LETTER IV. 97 



Made vocal by my Songy and taught his praife. 

 Hail, univerfal Lord, be bounteous Jiill 

 ^0 give us only good-, and if the Night 

 Have gather d ought of Evil, or conceal' d, 

 Difperfe it, as now Light difpells the dark. 



Milton, though a moft begotted Diffenter, yet 

 did not fcruple to take this fine Oraifon out of 

 the Benedicite, or Second Canticle in our Com- 

 mon Prayer Book, which was an ancient Hymn 

 in the Jewijh Church, and adopted into the 

 Chrijiian Worfhip, in publick Devotion, from 

 the moft early time. Indeed the eftablifhed Church 

 here in England does not accept of it for Cano- 

 nical Scripture, becaufe it is not to be found in 

 the Hebrew, nor was allowed in the fewifi 

 Canon, as has been obferved long ago by %\,!Jerom^ 

 in his Preface before his Comment upon the book 

 of Daniel. Vide Dr. Nichols. 



6. We have no kinds of venomous Creatures 

 to difturb us upon the Iflands of Nevis, &c, ex- 

 cept two, viz. Centipees, and Scorpions. The 

 former are fo called from their many feet : they 

 are of a brightifh hazel Colour, about as long as 

 my little finger, flat bellied, and their back is 

 fhaped like an Arch ; they move pretty nimbly, 

 and their bite is not much worfe than the fling- 

 ing of a common Bee : towards the Mountain 

 I have obferved them to be longer and thicker 



G than 



