Psalterium Americanum. The Book of Psalms, in a translation exactly conformed unto the original;…

§. 4. FOR the New Translation of the PSALMS, which is here endeavoured, an Appeal may be with much Assurance made, unto all that are Masters of the Hebrew Tongue, whether it be not much more agreeable to the Original, than the Old one, or than any that has yet been offered unto the World. Perhaps there is more Liberty taken here in Translating the First Verse of the Psalter, than almost any Verse in the whole Book beside. It keeps close to the Original; and even when a word of supply is introduced, it is usually a needless Complement unto the care of exactness, to distinguish it at all, as we have done, with an Italica-Character; for it is really in the Intention and Emphasis of the Original. Yea, the just Laws of Translation had not been at all violated, if a much greater Liberty had been taken, for the beating out of the Golden and Massy Hebrew into a more Extended English, For, it may be observed, if you Translate a French Book, suppose, into English, you turn it into English Phrase, and make not a French English of it; For, If faith froid, for instance, you do not say, It makes Cold, but, It is Cold, We have tied our selves to Hebraism•, more scrupulously, than there is real occasion for.

§. 4. FOR the New Translation of the PSALMS, which is here endeavoured, an Appeal may be with much Assurance made, unto all that are Masters of the Hebrew Tongue, whether it be not much more agreeable to the Original, than the Old one, or than any that has yet been offered unto the World. Perhaps there is more Liberty taken here in Translating the First Verse of the Psalter, than almost any Verse in the whole Book beside. It keeps close to the Original; and even when a word of supply is introduced, it is usually a needless Complement unto the care of exactness, to distinguish it at all, as we have done, with an Italica-Character; for it is really in the Intention and Emphasis of the Original. Yea, the just Laws of Translation had not been at all violated, if a much greater Liberty had been taken, for the beating out of the Golden and Massy Hebrew into a more Extended English, For, it may be observed, if you Translate a French Book, suppose, into English, you turn it into English Phrase, and make not a French English of it; For, If fait froid, for instance, you do not say, It makes Cold, but, It is Cold, We have tied our selves to Hebraism•, more scrupulously, than there is real occasion for.