The Scourge of Folly :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Scourge of Folly

Consisting of satyricall Epigrams, And others in honour of many noble Persons and worthy friends, together, with a pleasant (though discordant) Descant upon most English Proverbs and others [by John Davies]

Davies, John (1565?-1618)

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TO THE MOST Noble Theophilvs Lord WALDEN.

Passages before the Booke.

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Vpon English Prouerbs.

[To worthy Persons.]

To the high & mighty Monarch of great Britaine, my most deere Soueraigne, King Iames.

True Britaines to their Prince.

To the most honorable by Vertue, State, and Place, Thomas, Lord Elesmere, Lord Chancellor of England, mine euer-approoued good Lord and Master.

To the right honorable Councellor of Councellors Robert Earle of Salisbury, Lord Treasurer of England.

To the most noble and right-right honorably disposed Lord, Thomas Earle of Suffolke, Lord Chamberlaine to his most excellent Matie. &c.

To the most noble, learned, temperate, and iudicious Lord, Henry, Earle of Northampton, Lord priuy-Seale, &c.

To the right reuerend Father in God, Doctor Abbot, Bishop of London.

To my much honored Lord, worthy of all honorable Titles, for courage, wit, and learning, William Earle of Pembrooke.

To the right noble Lord, worthy of all loue and honor, the Lord Vicount Lisle.

To my right noble Pupill, and ioy of my heart, Aulgernoun, Lord Percy.

To the honorable, and my much honord Sr. Iohn Egerton Knight.

To the most truly noble knight, worthy of all praise, loue, and honor; Sr. Iohn Harington, onely sonne to the noble Lord, the Lord Harington.

To the truly noble knight, Sr. Allen Percy.

To the most learned and Valerous knight, Sr. Christopher Heydon.

To the learned, iudicious, and my much honored Alye, Sir Francis Louell Knight.

To my much honored, and affectionately beloued Sir Edward Walgraue Knight.

To the thrice noble, learned, and renowned knight, Sr. William Sydley.

To the royall, ingenious, and all-learned knight, Sr. Francis Bacon.

To my right worthily-beloued Sr. Iohn Dauies Knight. Atturney generall of Ireland.

To the immortall memory, and deserued honor of the Writer of the Tragedy of Mustapha, (as it is written, not Printed) by Sr: Fulk Greuill, Knight.

To the most noble and vallerous Knight, Sr. Robert Mauncell.

To my much honored, approoued, and beloued friend, Sr. Iohn Sammes knight.

To the worthy knight Sr. Edward Eston.

To my deere Pupill, and highly honord friend, Thomas Puckering Esquire.

To my good friend Rich: Rauenscroft Esquire.

To my most louing, and intirely beloued Pupill, Mr. Arthur De-la-vale, attending the right honorable, and most happy Earle of Dunbarre.

To all the Lord Chancelors retunie, and attendants.

To my al-to-beloued friend, Thomas Butler Esquire.

To my intirely beloued worthy friend, Mr. Charles Walgraue.

To my worthy friend Robert Poyntz Esquire.

To mine as antient as louing friend Mr. Peter Ferriman.

To the right well-deseruing Mr. Mathew Royden.

To the most bountifull house-keeper, and deseruedly beloued, Thomas Farmer Esquire.

To the learned and discreet Gent. George Caluert, Esquire, one of the Clarkes of the Councell.

To my deere and much respected friend, Arthure Maynwarring Esquire, bearer of the Purse before the Lo: Chancellor.

To my beloued Walter Ligh Esquire, Seruant at Armes attending the Lord Chancellor of England.

To my truly honest (and so right honorable) Captaine Lawrence Masterson, my good friend.

To my deere friend, countryman, and expert Master in the liberall science of Musick, Mr Thomas Warrock.

To the most iuditious, and excellent Lyrick-Poet, Doctor Campion.

To my truly-honest worthy friend, Iohn Barlow Esquire.

To the deere memory of Mr. Thomas Francis of Northfolke, Brother in law to mine approoued friend R. R.

To my kinde Nephew Mr. Charles Bowen.

To the Lady Wroth.

To our English Orpheus, my deere friend, M. Iohn Allen.

To the generous Maister in Musicke, Mr. Oxford.

To mine intirely beloued, Mr. Thomas Giles, most expert teacher in the Courtly Quality of Dauncing.

To my worthy friend, and admired Mr. in the Art of Musicke, M. Peter Edney.

To myne approoued and sincerely beloued friend, Iohn Gyffard Esquire.

To my deere Scholler Master Iohn Hales.

To my truly louing & beloued friend Mr. William Wall.

That which was, nere lou'd the Fryer.

Epigram.

Against Plumbus the wealthy most miserable Miser.

Against Faustine.

To mine approued deere friend Mr. Peregrine Browne.

To my louing and iuditious friend, Mr. Francis Wye.

Epigram

To my tenderly beloued friend Mr. Nicholas Deeble.

To my deere friend Mr. Charles Fitz-leffery.

To most ingenious Mr. Francis Beamont.

To myne intirely beloued, Mr. Iohn Sanford.

To my deere friend Mr. Edward Lapworth, in Oxon.

To my kinde friend Mr Charles Best.

To my beloued kinde friend Mr Robert Dawes.

To myne ancient friend and kinde Countryman, Mr Philip King-man.

To myne ingenious, and learnedly gamesome friend Mr Iohn Owen, the short and sweete Epigramatist.

To my deere friend and Country-man, Mr Simon Hill.

To my Brother Mr. Iames Dauies, Master in the Arte of Writing, in Oxford.

To my Brother Mr. Richard Dauies, Master likewise in the same faculty of writing.

To the truly noble Lord, deseruedly al-be-loued, the Lord North.

TO THE MOST OPEN-HANDED, great-hearted, and truly noble-minded Knight, Sir Iohn Wentworth.

TO THE MOST COMPLEAT Gentleman Iohn Luson Esquire.

To my most deere and best beloued Patronesse, Magdalen Colledge in Oxford.

To my most louing and highly valued friend, Mr. Nathaniell Tompkins.

To my worthy beloued friend, Mr. Emmanuell Gyffard.

To my louing and beloued friend Mr. Bartholomew Gyffard.

To Mr. George Cheyny, my good friend.

To my beloued Mr. Iohn Hoskins.

To my deere Cousine and kinde friend Mr. Rich: Harries.

To my highly vallued Mr. George Chapman, Father of our English Poets.

To my most honest, louing, and well-deseruing friend, and Country-man, Mr. Iohn Gwillim.

To my Sonne S: D

To myne honest as louing friend Mr. Michaell Drayton.

To mine approued and beloued friend, Mr. Richard Chambers Tutor to the Lo: Percy.

To my deere and constant friend Mr. Tho: Winter.

Of, and against, our yong Maister, Master William.

To honest-game some Robin Armin, That tickles the spleene like an harmeles vermin

To my worthyly beloued, for wit, spirit, learning, and honesty; M. Thomas Rant, Councellor at Law, I dedicate this my Papers-complaint.

[Papers Complaint, compild in ruthfull Rimes]

IN THE RIGHT WELL-DESERVED praise and honour of my deere friend, Mr. Philemon Holland Doctor of Physicke, who hath giuen Paper no cause to Complaine.

To the most noble Knightes, Sr. Charles and Sr. Richard Percies.

To the worthy and most happy gentleman, Charles Walgraue Esquire.

To the generous and my sincearely honored friend, Henry Ierningham Esquire.

To my deere brother-in-lawes, Captaine Richard, Captaine Alexander, and Mr. Edward Croft.

To my Worthyly much-esteemed friend, Tho. Hawkins Esquire.

To my dry friend Mr. I. H. Epigrammatist, for a farwell to him and his remembrance.

To the noble Ladies heereafter following.

To the all-admired, for true honor, and Vertue, Dorothy, Countesse of Northumberland.

To the right noble, and most gracefull Lady, Alice, Countesse of Derby, my good Lady and Mistresse.

To Honor, Wit, and Beauties Excellency; Lucy, Countesse of Bedford.

To the right noble, iuditious, and ingenious Sister of the neuer-too-much renowned Sir Philip Sidney; Mary, Countesse Dowager of Pembrooke.

To the right noble; and my much honored Lady, the Lady Frances Egerton.

To the most honored, best-beloued, and matchlesse Lady, for honor and Bounty, the Lady Harington.

To the noble, vertuous, and honorable Lady, the Lady Elizabeth Berkley, daughter and heire to the late George, Lord Hunsdon.

To the most noble, and all-worthyly-commended Lady, the Lady Wroth.

To my most deere and sincerely-beloued-worthy Pupills, the Lady Tracy, and the Lady Baskeruile, Daughters to the worthy Knight Sr. Thomas Coningesby.

In praise of a little Mole-like Scab, that like a rude Scab, chanced to take my Fancies Soueraigne by the hand.

An inuocation of the water-Nymph Thames, to well-intreat this my Land-Nimph being in her power.

The Flea.

The Author louing these homely meates specially, viz: Creame, Pan-cakes, Butterd pippin-Pyes (laugh good people) and Tobacco; Writ to that worthy and vertuous gentlewoman, whome he calls Mistrisse, as followeth.

To myne euer-approued deere friend, Mris. Ioyce Iefferys.

Of my Selfe.

Againe.

A Conclusion.

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Of Mirth.

Mirth in a meane doth please; meane mirth displeases
(I meane that meane that yeelds a Rellish double)
Meane in the soundest sence, Sence nere diseases:
But mirth, too meane, sound Sence doth nought but trouble.
Novv, hovv to hit the right moode of this meane
(That soundeth svveetely to the soundest Sence
And to auoid the other vvhich doth leane
On base conceit borne vp vvith Impudence)
Iudgement must scanne, and (scanning) censure it?
Ah, vvould she might, and Folly cease to scan
Then men might passe the Pikes vvith compleat Wit
Of Enuy, that still girds the vvitty man.
Of Iests, there are innumerable kindes,
Some sharpe, some blunt, some close, some vvondrous broade
Simple, compound, svveete, bitter, like their mindes
From vvhome they come, or in vvhome make aboade.

All are not currant that do goe for Iests;
Nor all Iests like not all: though some like some:
What some desire, some other most detest:
Why then, of all, this is the totall Summe;
When Iests agree with Persons, Time and Place,
Then Iests and Mirth haue euer greatest grace:
But I, desirous to delight each minde,
Haue made an hotch-potch heere, of eury kinde.