title: Job (Job iv. 13-18, versified)
author: Henry Livingston Jr.
date: 1776
source: Henry Livingston's manuscript poetry book (Thomas Collection; scans and transcription on henrylivingston.com), p. 4-5; marked "versified 1776". URL: https://www.henrylivingston.com/writing/poetry/job.htm (fetched via https://web.archive.org/web/20250522014526/https://www.henrylivingston.com/writing/poetry/job.htm)
form: mixed (irregular iambic; ode-like)
lines: 20
attribution: certain
notes: Serious, religious paraphrase of Job 4:13-18. Thomas 1919 notes one MS-book piece is marked "versified 1776". Site scan of MS book: writing/poetry/doublepages/ MS scan: https://www.henrylivingston.com/writing/poetry/doublepages/doublepage4-5.htm

'TWAS night. And thickest gloom prevail'd around.
When watchfull on his solitary bed,
The eastern sage, deep-musing laid,
While all the world beside was in soft slumbers drown'd.

Unusual tremors seiz'd his aged frame!
Cold ran the circulating fluid thro each vein!
Speechless he lay. when lo! before his eyes,
A spectre far more hideous to behold,
Than ee'r was fiction'd in the tales of old
All form'd for horror, solemnly did rise.

Silence was there. nor moved there ought around:
When thus the vision spake and shook the deep profound.
"Shall mortal man tho made of dust,"
"Lift up his pigmy face"
"And tell the author of his race"
"He's free from moral taint, and absolutely Just"!

"The Angels in the brightest skies"
"Have faults in his all-searching eyes"

"And the high-vaulted empyrean"
"'Fore uncreated ESSENCE is unclean."