The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 2 of 2.Davies, John, Sir
General
The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 2 of 2.
Davies, John, Sir
Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700
It is fitt it should with you remaine,
For you know better how to raine.
Yet if it raine still as before,
St Swythen praies that you would guesse,
That Iris doth more robes possesse,
And that you should blame him no more.
At her Maiesties departure from Harefield, PLACE, attyred in
black mouringe aparell, vsed this farewell followinge:
_P._ Sweet Maiestie, be pleased to looke vpon a poore Wydow, mourning
before your Grace. I am this _Place_, which at your comming was full
of ioy; but now at your departure am as full of sorrow. I was then,
for my comfort, accompanied with the present cheerful _Time_; but now
he is to depart with you; and, blessed as he is, must euer fly before
you: But, alas! I haue no wings, as _Time_ hath. My heauiness is such,
that I must stand still, amazed to see so greate happines so sone
bereft mee. Oh, that I could remoue with you, as other circumstances
can! _Time_ can goe with you, _Persons_ can goe with you; they can
moue like Heaven; but I, like dull Earth (as I am indeed) must stand
vnmouable. I could wish my selfe like the inchanted Castle of Loue,
to hould you heere for euer, but that your vertues would dissolue all
my inchauntments. Then what remedy? As it is against the nature of an
Angell to be circumscribed in _Place_, so it is against the nature
of _Place_ to haue the motion of an Angell. I must stay forsaken and
desolate. You may goe with maiestie, joy, and glory. My only suyte,
before you goe, is that you will pardon the close imprisonment which
you haue suffred euer since your comminge, imputinge it not to mee,
but St. Swythen, who of late hath raysed soe many stormes, as I was
faine to prouide this _Anchor_,[290] for you, when I did vnderstand
you would put into this creeke. But now, since I perceaue this harbour
is too little for you, and you will hoyse sayle and be gone, I beseech
you take this Anchor with you. And I pray to Him that made both _Time_
and _Place_, that, in all places where euer you shall arriue, you may
anchor as safly, as you doe and euer shall doe in the harts of my
Owners.
[Footnote 290: A Jewell.]
THE COMPLAINT OF THE V SATYRES AGAINST THE NYMPHS.
Tell me, O Nymphes, why do you
Shune vs that your loues pursue?
What doe the Satyres notes retaine
That should merite your disdaine?
On our browes if hornes doe growe,
Was not Bacchus armèd soe?
Yet of him the Candian maid
Held no scorne, nor was affraid.
Say our colours tawny bee,
Ph[oe]bus was not faire to see;
Yet faire Clymen[291] did not shunn
To bee Mother of his Sonne.
If our beards be rough and long,
Soe had Hercules the strong:
Yet Deianier,[292] with many a kisse,
Joyn'd her tender lipps to his.
If our bodies hayry bee,
Mars as rugged was as wee:
Yet did Ilia[293] think her grac'd,
For to be by Mars imbrac'd.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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