This is another quite different book I discovered through NetGalley; this time a prayer book written in direct response to the ongoing Black Death. Thomas Dekker was a man who wore many hats, among them playwright, but the theaters were closed due to the plague so he took to this project of writing prayers. Those that he created cover virtually all levels of humankind living within the City of London and how they might entreat their God.

The language has been somewhat modernized for clarity and I found many of the prayers quite touching. Knowing that this was written over 400 years ago definitely adds a certain something too. There is a commonality among humans that does continue over generations. This is the first time the book has been brought back into print in almost 100 years.

The four birds, as Dekker names them, are the Dove that ministers comfort, the Eagle that arms with courage (representing those in power--yes Royalty offers prayer to God), the Pelican that aides mankind in obtaining the health of salvation, and the Phoenix who offers prayers of thanks for what we receive. There is also a fifth section entitled Feathers comprised of short meditations from early church fathers, etc.

Among my favorites are the prayers of sailors in a storm at sea, A Thanksgiving for Sailors' Safe Landing, A Prayer for a Midwife, A Thanksgiving After a Woman Delivers Her Child, A Prayer for One Who is Sick. There are also prayers for soldiers, sailors, prisoners of war, merchants, beggars, children, etc. And of course, A Prayer Offered by the Late Queen Elizabeth offering a regal sort of humility before God.

For anyone who is interested in prayerbooks, I do recommend this new printing. It is written in very accessible language and does make one think about our union with those who lived before us.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Thomas Dekker wrote a book of prayers during an outbreak of the Black Death, and death is certainly no stranger when it comes to the prayer themes. The language has been modernized to appeal to today's reader, but I don't feel like any of poetry or original intent has been lost. Each prayer offers a beautiful way to pursue contemplation and meditation with a skilled writer.

Thomas Dekker (c.1572 -c.1632) is best remembered today as a playwright contemporary of Shakespeare’s. In response to the return of plague to London in 1608, and the closure of its playhouses and theatres, Shakespeare wrote the last of his sonnets and published them in 1609. In that same year Dekker published ‘Four Birds of Noah’s Ark’, a devotional work containing fifty-six prayers, which has been out of print since 1924, until now.

Macaulay considered that Dekker’s prayers bore comparison with Milton’s sonnets and Swinburne wrote of the beauty of their “union of literary grace with ardent sincerity”. It is, indeed, impossible to deny the literary charm of these compositions, which represent a classic of devotional literature and Robert Hudson and his publisher are accordingly richly deserving of praise for making the present, handsomely produced, volume readily available.

However, in addition to producing a very informative introduction, Hudson has seen fit to modernize Dekker’s language. According to the publisher this has been achieved “without sacrificing any of its beauty and simplicity” but I would beg to differ.

You can appreciate the difference for yourself by comparing the following extracts.

First, here is the opening of Dekker’s original Prayer for a Soldier Going into Battle:

“Arm me (O thou God of battles) with courage this day that I may not fall before my enemies. The quarrel is thine; let the victory be thine; tie to my sinews the strength of David that I may with a pebble-stone strike to the earth these giants that fight against thy truth.”

And here is the same passage as rendered by Hudson:

“Arm me, O God of battles, with courage this day,
that I may not fall before my enemies.
The struggle is yours; let the victory be yours.
Tie to my sinews the strength of David,
that with a pebble-stone I may strike to the earth
these giants who oppose truth.”

These things are a matter of personal taste but for me, the original has the cadences of the King James Bible, whilst Hudson offers something akin to the Revised Standard Version, and for this reason, and this reason alone, I feel compelled to dock one star.

This book was simple, yet profound. Many of the prayers practically demanded to be read out loud or over and over again in silent contemplation and meditation. The conceit of the four different birds and prayer sections worked well and the translation was done well enough that I didn't feel anything amiss when I read it. It was almost like poetry, beautiful and flowing.

I highly recommend this book for those interested in Shakespearean times, in the writing from them and in books of prayer that are sincere and unique. 5 stars all the way.

My thanks to NetGalley and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

This book of prayers was written over 400 years ago by playwright Thomas Dekker and edited for this new edition by Robert Hudson. The editor has modernised some of the language and aimed for clarity, as he explains towards the end of his fascinating introduction to the book.

The prayers are timeless and written with directness, sincere faith and beauty. They are organised into different sections: the dove contains prayers for the humble and poor; the eagle for leaders and the wealthy; the pelican has prayers against the seven deadly sins; and the phoenix is concerned with thanksgiving, in response to Christ's death and resurrection. (The other birds are obvious enough but I did not know that the pelican was believed to sustain its young with its own blood.) The book ends with short quotes for meditation, by Augustine, Jerome etc.

This is an excellent book in its own right: these are prayers I shall want to read over and again. It is also a book that excites the desire to know more: I had not even heard of Dekker so now I want to know more about his life and his works, and I am very keen to see the 1924 edition of this book of prayers, as mentioned in the book's introduction. I shall also be looking out for more by Robert Hudson.

I warmly recommend this book, and I am very grateful to NetGalley and the publisher (William B Eerdmans Publishing Co) for letting me read this ebook free in return for an honest review.

"Four Birds of Noah’s Ark" is a prayer book written in 1608 during an outbreak of the Black Death. Unsurprisingly, the author (a playwright) worked the thought that death could happen at any time into many of his prayers.

The prayers were divided into 4 sections. The first section had prayers for common laborers, like sailors, midwives, women about the give birth, apprentices, servants, and farmers. The second section contained prayers for the more upper class people, like the clergy, lawyers, king, and nobles. The third section had prayers about the seven deadly sins. The fourth section had prayers thanking God for our salvation through Jesus Christ. The final section was a collection of sayings by early church fathers, like Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory.

This version has updated the language of the original prayers so that modern readers can understand his meaning. The prayers give a unique perspective on the thoughts and beliefs of the time period, or at least of Thomas Dekker. The prayers were based off of Scripture and had sentiments even modern readers can relate to. Overall, I'd recommend this book if you find old prayer books interesting.

Very interesting read, filled with powerful prayers. Great book!

Thomas Dekker was never an actor, or part-owner of a theater company, so his scramble for income was as an Elizabeth writer, penning plays that made comedy (or at least a little sense) out of the rapidly changing world in which he lived. Unlike Shakespeare, who became a household word, few of Dekker's works survive or are performed, although the ones that do offer a humane and insightful view of everyday London. This is a lovely new edition of his 1608 publication, a set of prayers written during a shut-down of the playhouses because of a plague outbreak. Much like the Canterbury Tales, their dedication to common people--the midwives, sailors, apprentices, maids, prisoners and farmers--offer a glimpse into the bustling and chaotic world of early modern London. While this was certainly written to get him an income stream while the theaters were closed, it is heartfelt and comforting, and has zingers about lawyers and nobles.