silly Henry though a Saint he bee Must beare the plagues his Grandsires guilt incurr'd When he imbrude his hands or did agree To have his Sov'raignes bloud shedd savaglee His Vncles more like Fathers first he looseth Then by a woman most improvident He is ore ruâ—'d foâ— shee of all disposeth Till Hate and Factions ore-grew government Then Richard Duke of Yorke in Parliment Claimed the Scepter being so ill swai'd Where was examin'd his claime and descent And then gaue waie to it when all was wai'd So silly Henry was by law betrai'd The title of Duke Richard thus admitted But an Vsurper needes must make the King Yet t' was decreed that he should bee permitted For life to hold the Crowne which death doth bring When as the Crowne is held as no such thing Making the Duke by Act of Parliament His Heire apparant without altering Which for them both was most malevolent For hardly can one Crowne two Kings content This was a fond conspiring Parliment Against their Liege directlie and the Lawes No lesse disloiall then improvident And of effectes most bloudie was the cause For now the King his Friendes together drawes VVho for his safetie straight began to lay VVhich could not be without the fearefull Pawse Of Yorke that Lion cleane were cut away Downe must his Den his Howse must haue no stay VVho like him selfe beeing truely Leonine Stood on his strength so to defeate his foes And having wisedome truelie serpentine Still compassing about the crowne he goes Whom Henry tripping in his course orethroes But his Sonne Edward kept the claime a foote Vntill that civill bloud the Land oreflowes Who in conclusion pull'd vp by the roote All Lets got th'imbrued crowne with mickle boot Whilst this was doing the Realme was vndunne The Common-wealth became a Common-woe Iustice and government by Rogues ore runne The Ministers whereof tost too and fro Like foote-balls over which al men may goe All was quite out of square by squaring thus The Ground did grone enforc'd to vndergoe Continued Armies most contentious That made the State poore as prodigious This Claime was wel examin'd and admitted Here was Succession wel established What villanie was not thereby committed What vertue was not quite abolished And who so high that were not drown'd in dreade Yonge olde rich poore and Babes vnborne or borne Beasts things senselesse had cause Teares to shedd For all hereby away perforce were worne And far'd at least as Creatures most forlorne Woe woorth such vip'rous Cousins that wil rend Their Mothersâ—wombe the CoÌ„mon-wealth to raigne From such apparant-Heires God vs defend That care not who doe lose so they may gaine And long may Hee in peace the Crowne sustaine That for our peace his such Heires hath brought We all of late for such did stil complaine Then now sith we haue such and cost vs nought Lett 's thankfull be and know them as we ought As Pow'r doth want so Claimes Factions cease Might Right orecomes chiefly in Kingdoms claimes Pow'r Titles stirrs and Conquest makes their peace The Sword the Law how firme soever maymes Which at a Conquest though vnlawful aymes Though Prince and Peeres provide for future rule Ambition hardly her estate disclaimes Though for a time the Lawes her over-rule Yet when time serues the Law shee wil misrule Our State stands not on Armes as others doe Our force lies most dispersed at the Plow Vnready rude and oft rebellious too Whose Sun-burnt Necks oft rather breake theÌ„ bow Not caring whom ne what they doe alow These and such like enduced our late Prince Such motions vtterly to disalowe For this and many an inconvenience Whereof all Times affoord experience This made this careful Queene as knowing well By fortie fiue yeares proofe and her sharpe sight Into events whereof al Stories tell How safe to rule and keepe the State vpright For her rights sake right close to keepe this right Better she thought such Hëires two daies old Then two yeares and as strong in Law and Fight So lou'd her States life and her owne to hold And made her Hart that Heires securest Hold. But sith shee did conclude this great affaire Both Law and Conscience doe conclude the State And who resists by birth that lawful Heire Resists the lawful Sov'raigne Maiestrate Made both by birth and Law from iust estate Monarchicall-inheritance resides In him from her then who doth violate Obedience to him wounds the tender sides Of Law and Conscience and al good besides Edward the fourth thus hauing caught the Crown The weake Lancastrians drave to the wall And spared none till all were overthrowne That might lie in his waie to make him fall His Brother Clarence ô Crime Capitall He did rebaptize in a Butt of VVine Being ielous of him how soere Loiall A Turkish providence most indivine Yet Crownes wil rest on such ere thei 'le decline Besides a sliding and new-fangled Nation Ful of Rebellion and Disloyaltie May cause a Prince for his securer station To stand vpon the like extremitie VVhere Vertue hath no place of certenty VVhat Prince if provideÌ„t wil stick to straine Both Law and Conscience in secresy To cutt one MeÌ„ber off that letts his raigne VVhich the states Body doth in health maintaine The more perfection and Heroick worth Such Heires great Cousines or great Subiects haue The more the Multitude wil sett them foorth And more and more their rule they seeke and craue Then must we lose a part the vvhole to saue These haue Achitophells to egge them on And make them much more restlesse then a wave Vntil their Soveraignes they sett vpon To make them yeeld vp their Dominion Manie a busie Head by VVords and Deeds Put in their Heads how they may coÌ„passe Crownes That Crownes at last may compasse so their Heads And sitt victoriously on steedfast Thrones All these like humming Bees ensue those Drones To gather Hony if they chance to rest And store themselues with sweete provisions VVhilst the Crown-greedy Cousine in vnrest Lives but for them with feares and cares opprest Now though King Edward like a wary Prince To remoue Obstacles bent all his might Yet could no skill or humane providence Protect his Sonnes from their Protectors spight VVho as he seru'd King Henry seru'd them right The blood of Innocents on Innocents VVith heavy vengeance mixte amaine doth lightâ— Thus Innocents are plagu'd for the Nocents Such are the High'sts inscrutable Iudgments And as He murdred Henrie for his Crowne So for their Crowne were his Sonnes murdered By hardest Harts in softest Bedd of Downe They were deere Harts at once quite smothered VVhich some ignoble Nobles furthered And rather then they should not die by force Or want a VVant-grace to performe the Deede Their Vncle and Protector must perforce Their Crowne from Head and Head froÌ„ Life divorce Now vp is
MICROCOSMOS THE DISCOVERY OF THE LITTLE World with the government thereof Manilius An mirum est habitare Deum sub pectore nostro Exemplumque Dei quisque est sub imagine paruâ By IOHN DAVIES At Oxford Printed by Ioseph Barnes and are to bee solde in Fleetestreete at the signe of the Turkes head by Iohn Barnes 1603. TO MY MOST DEERE AND dread Soveraigne IAMES by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland be all heavenly and earthly happinesse THoughts fight no more but now with Wits accord Yeeld al obedience to Arts rightest rule Then like a constant treble-twisted cord Binde vp the sweet'st affections of my Soule And in a Poesy giue them to O no They are too base for such high Excellence Yet prostrate giue them to him and say so So I may shunne dislike you insolence Great ó too narrow is this name for thee King yet too straite a stile for thy great worth And Monarch this with it doth best agree Deigne to accept a Base base Wit brought forth And base it is great Highnesse in each line Because indeede it is too rightly mine His Maiesties lesse then least and most vnworthy Subiect IOHN DAVIES To the sacred Queene of Englands most excellent Maiestie IF those VVombs blessed be from whom proceedes A world of blessings to the VVorld accurst Or if that gracious be that Graces breedes To make Men gracious being at the worst O then how blest and gracious is thy VVombe Deere Daughter Sister VVife vnto a King Wherein Heaven wrought as in a sacred roome Strong Props of peace which blest Time forth did bring Vnto a Mother-maide we all are bound For bringing forth our Soules preservatiue Who for the same is Queene in Heaven Crownd And sith thou bring'st our Corpes conservatiue We must crown thee in Earth or els we should Doe otherwise then Saints Angels would Your Highnesse most humbly devoted Vassall IOHN DAVIES The vvhole I le of greate Brittaine vvas of yore divided into 13. Kingdoms as by Monuments of antiquity and Historie the vvitnesses of time appeareth viz. England into 8. namelie Kent South-Saxons East-Saxons VVest-Saxons Bernnicia aliàs Northumberland Deira or Southumberland Est-Angles Mercia Scotland into 2. viz. Scottes Picts The Scottes on the VVestside the Picts on the East called Pictlād as the other Scotland VVales into 3. viz. North-wales Southwales and Povvys-land Vppon vvhich Plaine-songe thus I descant AN Articke I le there is most famous found In the great Lavor of this lesser Round Which Neptunes hand as most esteemd infolds And in his vnsweet-sweating bozome holdes On whom at once Heavens providence begate Thirteene Kinges ' which did her participate Shee fedd them sweetlie made them fatte to grow For from her Brest did Milke and Hony flow Who being pampred so ambitious made Gainst Nature gan each other to invade Shee greatly griv'd they quited so her loue And ay to make them one shee oft did proue But froward at the least they would be Twoo So lived long in strife with much adoo Yet like a tender Mother vext to see That hir deere children could no better gree Shee laboured night and day with Tyme to doe That which shee tride but could not bring them to Who both togither ioyn'd did them attone So Tyme and shee at last haue made them One. Then if in One Thirteene vnited be How great how glorious and how good is hee IOHN DAVIES AENIGMA A Treble paire doth our late wracke repaire And sextiplies our mirth for one mishappe These six as hopes to keepe vs from dispaire When clappes wee feard were sent vs at a clappe That we might clapp our hands in his high praise That made vs by our Heads losse much more faire And vs beheaded so our Head to raise One headlesse made all looke as blacke as Hel◠All headlesse makes the Head and all looke well SPHINX IF this a Riddle be then so be it Yet Truth approues what therein hid doth lie And Truth 's most louelie in the Eye of VVit When she is rob'd with richest misterie In few by losse we haue gott benefitt That 's six for one by lawfull vserie Then if we gaine by losse our losse is gaine So saith France Flāders Scotland Irelād Spaine To the iudicious Reader THou seest this great VVorld Reader perchāce Thine Eie is cloid with often seeing it Then see the Lesse with noe lesse circumstance Aud with VVittes Eie that Monarchy of VVitte The Heav'ns and Earth do make the greater VVorld And Soule and Bodie make the Lesse we prove The Heav'ns doe moue the Earth they are whirld By Him that makes the Soule the Body moue Who conquers it at least are Monarchs great Greater then those that conquered the greater For from their goodnesse Men their greatnes gette And they are best that doe subdue the better The great VVorld's good but better is the least Then view it to subdue it thou wert best IOHN DAVIS A Request to the Cittie of Hereford Deere Mother in whose Wombe my vitall flame Was kindled first by the Almighties breath Lend me thy name to adde vnto my name That one with other may keepe both from death Vnto thy conscience I poore I appeale Whether or no I haue deserved it My conscience telles me I haue sought thy weale With al my skill my will my woorth my witte Iudge God iudge good men iudge my truth herein Impartiall Iudges you shall iudge for me If so my soule is sear'd or I haue bin Deere Mother what I now would seeme to thee And doe confesse though vnkinde Parents proue Yet are their children bound to seeke their loue Iohn Davies of Hereford In Microcosmon IOH. DAVIS II Herefordiensis EN tibi Pythagorae sacram diamque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almae Naturae scatebram fontemque perennem Cuius quis pandet mysteria quisve profundos Audebit timidogressu tentare recessus Audet Davisius nec magnis excidit ausis Non is Daedaleâ per coelum remigat alâ Nec Phaetontaeo raptatus in aethera curru Stellarum inspector stupet aut Iovis atria lustrat In se conversus Divinae particulam aurae Non lippo aut lusco solers rimatur ocello Hunc lege quisquis aves Animani tam nobile germen Noscere decerptum delibatumque supremi Quod de mente Dei quisque hoc in corpore gestat Non te AEgyptiacus teneat tardetve character Nulla Syracusij Senis arte inventa morentur Suspensus coeli fornix vitreus orbis AEdibus in proprijs quae recta aut prava gerantur Inspicias haustamque polo vigil excute mentem Coelitùs emissum descendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IO. SANFORDVS Charissimo Iohanni Davisio Salutem OXoniae vates cum sis Herefordia quare Davisi in titulo pristina scripta tuo Crede mihi doctam non vrbem tale pigebit Ingenium in numero nomen habere
Hath made Arch-Master of each excellence It needes must follow that succeeding daies Cannot detract from what he dain'd to praise Nicholas Deeble Ad Lectorem de libro BEnigne lector parvuli orbis incola Qui coeca falsi transfretans mundi vada Dirigere recto tramite exoptas ratem Istum libellum vt Nauticum Indicem sequens Fugies Ceraunia saxa Syrenas leves Fugies trucem Carybdin Syrtes vagas Vide Teipsum in spice omnes angulos Quisquis seipsum non videt cernit Nihil Noscito Teipsum cordis explorans sinus Quisquis seipsum nescit hic novit Nihil Cura teipsum vt proprij medicus mali Quisquis seipsum negligit curat Nihil Vides teipsum modò Animam inspicias tuam Curas teipsum modò Animam sanes tuam Nathanael Tomkins TO praise thee beeing what I am to thee Were in effect to dispraise thee and mee For who doth praise himselfe deserves dispraise Thou art my selfe then thee I may not praise But this in Naâ—ure may I say by Arte Thine Arte by Nature makes thee what thou art Your louing Brother and worst part of your selfe Richard Dauies A Preface in honor and devotion vnto our most puissant and no lesse roially-accomplished Soveraigne Iames by the grace of God King of England Scotland France Ireland defender of the faith c. THou blessed I le white Marke for Envies aime If Envy aims at most felicity Triumph sith now thou maist by iustice claime Precedence in the VNIVERSITY VVherein best Iles doe striue for mastery Now shalt thou be great MODERATOR made In each Dispute that tendes to EMPERY So that AMBITION shall no deeper wade Then thy DECREES in iudgment shall perswade Now Grand-dame ALBION in thy grandure thinke Thinke seriously vpon each circumstance Sith late thou wert at Pitt of Perills Brincke That may make thee though old as yong to dance Mou'd by sweete straines of more sweete Concordance But staie deere Mother ô I doe thee wrong To putt thee in thy Muses now advance Thy voice in Praise to whom it doth belong GOD and thy KING that made thee fainting strong Thy God and King King given thee of GOD To make thee loue thy Goâ— and like thy Kinge And so gaue thee a Royall for a Rod To punish thee with what doth comfort bring And make thee richer by his chastening Hee came by no Meanders of Mans bloud Vnto our Land but with a sure slow winge Hee â—lew farre from it and did leaue that Flud On the left hand for those that Right with-stoode Though home-bred harts may harbour strange desires Nere-pleas'd Perversnesse yet must needes confesse He to this Crowne by double right aspires Bloud and Bequest say Male-contentednesse If thou dost liue but I hope nothing lesse Ist true or no I see Shame holdes thy tongue From such deniall then for shame expresse Thy loue to right and doe thy Liege no wrong But say long may our Crowne to him and his belong His precious Veines doe flow with our deer'st bloud Bone of our bones Flesh of our Flesh is he If he by vs then should haue beene withstoode We had withstoode our selues and cursed bee The hand that with the head doth disagree Beyond his birth he was a Kinge in right And borne to beare rule in the high'st degree Whose hand and head endowed are with might Scepters and Crownes to weld and weare aright And giue we her her due that now is gone Who had in her a World of Princely Parts Yet shee hath left her World and Worth to one That 's Master of himselfe and of the Arts Which Art and Nature but to Kings impartes And as this Queene was oft from death preserv'd When in his lawes he had got all her partes â— So was this King from like distresse conserv'd And both no doubt for Englands life reserv'd And right well worthy of the Crowne is hee Were it more deere then Caesars Diadem When envious World did him her Monarch see That never did molest our Queene and Reame That might with bloud for bloud haue made it streameâ— That God that tenders all that tender bloud Blesse him and his for it and make his Stemme Yeeld many Branches that may ever bud And bring sweete fruit for Scottish-Englands good Much Bloud though drawne from Heavens vnholy foâ—s Seemes irksome if not loathsome to their sight For when iust David thought their Arke t' inclose Within a Temple with all glory dight Which hee in zeale meant to erect outright Hee was forbad by Heav'ns most holy One For making Bâ—oud to flow though in their right And that Taske put on peacefull Salomon Then peacefull be thy Raigne deare Lord alone To build the Temple of true Vnion But though our Bloud were thus deere in thine Eies More deere then Gold although a double Crowne Yet did our feare thy Loue with care surprize And bee'ng our owne we vs'd it as our owne For safe we kept it as to thee it s knowne We lou'd thee so as still we fear'd thy powre For if a wren from vs to thee had flowne We as supposing that hee ment to towre Would keepe him safe for loue and feare in Towre Deere King drade Sov'raigne sacred Maiesty And what stile els a mortall state may beare We truely English doe but liue to die For thee for that thou stirred didst not steere Thy powre against our peace but didst indeere Vs to thee by thy peerelesse patience showne True token of thy loue-begotten care Of vs and ours as if that loue alone Had held our losse of bloud as t is thine owne Had not our blouds beene precious in thine Eie Thou mightst perhaps haue made vs buy it deare Or made thee heire apparant publikely As Iustice would but croâ—t by private feare Stories swarme with Examples farre and neere That many further off and of lesse force To catch at Crownes would heires thereto appeere Or pull of Crownes and heades of them perforce That wearing Crownes crost their vnblessed course But thou to thy true glory be it said Though having hands of powre to reach a Crowne Thou didst thy selfe containe and praid and staid Till now in peace thou haste it for thine owne And still may thee and thine by it be knowne That Scots and English no more may be two But made by true-loues artlesse Art all one As Nature hath made vs and Contry too Both which to vnitie vs both doe woo So neighbour Nations seeing our concent Shall stand in awe of our vnited powr's And of our friendshippe glad shall vs present With precious gifts and all that loue alures So all as friends while friends we are is ours And may hee bee a terror made to all That twixt vs the least discontent procures And as a Monster most vnnaturall Let odious bee his damn'd memoriall If wee when wee were but halfe what we are And had a woman to our soveraigne Were able all foes at