vances, his ingenuity began firft to be obferved, in feveral of his poetical compofitions. After he had taken one degree in arts, and dedicated fome time to reading the bards of antiquity, he gained fome reputation in poetry, particularly of the fatiric fpecies; but being convinced how barren a foil poetry is, and how unlikely to yield a competent provifion for its profeffors, he ftudied phyfic, for the improvement of which he went beyond fea, took the degree of Dr. of that faculty at Avignon, returned and was incorporated in the univerfity in the latter end of Queen Elizabeth's reign: Afterwards fettling in London, he practifed phyfic with great fuccefs, and was particularly encouraged by the Roman Catholics, of which perfuafion it is faid he was. Our author hath written Alarm against Ufurers, containing tried experiences against worldly abufes, London 1584. Hiftory of Forbonius and Prifæria, with Truth's Complaint over England. Euphue's Golden Legacy. The Wounds of a Civil War livelily fet forth, in the true Tragedies of Marius and Sylla, London 1594. Looking Glafs for London and England, a TragiComedy printed in 4to. London 1598, in an old black letter. In this play our author was affifted by Mr. Robert Green. The drama is founded upon holy writ being the Hiftory of Jonah and the Ninevites, formed into a play. Mr. Langbain fuppofes they chose this fubject, in imitation of others who had writ dramas on facred themes long before them; as Ezekiel, a Jewish dramatic poet, writ the Deliverance of the Ifraelites out of Egypt: Gregory Nazianzen, or as fome fay, Apollinarius of Laodicea, writ the Tragedy of Chrift's Paffion; to these may be add ed ed Hugo Grotius, Theodore Beza, Petavius, all of whom have built upon the foundation of facred history. Treatife on the Plague, containing the nature, figns, and accidents of the fame, London 1603. Treatife in Defence of Plays. This (fays Wood) I have not yet feen, nor his pastoral fongs and madrigals, of which he writ a confiderable number. He alfo tranflated into English, Jofephus's Hiftory of the Antiquity of the Jews, London 1602. The works both moral and natural of Seneca, London 1614. This learned gentleman died in the year 1625, and had tributes paid to his memory by many of his cotemporary poets, who characterifedhim as a man of very confiderable genius. Winftanley has preferved an amorous fonnet of his, which we shall here infert. If I must die, O let me chufe my death: Crush out my wind with one ftraight-girting grafp, Like Circe, change me to a loathfome fwine, Into heaven's joys can none profoundly fee, When our author wishes to be changed into a loathfome fwine, fo he might dwell in fight of his mistress, he fhould have confidered, that however agreeable the metamorphofis might be to him, it could not be fo to her, to look upon fuch a loathsome object. Sir ✓ Sir JOHN DAVIES Wbury in Wiltshire, being the fon of a wealthy AS born at Chifgrove, in the parish of Tyf tanner of that place. At fifteen years of age he became a Commoner in Queen's-college, Oxford 1585, where having made preat progrefs in academical learning, and taken the degree of Batchelor of arts, he removed to the Middle-Temple, and applying himself to the ftudy of the common law, was called to the bar; but having a quarrel with one Richard Martyn, (afterwards recorder of London) he bastinadoed him in the Temple-hall at dinner-time, in prefence of the whole affembly, for which contempt, he was immediately expelled, and retired again to Oxford to profecute his ftudies, but did not refume the scholar's gown. Upon this occafion he compofed that excellent poem called Nofce Teipfum. Afterwards by the favour of Thomas lord Ellesmere, keeper of the Great Seal, being reinftated in the Temple, he practifed as a counfellor, and became a burgefs in the Parliament held at Westminster 1601. Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth our author, with Lord Hunfdon, went into Scotland to congratulate King James on his fucceffion to the English throne. Being introduced into his Majesty's prefence, the King enquired of Lord Hunfdon, the names of the gentlemen who accompanied him, and when his lordfhip mentioned John Davies, the King presently afked whether he was Nofce Teipfum, and being anfwered he was, embraced him, and affured him of * Mufes library p. 332. his favour. He was accordingly made Sollicitor, and a little after Attorney-general in Ireland, where in the year 1606, he was made one of his Majesty's ferjeants at law, and Speaker of the House of Commons for that kingdom. In the year following, he received the honour of knighthood from the King at Whitehall. In 1612 he quitted the post of Attorney-general in Ireland, and was made one of his Majesty's English ferjeants at law. He married Eleanor Touchet, youngest daughter of George lord Audley, by whom he had a fon an idiot who died young, and a daughter named Lucy, married to Ferdinand lord Haftings, and afterwards Earl of Huntingdon. His lady was a woman of very extraordinary character; fhe had, or rather pretended to have a fpirit of prophecy, and her predictions received from a voice which the often heard, were generally wrapped up in dark and obfcure expreflions. It was commonly reported, that on the funday before her husband's death, she was fitting at dinner with him, fhe fuddenly burft into tears, whereupon he asking her the occafion, fhe answered, 66 Husband, thefe are your funeral "tears," to which he replied, Pray therefore spare your tears now, and I will be content "that you fhall laugh when I am dead." After Sir John's death fhe lived privately at Parfton in Hertfordshire, and an account was published of her ftrange and wonderful prophecies in 1609. 66 In 1626 Sir John was appointed lord chief juftice of the King's-bench, but before the ceremony of his inftallation could be performed he died fuddenly of an apoplexy in the fifty-feventh year of his age, and was buried in the church of St. Martin's in the Fields. He enjoyed the joint applauses of Camden, Ben Johnson, Sir John Harrington, Selden, Donne, and Corbet; thefe are great authorities in our author's favour, and I may fairly affert that no philofophical writers ever explained plained their ideas more clearly and familiarly in profe, or more harmonioufly and beautifully in verfe. There is a peculiar happiness in his fimilies being introduced more to illuftrate than adorn, which renders them as ufeful as entertaining, and diftinguishes them from any other author. In quality of a lawyer Sir John produced the following pieces : 1. A difcovery of the true caufes why Ireland was never entirely fubdued until his Majefty's happy reign; printed in 4to. London 1612, dedicated to the King with this Latin verse only. Principis eft virtus maxima noffe fuos. 2. A declaration of our fovereign lord the King, concerning the title of his Majelly's fon Charles, the prince and duke of Cornwall; London 1614. His principal performance as a poet, is a Poem on the Original, Nature, and Immortality of the Soul, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth. It was republished by Nahum Tate, 1714, addreffed to the Earl of Dorfet and Middlefex, who was a great admirer of our poet, and the editor gives it a very juft and advantageous character. Without doubt it is the Nofce Teipfum fo much admired by King James, printed 1519, and 1622, mentioned by Wood; to which were added by the fame hand : Hymns of Aftrea in acroftic verse; and Orchestra, or a poem expreffing the antiquity and excellency of dancing, in a dialogue between Penelope and one of her Woers, containing 131 ftanzas unfinished. Mr. Wood mentions alfo epigrams, and a tranflation of feveral of King David's Pfalms, written by Sir John Davies, but never publifhed. VOL. I. N° 3. I Nofce |