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Subject Area: Literature
Collection: Banned Books
Topic: Epic Literature

A Paraphrase on Psalm 114. - John Milton, The Poetical Works of John Milton [1900]

Edition used:

The Poetical Works of John Milton, edited after the Original Texts by the Rev. H.C. Beeching M.A. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1900).

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A Paraphrase on Psalm 114.

This and the following Psalm were don by the Author at fifteen yeers old.

  • When the blest seed of Terah’s faithfull Son,
  • After long toil their liberty had won,
  • And past from Pharian fields to Canaan Land,
  • Led by the strength of the Almighties hand,
  • Jehovah’s wonders were in Israel shown,
  • His praise and glory was in Israel known.
  • That saw the troubl’d Sea, and shivering fled,
  • And sought to hide his froth-becurled head
  • Low in the earth, Jordans clear streams recoil,
  • As a faint host that hath receiv’d the foil.10
  • The high, huge-bellied Mountains skip like Rams
  • Amongst their Ews, the little Hills like Lambs.
  • Why fled the Ocean? And why skipt the Mountains?
  • Why turned Jordan toward his Crystall Fountains?
  • Shake earth, and at the presence be agast
  • Of him that ever was, and ay shall last,
  • That glassy flouds from rugged rocks can crush,
  • And make soft rills from fiery flint-stones gush.