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Laudate Dominum.
INHABITANTS of heav’nly land, | |
| As loving subjectes praise your king: | |
| You that among them highest stand, | |
| In highest notes Jehova sing. | |
| Sing angells all, on carefull wing, | 5 |
| You that his heralds fly, | |
| And you whom he doth soldiers bring | |
| In field his force to try. | |
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| O praise him, sunne, the sea of light; | |
| O praise him, moone, the light of sea; | 10 |
| You pretie starrs in robe of night, | |
| As spangles twinckling, do as they. | |
| Thou spheare, within whose bosom play | |
| The rest that earth emball; | |
| You waters banck’d with starry bay; | 15 |
| O praise, O praise him all! | |
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| All these, I say, advaunce that name, | |
| That doth eternall being show: | |
| Who bidding, into forme and frame, | |
| Not being yet, they all did grow: | 20 |
| All formed, framed, founded so, | |
| Till ages’ uttmost date, | |
| They place retaine, they order know, | |
| They keepe their first estate. | |
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| When heav’n hath prais’d, praise earth anew: | 25 |
| You dragons first, her deepest guests; | |
| Then soundlesse deepes, and what in you | |
| Residing low, or moves, or rests. | |
| You flames affrighting mortall brests; | |
| You cloudes that stones do cast; | 30 |
| You feathery snowes from wynter’s nests, | |
| You vapors, sunnes appast. | |
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| You boisterous windes, whose breath fulfills | |
| What in his word his will setts down: | |
| Ambitious mountaines, curteous hills, | 35 |
| You trees that hills and mountaines crown: | |
| Both you, that proud of native gown | |
| Stand fresh and tall to see, | |
| And you that have your more renown, | |
| By what you beare, then be. | 40 |
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| You beasts in woodes untam’d that range, | |
| You that with men familier go, | |
| You that your place by creeping change, | |
| Or airy streames with feathers row. | |
| You stately kings, you subjects low, | 45 |
| You lordes and judges all: | |
| You others, whose distinctions shew | |
| How sex or age may fall. | |
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| All these, I say, advaunce that name | |
| More hygh then skies, more low then ground: | 50 |
| And since, advaunced by the same, | |
| You Jacob’s sonnes stand cheefly bound, | |
| You Jacob’s sonnes be cheefe to sound | |
| Your God Jehova’s praise: | |
| So fitts them well on whom is found | 55 |
| Such blisse he on you laies. | |
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