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
[Footnote 80: Probably most readers are aware that it was formerly
the custom of gallants to smoke tobacco on the stage, during the
performance, either lying on the rushes or sitting upon hired stools.
D. [In Hutton's 'Satyres' and 'Epigrams' (1619) well edited by
RIMBAULT for the Percy Society, there are various passages
illustrative of above, _e.g._
"Dine with Duke Humfrey in decayed Paules"
Confound the streetes with chaos of old braules,
Dancing attendance on the Black-friers stage
Call for a stoole with a commanding rage, &c. [pp. 68, 69.] Cf.
Also Ben Jonson's _Devil is an Ass_ (1616) who censures the conduct of
the gallants allowed seats on the stage. G.]]
IN HAYWODUM.[81] 29.
Haywood, that did[82] in Epigrams excell,
Is now put downe since my light Muse arose;
As buckets are put downe into a well,
Or as a schoole-boy putteth downe his hose.[83]
[Footnote 81: Mr. Dyce spells Heywodum. John Heywood's Epigrammes
accompany his Proverbs: 1562. G.]
[Footnote 82: 1st edition, 'which in epigrams did;' Isham 'which did.'
[The Epigrams of John Heywood are well known. An allusion to this
epigram of Davies occurs in Sir John Harington's _Metamorphosis of
Ajax_, 1596: "This Heywood for his proverbs and epigrams is not yet
put down by any of our country, though one [_Marginal Note_, M[aster]
Davies] doth indeed come near him, that graces him the more in saying
he puts him down," p. 41, edition 1814. (In the same work we find,
"But, as my good M. Davies said of his epigrams, that they were made,
like doublets in Birchin-lane, for every one whom they will serve, &c.
p. 133. D.] [I add from T. BASTARD'S 'Chrestoleros' [Lib. II:
Epigram 15] an answer to this:
Heywood goes downe saith Dauis, sikerly,
And downe he goes, I can it not deny:
But were I happy did not fortune frowne
Were I in heart I would sing Dauy downe.
Cf. also lib. iii. Ep. 3. Mr. DYCE also quotes from Freeman's
_Rubbe and a great Cast_, 1614. G.]]
[Footnote 83: Breeches. D.]
IN DACUM.[84] 30.
Amongst the poets Dacus numbred is,
Yet could he neuer make an English rime;
But some prose speeches I haue heard of his,
Which haue been spoken many an hundreth time:
The man that keeps the Elephant hath one,
Wherein he tells the wonders of the beast:
Another Bankes pronouncèd long agon,[85]
When he his curtailes[86] qualities exprest:
He first taught him that that keeps the monuments
At Westminster, his formall tale to say;
And also him which Puppets represents,
And also him which with the Ape doth play:
Though all his Poetry be like to this,
Amongst the poets Dacus numbred is.
[Footnote 84: This is not Decius of Epig. 25, who was Drayton, but
(eheu!) Samuel Daniel. Cf. Epig. 45, and relative note. On the elephant
(l. 5) see note on Epig. 6. G.]
[Footnote 85: Isham badly 'a goe.' G.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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