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The Muses Sacrifice

[by John Davies]

Davies, John (1565?-1618)

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TO THE MOST NOBLE, and no lesse deseruedly-renowned Ladyes, as well Darlings, as Patronesses, of the Muses; Lvcy, Countesse of Bedford; Mary, Countesse-Dowager of Pembrooke; and, Elizabeth, Lady Cary, (Wife of Sr. Henry Cary:) Glories of Women.

[A broken Heart (deare Lord) thy Grace respects]

Another of the same.

To ouer-curious Critiques.

To the Indifferent Readers.

The Author, of, and to his Muse.

THE MVSES SACRIFICE.

THE DOLEFVLL DOVE: OR, Dauids 7. Penitentiall Psalmes; somewhere paraphrastically turned into Uerse.

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RIGHTS OF THE LIVING, AND THE DEAD:

A Funerall Elegie,

An Epitaph on the death of the right vertuous Lady Liegh;

The Picture of an happy Man.

This Life is but Death.

An Angel-like Man.

A sicke Mindes Potion for all in Tribulation in Body: or for the sauing of their Soule.

To attaine a quiet Life.

A Cordiall to cheare the Heart vnder the Crosse of Confinement: written to a great Lord, once a perpetuall Prisoner.

A Dumpe, or Swans-song.

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The Foole hath said in his heart, there is no God.

No pleasure to the pleasure of the Spirit.

Uanitie of Vanities, all is but Vanitie.

Fly vaine Pleasures, as Paines intollerable.

To the good, the Worst fals out for the Best.

To the Lady Anne Glemmam, vpon the death of her noble Father.

That to sinne finally malitiously, is irremissible.

That mortall Life is a mortall Plague.

Too much Honie breakes the Belly.

The Foole makes a mocke of Sinne.

The World is in a desperate plight, for which Christ refused to pray.

That all Heresies are grounded on the infallible Scriptures erroniously interpreted.

That the Eye is Sinnnes Burning-glasse, working vpon the Heart and Soule.

To take is to giue; for a Gift, Liberty.

Againe, of the same.

To him that hath, shall be giuer; and from him that hath not, shall be taken away, that which it seemes he hath.

Of the Neglect of Arte and Vertue. To mine ingenious, deere, and well-accomplish'd Friend, Mr. Iohn Sandford, of Magdalen-Colledge in Oxford.

Yee haue made a mocke of the counsell of the Poore.

Against Fortune-tellers, commonly called, Wise-men.

Sinfull Curiositie had rather be acquainted with the Diuell, then with God, or his Saints.

That Persecutors of Truth, are their owne Tormentors.

The righteous, in Ioy or Griefe, Life, or Death, God keepes as his Treasure.

That mens Deuotions towards God and Goodnesse, are most mutable.

To my most honored and approued best Friend, and Alye, Sr. Fran: Louell, Knight.

The Vertuous, liue well for Vertues sake; the Vicious, for feare of Punishment.

That there is no peace to the Wicked.

That a vexed Conscience is the onely Hell on Earth.

Phantasie a great Comforter, or Tormenter.

A wounded Conscience, who can beare?

Death makes Things appeare as they are.

God and Conscience tels truely what we are; and are not as we seeme.

That Truth, being One and still the same, is made by wicked men to countenance Falshood, which is manifold, and still vnlike

That we are naturally bent to Ill, but supernaturally to Goodnesse.

Abuse is familiar with humane Flesh and Bloud.

That it is farre better not Be, then to be Ill.

Sinne and Grace cannot dwell in one place.

In rainy-gloomy Weather.

Our Wits are vnable to please our Wils.

To my most deare, and no lesse worthily-beloued Friend and Pupill, Henry Mainwarring Esquier, with the truely-noble and venterous Knight Sr. Henry Thynne, accompanying, into Persia, the meritoriously-farre-renowmed Knight, Sr. Robert Sherley, Englishman; yet, Lord Ambassadour sent from the great Persian Potentate, to all Christian Princes, for the good of Christendome.

Rob not the Poore, because he is poore; neyther wrong him in Iudgement.

To my worthy, witty, long-approued, and beloued Friend, Mris Ioyce Ieffreies.

The Conclvsion.

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Phantasie a great Comforter, or Tormenter.

Giue me Iobs Botches, Naamans Leprosie,
nay, giue me All that plagues the outward sense,
Rather then Terrors of the Phantasie,
crawling from out an Hell of Conscience.

And giue me all the Hels the Damn'd endure,
(this Hell alone excepted) I will be
Able to make them Heau'ns, in Conscience pure,
through Operations of the Phantasie.

Asleepe, awake, in Company, alone,
past-vnderstanding Peace, and Ioyes past Ioy,
In our Mindes Kingdome, then, themselues enthrone,
to ouer-sway the Paines that Flesh annoy:
Then, is this Peace and War, true Heau'n & Hell,
Where Paine and Pleasure doe themselues excell.