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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.
 
Another.
 
To ouer-curious Critiques.
 
To the Indifferent Readers.
 
The Author, of, and to his Muse.
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THE MVSES SACRIFICE.
 
A Confession of sinnes, with petition for grace.
 
A Sinners acknowledgement of his Vilenesse and Mutabilitie.
 
A Confession of a Sinner, acknowledging the misery of humane frailtie.
 
The longing of the Soule to be with God.
 
The Complaint of a Sinner.
 
The thirst of the Soule after God, the Fountaine of Life.
 
An acknowledgement of Gods gifts, with desire of vnion with the Giuer.
 
A thankfull remembrance of our preseruation notwithstanding our manifold sinnes.
 
The sighes of a Pensiue Soule, groaning vnder the burden of sinne.
 
Of Lifes breuitie, the Fleshes frailtie, the Worlds vanitie, and the Diuels tyranny.
 
The Soule desireth to know God.
 
A Thankesgiuing for our Being.
 
A Meditation gratulatory for our redemption.
 
A Thanksgiuing for our Vocation.
 
Of Gods vnutterable Being, with desire of the Soule to be swallowed vp with the loue of his Maiestie.
 
A Repetition of Gods many Benefits, and Preseruations, with desire of the continuance thereof.
 
For Power and Grace to withstand the Flesh, the World, and the Diuell.
 
The Sinner, confessing his sinne, striueth with God (by importunitie of Prayer) for Grace.
 
The Sinner confessing he can neyther will, thinke, nor doe any good thing without Gods preuenting and assisting Grace, importunes the same.
 
The Sinner because of the darknesse of his vnderstanding, confesseth his inabilitie to come to the knowledge of Gods will by his Word; and desireth to be holp and enlightened by Gods spirit therin.
 
An Inuocation against vse of offending, or bad Custome.
 
The Sinner refers his Will to Gods will in all things: desiring helpe for perseuerance therein.
 
The Sinner desires fruition of the Deitie; and that his Soule should be euer the habitation thereof.
 
A soueraigne Salue against Sinne and Despaire out of S. Augustine.
 
The crazed Soule being almost in dispaire, desireth Grace to hope in Gods mercy.
 
A desire of the louing Soule, of God, to be kissed with the kisse of Peace.
 
Sith all Gods Creatures are against those that are against God, in action, the Sinner desireth to be in vnitie with him.
 
The Sinner desireth to haue the bent of his Will, made appliable to Gods.
 
The Sinner inueighes against his fleshes frailtie, desiring God to strengthen it with his pow'r, and Grace.
 
The Sinner recounting his manifold transgressions, and finding himselfe thereby in danger of perdition, desireth Grace, through a world of sorrowes, to auoid both Sinne, and damnation.
 
That the vertuous haue the Promises of this life, as well as of that to come.
 
For perfect Vnion with God, and Grace to shunne all Lets that may hinder it.
 
The Sinner in great sorrow for Sinne, relyeth on God for grace and comfort.
 
The Sinner acknowledging repugnant desires in himselfe; desireth to be enabled to performe his good desires.
 
The Sinner desireth, not to be as he is; but, as he ought to be.
 
In respect of the breuitie and vncertaintie of mortall life; the Sinner desires grace, in time, to prepare for Death.
 
The carefull Soule because of the momentany condition of transitory life, desireth to wash away the filth of sin with the teares of continuall penitencie.
 
A short Meditation of the breuitie of life; with an Incitation to make good vse of the present time.
 
A short meditation of Mans Miserie.
 
That our Saluation comes from God.
 
A serious Meditation of the last Iudgement: worthy to be often minded, and repeated.
 
The Sinner acknowledges and admires his owne frailtie: desiring Grace and strength to stand in Vertue, and with-stand Vice.
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THE DOLEFVLL DOVE: OR, Dauids 7. Penitentiall Psalmes; somewhere paraphrastically turned into Uerse.
 
Domine ne in furore.
 
Beati quorum.
 
Domine ne in furore.
 
Miserere mei Deus.
 
Domine exaudi.
 
De profundis clamaui.
 
Domine exaudi.
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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.
 
True Wealth.
 
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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ESSAIES.
 
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.
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Sinfull Curiositie had rather be acquainted with the Diuell, then with God, or his Saints.
 
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Againe, of the same.
 
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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Our Wits are vnable to please our Wils.

This Life is but a Laborynth of Ils,
whose many Turnings so amaze our Mindes:
171

that out of Them our Wit no issue findes,
But what our Sense commands, our Wit fulfils.
Yet Sense (being tired with deceitfull Ioyes
that fleete as soone as felt) prouokes the Wit
to cast about those Turnes to pleasure it,
Which findes new Pleasures lin'd with old Annoyes.
So, that when Sense and Wit are at a Stand
in quest of Pleasures vaine variëty,
they are so cloid with their saciëtie,
That Will is wearyed with her owne Command:
Thus, in this Life, or Laborynth of Ils,
We toile our Wits in vaine, to please our Wils.
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