The lives of the most famous English poets, or, The honour of Parnassus in a brief essay of the works and writings of above two hundred of them, from the time of K. William the Conqueror to the reign of His present Majesty, King James II / written by William Winstanley, author of The English worthies ...

JOHN DAVIS of Hereford.

IN the writing of this Mans Life, we shall make use of Dr. Fuller in his England's Worthies, who saith, that he was the greatest Master of the Pen that England in his Age beheld; for,

• 1. Fast writing; so incred••ble his expedition.
• 2. Fair writing; some minutes consultation be∣ing required to decide whether his Lines were written or printed.
• 3. Close writing; a Mystery which to do well, few attain unto.
• 4. Various writing; Secretary, Roman, Court and Text.

The Poetical Fiction of ••riareus the Giant, who had an hundred hands, found a Moral in him, who could so cunningly and copiously disguise his afore∣said elemental hards, that by mixing, he could make them appear an hundred; and if not so many sorts, so many degrees of writing. He had also many pretty excursions into Poetry, and could flourish Matters as well as Letters, with his Fancy as well as with his Pen. Take a taste of his Abilities in those Verses of his before Coriat's Cru∣dities, being called the Odcombian Banquet, wherein the whole Club of Wits in that Age joyned toge∣ther, to write Mock-commendatory Verses in Praise-dispraise of his Book.

If Art that oft the Learn'd hath stammer'd, In one Iron Head-piece (yet no Hammer-Lead) May (joyn'd with Nature) hit Fame on the Cocks-comb, Then 'tis that Head-piece that is crown'd with Odcomb

For he, hard Head (and hard, sith like a Whet-stone) It gives Wits edge, and draws them too like Jet-stone) Is Caput Mundi for a world of School-tricks, And is not ignorant in the learned'st—tricks H'hath seen much more than much, I essure ye, And will see New-Troy, Bethlem, and Old-Jury Mean while (to give a taste of his first travel, With streams of Rhetorick that get golden Gravel) He tells how he to Venice once did wander; From whence he came more witty than a Gander: Whereby he makes relations of such wonders, That Truth therein doth lighten, while Art thunders, All Tongues fled to him that at Babel swerved, Lest they for wunt of warm months might have starved. Where they do revel in such passing measure, (Especially the Greek, wherein's his pleasure.) That (jovially) so Greek he takes the guard of, That he's the merriest Greek that 'ere was heard of; For he as' twere his Mothers twittle twattle, (That's Mother-tongue) the Greek can prittle prattle. Nay, of that Tongue he so hath got the Body, That he sports with it at Ruffe, Gleek or Noddy; &c.

He died at London in the midst of the Reign of King James I. and lieth buried in St. Giles in the Fields.