The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.

Name: The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.
Author: Davies, John, Sir

Davies, John, Sir

Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

$R$ ectified so, they in their kind
    $E$ ncrease each vertue of her mind,
    $G$ ouern'd with mild tranquilitie;
    $I$ n all the regions vnder heau'n,
    $N$ o State doth beare it selfe so euen,
    $A$ nd with so sweet facilitie.


HYMNE XXI.

OF THE INNUMERABLE VERTUES OF HER MINDE.

    $E$ re thou proceed in this sweet paines,
    $L$ earne _Muse_ how many drops it raines
    $I$ n cold and moist _December_;
    $S$ um up _May_ flowres, and _August_ graines,
    $A$ nd grapes of mild _September_.

    $B$ eare the Sea's sand in memory,
    $E$ arth's grasses, and the starres in skie;
    $T$ he little moates which mounted,
    $H$ ang, in the beames of _Ph[oe]bus'_ eye,
    $A$ nd neuer can be counted.

    $R$ ecount these numbers numberlesse,[178]
    $E$ re thou her vertue canst expresse,
    $G$ reat wits this count will, cumber.
    $I$ nstruct thy selfe in numbring Schooles;
    $N$ ow courtiers vse to begge for fooles,
    $A$ ll such as cannot number.

[Footnote 178: Cf. Paradise Regained, iii. 310. G.]


HYMNE XXII.

OF HER WISDOME.

    $E$ [a]gle-eyed Wisdome, life's loadstarre,
    $L$ ooking neere on things afarre;
    $I$ oue's best beloued daughter,
    $S$ howes to her spirit all[179] that are,
    $A$ s Ioue himselfe hath taught her.

    $B$ y this straight rule she rectifies
    $E$ ach thought that in [her] heart doth rise:
    $T$ his is her cleane true mirror,
    $H$ er _looking-glasse_, wherein she spies
    $A$ [ll] forms of Truth and Error.

    $R$ ight princely vertue fit to raigne,
    $E$ nthroniz'd in her spirit remaine,
    $G$ uiding our fortunes euer;
    $I$ f we this starre once cease to see,
    $N$ o doubt our State will shipwrackt bee,
    $A$ nd torne and sunke for euer.

[Footnote 179: In first edition 'things.' G.]


HYMNE XXIII.

OF HER JUSTICE.

    $E$ xil'd _Astræa_ is come againe,
    $L$ o here she doth all things maintaine
    $I$ n _number_, _weight_, and _measure_:
    $S$ he rules vs with delightfull paine,
    $A$ nd we obey with pleasure.

    $B$ y _Loue_ she rules more then by _Law_,
    $E$ uen her great mercy breedeth awe;
    $T$ his is her sword and scepter:
    $H$ erewith she hearts did euer draw,
    $A$ nd this guard euer kept her.

    $R$ eward doth sit in her right-hand,
    $E$ ach vertue thence taks her garland
    $G$ ather'd in Honor's garden;
    $I$ n her left hand (wherein should be
    $N$ ought but the sword) sits Clemency
    $A$ nd conquers Vice with pardon.


HYMNE XXIV.

OF HER MAGNANIMITIE.

    $E$ uen as her State, so is her mind,
    $L$ ifted aboue the vulgar kind;
    $I$ t treades proud Fortune vnder:
    $S$ un-like it sits aboue the wind,
    $A$ boue the stormes, and thunder.

    $B$ raue spirit, large heart, admiring _nought_,
    $E$ steeming each thing as it ought,
    $T$ hat swelleth not, nor shrinketh;
    $H$ onour is alwayes in her thought,
    $A$ nd of great things she thinketh.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.Davies, John, Sir

General

The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.

Davies, John, Sir

Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

$R$ ectified so, they in their kind
    $E$ ncrease each vertue of her mind,
    $G$ ouern'd with mild tranquilitie;
    $I$ n all the regions vnder heau'n,
    $N$ o State doth beare it selfe so euen,
    $A$ nd with so sweet facilitie.


HYMNE XXI.

OF THE INNUMERABLE VERTUES OF HER MINDE.

    $E$ re thou proceed in this sweet paines,
    $L$ earne _Muse_ how many drops it raines
    $I$ n cold and moist _December_;
    $S$ um up _May_ flowres, and _August_ graines,
    $A$ nd grapes of mild _September_.

    $B$ eare the Sea's sand in memory,
    $E$ arth's grasses, and the starres in skie;
    $T$ he little moates which mounted,
    $H$ ang, in the beames of _Ph[oe]bus'_ eye,
    $A$ nd neuer can be counted.

    $R$ ecount these numbers numberlesse,[178]
    $E$ re thou her vertue canst expresse,
    $G$ reat wits this count will, cumber.
    $I$ nstruct thy selfe in numbring Schooles;
    $N$ ow courtiers vse to begge for fooles,
    $A$ ll such as cannot number.

[Footnote 178: Cf. Paradise Regained, iii. 310. G.]


HYMNE XXII.

OF HER WISDOME.

    $E$ [a]gle-eyed Wisdome, life's loadstarre,
    $L$ ooking neere on things afarre;
    $I$ oue's best beloued daughter,
    $S$ howes to her spirit all[179] that are,
    $A$ s Ioue himselfe hath taught her.

    $B$ y this straight rule she rectifies
    $E$ ach thought that in [her] heart doth rise:
    $T$ his is her cleane true mirror,
    $H$ er _looking-glasse_, wherein she spies
    $A$ [ll] forms of Truth and Error.

    $R$ ight princely vertue fit to raigne,
    $E$ nthroniz'd in her spirit remaine,
    $G$ uiding our fortunes euer;
    $I$ f we this starre once cease to see,
    $N$ o doubt our State will shipwrackt bee,
    $A$ nd torne and sunke for euer.

[Footnote 179: In first edition 'things.' G.]


HYMNE XXIII.

OF HER JUSTICE.

    $E$ xil'd _Astræa_ is come againe,
    $L$ o here she doth all things maintaine
    $I$ n _number_, _weight_, and _measure_:
    $S$ he rules vs with delightfull paine,
    $A$ nd we obey with pleasure.

    $B$ y _Loue_ she rules more then by _Law_,
    $E$ uen her great mercy breedeth awe;
    $T$ his is her sword and scepter:
    $H$ erewith she hearts did euer draw,
    $A$ nd this guard euer kept her.

    $R$ eward doth sit in her right-hand,
    $E$ ach vertue thence taks her garland
    $G$ ather'd in Honor's garden;
    $I$ n her left hand (wherein should be
    $N$ ought but the sword) sits Clemency
    $A$ nd conquers Vice with pardon.


HYMNE XXIV.

OF HER MAGNANIMITIE.

    $E$ uen as her State, so is her mind,
    $L$ ifted aboue the vulgar kind;
    $I$ t treades proud Fortune vnder:
    $S$ un-like it sits aboue the wind,
    $A$ boue the stormes, and thunder.

    $B$ raue spirit, large heart, admiring _nought_,
    $E$ steeming each thing as it ought,
    $T$ hat swelleth not, nor shrinketh;
    $H$ onour is alwayes in her thought,
    $A$ nd of great things she thinketh.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.

The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 1 of 2.

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