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Wittes Pilgrimage

(by Poeticall Essaies): Through a VVorld of amorous Sonnets, Soule-passions, and other Passages, Diuine, Philosophicall, Morall, Poeticall, and Politicall. By Iohn Davies
Davies, John (1565?-1618)
  
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To the Right noble, and Highly honored Lord Phillip Herbert, Earle of Mountgomery and Baron of Shurland. &c.
  
Againe, To the same truelie-noble Earle, and his most honorable other halfe Sir Iames Haies knight, &c.
  
The Booke to Grauitie.
  
The Author to his Muse.
  
Of my selfe.
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(102) Inuentions Life, Death, and Funerall.
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Other Sonnets vpon other Subiects.
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(I) The Trinity illustrated by a three-square perspectiue Glasse.
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In praise of Poesie.
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5. Sonnets in ppaise of Emincacy or a publike Life.
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An amorous Colloqui twixt Dorus, and Pamela.
  
The picture of Formosity.
  
In Loue is no Lothsomnes.
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Essaies vpon certaine Sentences.
  
Amans quid cupiat scit, quod sapiat non videt.
  
Be not ielous ouer the wife of thy bozome, neither teach hir by thy meanes an euill Lesson Ecclus. 9. 1.
  
Non est eiusdem & multa & opportuna dicere. Erasmus Chiliad:
  
Qualis vir talis oratio.
  
When the ritch man speakes, euery man holds his tongue and what he saith is praised vnto the Clouds, &c Ecclus. 13. 24.
  
Upon Apparitions in the Night.
  
Suum cuique pulchrum.
  
Stultus stulta loquitur.
  
Candidæ musarum ianuæ
  
Written to my deere Friend Maister Nicholas Deeble.
  
An Epitaph, or what you will, on the death of Maister Meece an harmelesse professed Foole who shall decease, when it shall please God, and him, made at his ernest request.
  
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Other Essayes vpon more serious and sacred Subiects.
  
Mortall Life compared to Post, and Pare.
  
My Corollarie.
  
Written to the Right Noble, and well-accomplished Ladie the Countesse Dowager of Pembroke.
  
Againe to Hir.
  
Written to the right Honorable, and most iuditious Lord William Earle of Pembrooke that now is.
  
Meete not an Harlot, least thou fall into hir Snares. Ecclus. 9. 3.
  
Gratious is the end that ends all our paines.
  
Quotidie est deterior posterior dies.
  
Enuy is blind and can do nothing but dispraise Vertue.
  
Vincit qui pætitur.
  
Againe.
  
In vindicando criminosa est celeritas.
  
Blessed is the Man that doth meditate honest things by Wisedome. Ecclus. 14. 21.
  
Sic transit gloria Mundi.
  
Respice finem.
  
A blind man cannot see the default of his Eyes.
  
There is no greater plague then Boldnesse and Powr, when they are accompanied with Ignorance.
  
In iudicando criminosa est celeritas.
  
Fortuna vitrea est, quæ cum splendet, frangitur. Publi.
  
A Dump vpon the death of the most noble Henrie late Earle of Pembrooke.
  
I said vnto Laughter, what art thou mad? And to Mirth what dost thou? Eccles. 2. 2.
  
Omnium rerum vicissitudo est. Terence.
  
Difficilia quæ pulchra.
  
I long for Life, vnlike to Death.
  
An Ode in commendation of Musick.
  
Nihil tam bene dictum, quod non fuit dictum prius.
  
Inough's as good as a feast.

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There is no greater plague then Boldnesse and Powr, when they are accompanied with Ignorance.

When Heaun and Earth, and al their Furniture,
Were made, their maker made Man last of al;
As being his Master-peece, chiefe Creature,
For whom the rest were made: He, Generall.
To whom such perfect Wisedom was assignd
That without Learning He knew all that was:
And namd each Thing according to their kind
VVhich Names, to vs (as we) from Him, do passe.
VVho being thus made (made, I may double say,
Sith He was double made, made Man, and Great:
Great, like his God, Gods Creatures all to sway)
And, in an Earthly-Heaun, held his Seat:
VVheras He would, He liud: so in his VVill
Rested His life, or death, His VVeale, or VVo:
And, while His VVil his Makers did fulfill

So long he knew but what he ioyd to know,
Hee knew al that was made was perfect good.
But knew, saue God, nought vnmade, perfect Euill)
And so He knew not, or misvnderstood,
The name and nature of the craftie Diuel.
He liu'd as free from VVant, as Wickednesse
As long as in his Good-wil was no want:
Then Earth bare fruit, vntill'd, in blest excesse:
For God himselfe the same did sow, and plant.
Riuers of Nectar ran an golden Sand
(With siluer-cleerenesse) through that Pardice;
That, had he thirsted, Drinke was strait at hand,
And all that might him free from preiudice.
The Tree of Life (to keep off Age, and Death,)
Ther stil did florish, in eternal springe:
So, like to Gods, immortall was His Breath:
For, all he Fedd on Health to Him, did bring,
So, his Flesh, health: His Spirit, tranquilitie
Enioyd, in height of highest excellence,
Which height came neere the high'st Felicitie:
For, with Him God still made his residence.
Hee naked was, and yet Hee knew it not:
For, Cold, or Heate could tell Him no such thing;
Much lesse could Shame: for, Shame of Ill's begott;
And Ill hee knew not, nor whence It did spring.
The Spring of ioy (the High'st) did euer feede
His passing pleasures Streames, with fresh supply:
So, still hee was as farr (in show, as Deede)
From want of Ioy, as ioyes sacietie.
The Cause whereof, in Him wrought rare Effects,
Who, without Labour, his Lords Heasts could keepe:
Whose Heart burnd, like a Beacon, with Affects
that show'd, in Danger, he did neuer sleepe.
Who if hee stirr'd, and exercis'd his Limbes,
T'was not for neede, but them to recreate:
Which stirr'd not till in Pleasures Seas he swimms:
For, still he bathd therein, in restfull state!
And yet the more those boundlesse Seas to make
With new Spring-Tides of Ioy, [as yet vnfelt)
God, of his Ribb, a fleepe, makes him a Make,
On whome, (awake) for ioy, his Hart doth melt.

And seeing Hir [for all he saw he knew]
Bone of my Bone, Flesh of my Flesh (said he)
This Creature is: for, in my selfe the grew,
And as my selfe Ile loue, hir while we Be.
This! nay (alas) This naught is to the Good
That He enioyed in that earthly Heaun,
Which by Mans Thought cannot be vnderstood.
Whereof [alas] we through him are bereaun:
For, He was warn'd but one Tree not to touch,
The Tree of Knowledge, by which well he knew
He naked was, and sham'd to know so much:
For Shame doth Euil euermore ensue.
Then euil was it that he knew, and did,
When through his serpentine seduced wife
He tasted of The Tree which was forbidd:
So, Lost wee, with Him, Paradice, and life,
None otherwise then by our Lawes wee see
The Sons plagu'd for the Sires successiuely;
For, if the Sire a proued Traitor be
Hees plagu'd him selfe, and his Posterity.
Which with highst Iustice, iust proportion holds;
So wills the Highst, whose Will giues Iustice forme
Whose Grace true Iustice euermore infolds
Then neither can or will he It deforme.
Hence comes it that from Loue we fall to Lust
(Fowle Lust thats but the Excrement of Loue)
And hence it is we proue in both vniust
When Lust another Way our Mind doth moue.
Thus was a Woman made the Instrument
Wherewith the Deuil did mans Eare allure
To heare the Syren Sins first Straines consent,
Which drue him on to Death, which vve endure.
And vvhat but Wo-men cause our Sonnetting.
Wherein we show vvhat languishnes vve haue
Within our Soules for them, which often bring
Our Minds to naught, and Bodies to the Graue?
Whose Tongues drue vertue from the Tongue of Eue
(If it be Vertue vvhich to Vice doth draw)
To make vs loue, then, What they List, belieue:
For, Lou's as free from Reason, as from Law.
O VVo-men (that vvere made, but for Mens sake

To helpe, and comfort them in weale, and wo)
Why do your selues your selues their plaguers make,
And Crosse the Cause of your creation so?
Do not, o do not so degenerate:
From what ye should be, by creation:
You giue vs life, and life abbreuiate:
So make and mar our Generation:
But if you wil be like your Mother Eue.
When you haue vs vndone, helpe vs to liue.
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