The "little more of art" which was bestowed by the improving President Dunster left the psalms still improvable, as may be seen by opening at random at any page of the revised editions. Mr. Lyon conferred also upon the New England church the inestimable boon of a number of hymns or "Scripture-Songs placed in order as in the Bible." They were printed in that order from the third until at least the sixteenth edition, but in subsequent editions the hymns were all placed at the end of the book after the psalms. I doubt not that the Puritan youth, debarred of merry catches and roundelays, found keen delight in these rather astonishing renditions of the songs of Solomon, portions of Isaiah, etc. Those Scripture-Songs should be read quite through to be fully appreciated, as no modern Christian could be full enough of grace to sing them. Here is a portion of the song of Deborah and Barak:-- 24. Jael the Kenite Hebers wife 'bove women blest shall be: Above the women in the tent a blessed one is she. 25. He water ask'd: she gave him milk him butter forth she fetch'd 26. In lordly dish: then to the nail she forth her left hand stretched. Her right the workman's hammer held and Sisera struck dead: She pierced and struck his temple through and then smote off his head. 27. He at her feet bow'd, fell, lay down he at her feet bow'd, where He fell: ev'n where he bowed down he fell destroyed there. 28. Out of a window Sisera his mother looked and said The lattess through in coming why so long his chariot staid? His chariot wheels why tarry they? 29. her wise dames, answered Yea she turned answer to herself 30. and what have they not sped? 31. The prey by poll; a maid or twain what parted have not they? Have they not parted, Sisera, a party-colour'd prey A party-colour'd neildwork prey of neildwork on each side That's party-colour'd meet for necks of them that spoils divide? Our Pilgrim Fathers accepted these absurd, tautological verses gladly, and sang them gratefully; but we know the spirit of poesy could never have existed in them, else they would have fought hard against abandoning such majestic psalms as Sternhold's-- "The Lord descended from above and bow'd the heavens hye And underneath his feete he cast the darkness of the skye. "On cherubs and on cherubines full royally he road And on the winges of all the windes came flying all abroad." They gave up these lines of simple grandeur, to which they were accustomed, for such wretched verses as these of the New England version:-- 9. Likewise the heavens he downe-bow'd and he descended, & there was under his feet a gloomy cloud 10. And he on cherub rode and flew; yea, he flew on the wings of winde. 11. His secret place hee darkness made his covert that him round confide.