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88 FRANCIS BACON'S CRYPTIC RHYMES
Any one, with an ear trained to the music of poetry,
will at once detect the exquisite beauty, the richness
and fulness of the poetic form in which Bacon has
clothed the thoughts he added to the psalm.
Naturally,
the Hebrew poet had no idea of Christal Light being
the " Mother of Colours all," a thought as beautifully
expressed, as it is scientifically true. This is another
of Bacon's additions.
The 1 26th Psalm glides along in the lightest metre :
When God return'd us graciously
Unto our Native Land,
We seem'd as in a Dream to be,
And in a Maze to stand.
Psalm cxxvi., stanza I.
Thus we have shown by three examples how the
English psalmist clothes even these few poetic works
in various forms, each suited to the matter dealt with.
But he was not contented to write final
rhymes only ;
he did what none but a skilled poet
;
can do
instances he introduced internal rhymes, just
in
many
as in the
Shakespeare Plays. The following are a few single
lines in proof of our statement :
For why ? the Lord hath special Eye
. . .
And sure, the Word of God is
pure and fine . . .
One God thou wert, and art, and still shall be ...
Frail Man, how can he stand before thy face . . .
In that good day it
repay unto them . . .
Whenas we sate all
sad and deso/ate,
By Baby/ow, upon the Rivers side . . .
Of course, each of these lines has also its terminal
rhyme.
Another charming feature in the form in
which the