Sir John Davies

I've been rereading of late some of the works of the Elizabethan poet Sir John Davies, mainly because I was rereading an essay on him in T.S. Eliot's On Poetry and Poets. I'm inclined to agree (in part, anyway) with Eliot's estimation of him as a poet of great clarity and cohesion, a poet, to paraphrase Eliot, to muses to himself out loud and never raises his voice. Unfortunately, except in courses devoted strictly to Elizabethan verse, Davies is seldom discussed, and I'd encourage anyone out there to read him. See this piece from Yet Other Twelve Wonders of The World, from Section I, "The Courtier" (reprinted in 'Elizabethan spelling'):

LONG haue I liu'd in court, yet learned not all this while,
To sel poore sutors, smoke : nor where I hate, to smile :
Superiors to adore, Inferiors to despise,
To flye from such as fall, to follow such as rise ;
To cloake a poore desire vnder rich array,
Not to aspire by vice, though twere the quicker way.

And it's fine verse, isn't it, neither exaggerated nor understated, with a lovely sense of cadence. Also, there's a directness (not to be confused with simplicity) that's refreshing, especially considering some of the works of Davies' contemporaries.

Anyone interested in reading more of Davies should take a glance at the materials available at Lumiarium by clicking here. Well worth it.