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Christopher Smart
1722 - 1771

JUBILATE AGNO (fragment)

For I bless the PRINCE of PEACE and pray that all the guns may be nailed up, save such are for the rejoicing day.
For I have abstained from the blood of grape and that even at the Lord's table.
For I have glorified God in GREEK and LATIN, the consecrated languages spoken by the Lord on earth.
For I meditate the peace of Europe amongst family bickerings and domestic jars.
For the HOST is in the WEST - the Lord make us thankful unto salvation.
For I preach the very GOSPEL of CHRIST without comments & with this weapon shall I slay envy.
For I bless God in the rising generation, which is on my side.
For I have translated in the charity, which makes things better & I shall be translated myself at the last.
For he that walked upon the sea, hath prepared the floods with the Gospel of peace.
For the merciful man is merciful for his beast, and to the trees that give them shelter.
For he hath turned the shadow of death into the morning, the Lord is his name.
For I am come home again, but there is nobody, to kill the calf or to play the musick
For the hour of my felicity like the womb of Sarah, shall come at the later end.
For I shou'd have availed myself of waggery, had not malice been multitudinous.
For there are still serpents that can speak - God bless my head, my heart & my heel.
For I bless God that I am of the same seed with Ehud, Mutius Scaevola and Colonel Dreper.
For the word of God is a sword on my side - no matter what other weapon a stick or a straw.
For I have adventured myself, in the name of the Lord, and he hath marked me for his own.
For I bless God for the Postmaster general & all conveyancers of letters under his care especially Allen & Shevlock.
For my grounds in New Canaan shall infinitely compensate for the flats & maynes of Staindrop Moor.
For the praise of God can give to a mute fish the notes of nightingale.
For I have seen the White Raven & Thomas Hall of Willingham & and am myself a grater curiosity than both.
For I look up to heaven which is my prospect to escape envy by surmounting it.
For if Pharaoh had known Joseph, he would have blessed God & me for the illumination of the people.
For I pray God to bless improvements in gardening till London be a city of palm-trees.
For I pray to give his grace to the poor of England, that Charity be not offended & and that benevolence may increase.
For in my nature I quested for beauty, but God, God has sent me to sea for pearls.
For there is a blessing from the STONE of JESUS which is founded upon hell to the precious jewell on the right hand of God.
For the nightly Visitor is at the window of impenitent, while I sing a psalm of my own composing.
For there is a note added to the scale, which the Lord hath made fuller, stronger and more glorious.

© 2001 Elena and Yacov Feldman