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This Poem has been reprinted by Pinkerton. Pinkerton says the Authoress was not the Mother of Colvill the Poet. Ritson makes it clear, that she was from Douglases Peerage, p. 146. The first edition was printed at Edinburgh, 1603.

JOHN DAVIES.

AS this personage has been frequently confounded with Sir John Davies, and the works of the one erroneously ascribed to the other, I mention him here, and give a place to the following work of his, which I have no where seen mentioned.

The period at which it was written. and the scarcity of the tract, seem to justify a specific account and extract.

"Humours Heavn on Earth,
With

The Civilli Warres of Death and Fortune,
As also

The Triumph of Death,

or

The Picture of the Plague, according to the

Life, as it was in Anno Domini 1603.

By John Davies, of Hereford.

O'tis a sacred kind of excellence

That hides a rich truth in a tales pretence.

Printed at London, by A. I. 1609."

The Poem is dedicated "To the Right Noble Algernon, Lord Percy, Sonne and Heire Apparent to the Right Honourable Henry, Earle of Northumberland."

The author was a Writing Master, the Ladie Dorothie and Ladie Lucy Percies, were his pupils, he calls himself" their unworthie Tutor." The following short extract may suffice.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE WANTONS

APPARRELL.

Epithymus the wanton on his crowne
A crowne of roses wore lasciviously,
A falling band of cutworke richly sowne,
Did his broad shoulders quite ore-canopy;
A waste-coate wrought with floures as they had
In coloured silke lay open to the eie;
And as his bosome was unbuttoned quite,
So were his points untrusst for ends too light.

growne,

His doublet carnation cut with greene
Rich taffetae quite through in ample cuttes,
That so his wastcoate might ech where be seene,
When lusty dames should eie this lusty guttes,
And many favours hung the cuttes betweene,
And many more more light in them he shuttes;
So that a vacant place was hardly found,
About this fancy so well favourd round.
H 2

This

This Poet must have had respectable connections: at the end of the performance is a Copy of Verses, addressed to "The good Knight and my much honoured Scholler, Sir Phillip Carey."

There is also another, "To my worthy and worthily beloved Scholler, Thomas Bodenham, Esquier, Sonne and Heire Apparent of Sir Roger Bodenham, of Rotherwas, Knight of the Bathe."

The verses to this last personage bave the following most singular subscription.

Yours as whats most yours,

JOHN DAVIES.

STEPHEN BATEMAN.

THIS Writer is introduced by Ritson in his Catalogue of English Poets; but I know of no other copy of this performance but that which is in the British Museum.

TITLE PAGE.

"The Travayled Pilgrim, bringing Newes from all Partes of the Worlde, such like scarce

hard of before.

Seene

Seene and allowed according to the order appointed.

Anno Domini.

1569."

The Poem, such as it is, is dedicated to "The Right Worshipfull Sir William Damsell, Knight, Receyver Generall of the Queenes Majesties Court of Wardes and Lyveries."

It is printed in black letter, and embellished by a great number of engravings on wood.

The first chapter or section will serve as a specimen as well as any other.

The mightye Jove celestiall, when first he tooke in hand That CHAOS luge, he made to fall, and formed so a

land,

Wherein he set and created all things as now we see.
First beasts, then ma which he prepard their governor

to bee,

And named him in Eden grounde ADAM, that name he

gave,

Where nothing then could him confound till he a mate

did crave.

She EVE hight, a woman kinde when he awakt hir sawe. As Innocents no sinne did minde till Sathan wrought

their awe.

That woman first she did consent, the apple for to proove, Wherby the Serpent did invent all joyes from them to

moove.

For their offence they were exilde out of that pleasaunt

place;

And Earth accursed forth did yealde the crabbed thorne

a space.

H 3

The

The Earth then fayne were they to till, still labouring the

ground;

Thus Sattans drifts then thought to spill, he gave that deadly wound,

Although that ADAM did offend, yet God so shewde his Grace,

A newe ADAM he after sent, which did all sinne deface; Such minde hath God alwayes to those that joyes his lawes to loove,

And such as are his mortall foes, with plagues he doth

them proove;

As PHARAO, that cruell king, which did so sore oppresse The Israelites above all thing, and would not them

release.

It were to long all to recite, I minde them to foregoe. The swallow swift, once taken flight, then Auster straight doth bloe

With nipping showres and frosts so colde, few may it long

endure.

But that once past, then doth unfold the sweete and pleasant showre,

Whereby all things do spring and grow with sweet smell, most sweete,

Till Hyems force himself doth showe the PISCES joyes

in deepe.

&c. &c.

JOHN

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