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The Works in Verse and Prose

(including hitherto unpublished Mss.) of Sir John Davies: for the first time collected and edited: With memorial-introductions and notes: By the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart. In three volumes
Davies, John (1569-1626)

collapse sectionI. 
VOL. I: VERSE.
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Nosce Teipsum.
  
Dedication
  
Introduction.
  
OF THE SOULE OF MAN AND THE IMMORTALITIE THEREOF.
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Orchestra.
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[Dedications.]
 I. 
I. TO HIS VERY FRIEND, MA. RICH. MARTIN.
 II. 
II. TO THE PRINCE.
  
Orchestra,
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Hymnes of Astrœa.
 I. 
HYMNE I. Of Astrœa.
 II. 
HYMNE II. To Astrœa.
 III. 
HYMNE III. To the Spring.
 IV. 
HYMNE IV. To the Moneth of May.
 V. 
HYMNE V. To the Larke.
 VI. 
HYMNE VI. To the Nightingale.
 VII. 
HYMN VII. To the Rose.
 VIII. 
HYMNE VIII. To all the Princes of Europe.
 IX. 
HYMNE IX. To Flora.
 X. 
HYMNE X. To the Moneth of September.
 XI. 
HYMNE XI. To the Sunne.
 XII. 
HYMNE XII. To her Picture.
 XIII. 
HYMNE XIII. Of her Minde.
 XIV. 
HYMNE XIV. Of the Sun-beames of her Mind.
 XV. 
HYMNE XV. Of her Wit.
 XVI. 
HYMNE XVI. Of her Will.
 XVII. 
HYMNE XVII. Of her Memorie.
 XVIII. 
HYMNE XVIII. Of Her Phantasie.
 XIX. 
HYMNE XIX. Of the Organs of her Minde.
 XX. 
HYMNE XX. Of the Passions of her Heart.
 XXI. 
HYMNE XXI. Of the innumerable vertues of her minde.
 XXII. 
HYMNE XXII. Of her Wisdome.
 XXIII. 
HYMNE XXIII. Of her Justice.
 XXIV. 
HYMNE XXIV. Of her Magnanimitie.
 XXV. 
HYMNE XXV. Of her Moderation.
 XXVI. 
HYMNE XXVI. To Enuy.
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Minor Poems.
 I. 
I. Yet other Twelve Wonders of the World.
 II. 
II. A Contention
 III. 
III. A Lottery.
 IV. 
IV. Canzonet.
 V. 
V. Reason's Moane.
 VI. 
VI. On the Death of Lord Chancellor Ellesemere's Second Wife in 1599.
 VII. 
VII Tityrus to his Faire Phillis.
 VIII. 
VIII. A Riddle vpon a Coffin.
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Epigrams, with Additions.
 1. 
Ad Musam. 1.
 2. 
Of a Gull. 2.
 3. 
In Ruffum. 3.
 4. 
In Quintam. 4.
 5. 
In Plurimos. 5.
 6. 
In Titam. 6.
 7. 
In Faustum. 7.
 8. 
In Katum. 8.
 9. 
In Librum. 9.
 10. 
In Medontem. 10.
 11. 
In Gellam. 11.
 12. 
In Quintam. 12.
 13. 
In Severum. 13.
 14. 
In Leucam. 14.
 15. 
In Macrum. 15.
 16. 
In Fastum. 16.
 17. 
In Cosmum. 17.
 18. 
In Flaccum. 18.
 19. 
In Cinean. 19.
 20. 
In Gerontem. 20.
 21. 
In Marcum. 21.
 22. 
In Ciprum. 22.
 23. 
In Cineam. 23.
 24. 
In Gallum. 24.
 25. 
In Decium. 25.
 26. 
In Gellam. 26.
 27. 
In Syllam. 27.
 28. 
In Sillam. 28.
 29. 
In Haywodum, 29.
 30. 
In Dacum. 30.
 31. 
In Priscum. 31.
 32. 
In Brunum. 32.
 33. 
In Francum. 33.
 34. 
In Castorem. 34.
 35. 
In Septimium. 35.
 36. 
Of Tobacco. 36.
 37. 
In Crassum. 37.
 38. 
In Philonem. 38.
 39. 
In Fuscum. 39.
 40. 
In Afram. 40.
 41. 
In Paulum. 41.
 42. 
In Licum. 42.
 43. 
In Publium. 43.
 44. 
In Sillam. 44.
 45. 
In Dacum. 45.
 46. 
In Marcum. 46.
 47. 
Meditations of a Gull. 47.
 48. 
Ad Musam. 48.
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Appendix to Epigrams:
 1. 
1. In Superbiam. Epi. 4.
 2. 
2. Epi. 5.
NIX IX CORNIX
 3. 
3. Epi. 6.
 4. 
4. In Amorosum. Epi. 7.
 5. 
5. Epi. 9.
 6. 
6. Epi. 10.
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Hitherto Unpublished Poems.
 I. 
PSALM I.
 II. 
PSALM II.
 III. 
PSALM III.
 IV. 
PSALM IV.
 V. 
PSALM V.
 VI. 
PSALM VI.
 VII. 
PSALM VII.
 VIII. 
PSALM VIII.
 IX. 
PSALM IX.
 X. 
PSALM X.
 XI. 
PSALM XI.
 XII. 
PSALM XII.
 XIII. 
PSALM XIII.
 XIV. 
PSALM XIV.
 XV. 
PSALM XV.
 XVI. 
PSALM XVI.
 XVII. 
PSALM XVII.
 XVIII. 
PSALM XVIII.
 XIX. 
PSALM XIX.
 XX. 
PSALM XX.
 XXI. 
PSALM XXI.
 XXII. 
PSALM XXII.
 XXIII. 
PSALM XXIII.
 XXIV. 
PSALM XXIV.
 XXV. 
PSALM XXV.
 XXVI. 
PSALM XXVI.
 XXVII. 
PSALM XXVII.
 XXVIII. 
PSALM XXVIII.
 XXIX. 
PSALM XXIX.
 XXX. 
PSALM XXX.
 XXXI. 
PSALM XXXI.
 XXXII. 
PSALM XXXII.
 XXXIII. 
PSALM XXXIII.
 XXXIV. 
PSALM XXXIV.
 XXXV. 
PSALM XXXV.
 XXXVI. 
PSALM XXXVI.
 XXXVII. 
PSALM XXXVII.
 XXXVIII. 
PSALM XXXVIII.
 XXXIX. 
PSALM XXXIX.
 XL. 
PSALM XL.
 XLI. 
PSALM XLI.
 XLII. 
PSALM XLII.
 XLIII. 
PSALM XLIII.
 XLIV. 
PSALM XLIV.
 XLV. 
PSALM XLV.
 XLVI. 
PSALM XLVI.
 XLVII. 
PSALM XLVII.
 XLVIII. 
PSALM XLVIII.
 XLIX. 
PSALM XLIX.
 L. 
PSALM L.
 LXVII. 
PSALM LXVII.
 XCV. 
PSALM XCV.
 C. 
PSALM C.
 CIII. 
PSALM CIII.
 XCI. 
PSALM XCI.
 CL. 
PSALM CL.
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Miscellaneous Poems.
  
OF FAITH THE FIRST THEOLOGICALL VERTUE.
  
A SONGE OF CONTENTION
  
A MAID'S HYMNE IN PRAISE OF VIRGINITY.
  
PART OF AN ELEGIE IN PRAISE OF MARRIAGE.
  
[A FRAGMENT OF A LOVE ELEGIE.]
  
TO THE Q:[UEENE.]
  
[TO FAIRE LADYES.]
  
UPON A PAIRE OF GARTERS.
  
[TO HIS LADY-LOVE.]
  
[TOBACCO.]
  
ELEGIES OF LOUE.
  
TO THE KINGE
  
TO THE QUEENE AT THE SAME TIME.
  
MIRA LOQUOR SOL OCCUBUIT NOX NULLA SECUTA EST.
  
CHARLES HIS WAINE.
  
OF THE NAME OF CHAROLUS, BEING THE DIMINATIVE OF CHARUS.
  
VERSES SENT TO THE KINGE WITH FIGGES: BY Sr. JOHN DAVIS.
  
[LOVE-LINES.]
  
[LOVE-FLIGHT.]
  
AN ELEGIECALL EPISTLE ON SIR JOHN DAVIS DEATH.

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300

V. Reason's Moane.

When I peruse heauen's auncient written storie,
part left in bookes, and part in contemplation:
I finde Creation tended to God's glory:
but when I looke upon the foule euasion,
Loe then I cry, I howle, I weepe, I moane,
and seeke for truth, but truth alas! is gone.
Whilom of old before the earth was founded,
or hearbs or trees or plants or beasts, had being,
Or that the mightie Canopie of heauen surrounded
these lower creatures; ere that the eye had seeing,
Then Reason was within the mind of Ioue,
embracing only amitie and loue.
The blessed angels' formes and admirable natures,
their happie states, their liues and high perfections,
Immortall essence and vnmeasured statures,
the more made known their falls and low directions.
301

These things when Reason doth peruse
she finds her errors, which she would excuse
But out alas! she sees strife is all in vaine;
it bootes not to contend, or stand in this defence
Death, sorow, grief, hell and torments are her gaine,
and endlesse burning fire, beeomes our recompence.
Oh heauie moane! oh endlesse sorrowes anguish,
neuer to cease but euer still to languish.
When I peruse the state of prime created man
his wealth, his dignitie and reason:
His power, his pleasure, his greatnesse when I scan
I doe admire and wonder, that in so short a season,
These noble parts, should haue so short conclusion:
and man himselfe, be brought to such confusion.
In seeking countries far beyond the seas, I finde,
euen where faire Eden's pleasant garden stood:
And all the coasts vnto the same confinde,
gall to cruell wars; men's hands embru'd in blood,
In cutting throats, and murders, men delight:
so from these places Reason's banisht quite.
302

O Ierusalem! that thou shouldst now turn Turke,
and Sions hil, where holy rites of yore were vs'd,
Oh! that within that holy place shonld lurke
such sacrilege: whereby Ioue's name's abusde.
What famous Greece, farewel: thou canst not bost
thy grcat renowne: thy wit, thy learning's lost.
The further search I make, the worse effect I finde,
All Asia swarmes with huge impietie:
All Affrick's bent vnto a bloody minde:
all treachers gainst Ioue and his great deitie.
Let vs returne to famous Britton's king,
whose worthy praise let all the world goe sing,
Great Tetragramaton out of thy bounteous loue
let all the world and nation's truely know,
That he plants peace, and quarrell doth remoue:
let him be great'st on all the earth belowe.
Long may he liue, and all the world admire,
that peace is wrought as they themselues desire.
What Vnion he hath brought to late perfection,
twixt Nations that hath so long contended:
303

Their warres and enuies by him receiue correction,
And in his royal person all their iars are ended.
And so in briefe conclude, ought all that liue
giue thanks to him for ioy that peace doth giue.
By power and will of this our mightie king
reason doth shewe it, that God wrought a wonder:
Countries distract he doth to Vnion bring
and ioynes together States which others sunder:
God grant him life till Shiloe's comming be
in heauen's high seate he may enthronized be.
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