e'er oblige them to recede, sort of paths were Or stop (3) their bold offence; properly barbarous. I suppose they must be very deep and dirty, or very rugged and stony; both which I myself have heard travellers call barbarous roads.