Feb. 1. 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



83 



been on terms of strict friendship with our "higli- 

 spirited" young lawyer. In 159G, Davies bad 

 published his poem on dancing, entitled Orchestra, 

 the title-page of which is followed by a dedicatory 

 sonnet " To his very friend, ]\Ia. Richard Martin." 

 This sonnet is written in extravagant terms of 

 friendship and admiration ; and as it is only to be 

 found in the rare first edition, and in the almost 

 equally rare Bibliographical Catalogue of the Elles- 

 mere Collection, some of your readers may not be 

 displeased to see it on the present occasion : — 



"TO HIS VERT FRIEND MA. RICH. MARTI^f. 



" To whom shall I this dauncing Poeme S3nd, 



This suddaine, rash, halfe-capreol of my wit? 



To you, first mover and sole cause of it, 

 Jline-owue-selves better halfe, my deerest frend. 

 O, would you yet my I\Iuse some Honny lend 



From your luellifluous tongue, whereon doth sit 



Suada in raajestie, that I may fit 

 These harsh beginnings with a sweeter end. 



You know the modest sunne full fifteens times 

 Blushing did rise, and blushing did descend. 



While 1 in making of these ill made rimes, 

 My golden bowers unthriftily did spend. 



Yet, if in friendship you these numbers prayse, 



I will mispend another fifteene dayes." 



The cause of quarrel between the two young 

 lawyers is not known, but the "offence," whatever it 

 was, was not slight. In the year 1622, when Davies 

 reprinted his poetical works, we find that his feel- 

 ings of resentment against his once " very friend " 

 had not abated, for in place of the dedicatory 

 sonnet to Richard JMartin, is substituted a sonnet 

 addressed to Prince Charles ; and at the conclusion 

 of the poem, he left a hiatus after the one hundred 

 and twenty- sixth stanza, on account of the same 

 quarrel. 



Sir John Davies's celebrated poem, Nosce Te- 

 ipsum (mentioned by Wood in the previous ex- 

 tract), is said to have gained the author the favour 

 of James I., even before he came to the crown. 

 Wood gives the precise period of its composition, 

 and, I think, with every luipearance of truth, al- 

 thou'jh it does not accord with the statement of mo- 

 derii biograjjhers. that it was written at twenty-nve 

 years of ago. (See Camidjell's Essay on Poetri/, 

 SfC, ed. 1848, p. 18-1.) The first edition of this 



Eoem was printed in 4to. in the year 1599, and 

 as for its title the following : — 



" A'osce Tcijjsum. This Oracle exi)oundod in T«'o 

 Elegies. I. Of Iluinane Knowledge. '2. OftheSoule 

 of .Man, and the Immortalitie thereof. London, 

 Printed by UicUard Field, for John Standish. 

 43 leaves." 



As T am deeply interested in all that relates to 

 the subject of this note, I have compiled a list of 

 editions of the above poem, which shows its popu- 

 larity for more than a century and a half: — 



6. 1653. ih. 



4to. 



First edition. 



Second ed. 



Third ed. 



Fourth ed. 



The last edition printed 

 during the Author's life- 

 time. 



Published by T. Jenner, 

 with curious )dates, and 

 prose paraphrase. 



With prose dissertation. 



With Life of the Author, 

 by Nahum Tate. 



Second edition by Tate. 



With Essay by Dr. Sheri- 

 dan. 



With Life of the Author. 

 In Capel's Prolusions. 

 In Davies's Poetical Works, 

 edited by Thompson. 



Sir John Davies left behind him a large number 

 of lyiSS. upon various subjects, none of which liave 

 since been printed. It would be very desirable 

 that a list, as far as can now be made out, should 

 be ]5ut on record. Anthony "Wood says, several 

 of Davies's MSS. were formerly in the library of 

 Sir James Ware of Ireland, and since that in the 

 possession of Edward, Earl of Clarendon. The 

 most interesting of these JISS. were a Collection 

 of Epigrams, and a Metaphrase of David's Psalms. 

 The Ilarleian MSS., Nos. 1.378. and 42(31., con- 

 tain two law treatises of this learned writer, and 

 in Thorpe's Catalogue for 1823, I find A Treatise 

 of Tenures touchinge hi.t Majesties Prerogative 

 Boyal, by John Davies, folio, MS. 



Granger does not record any engraved por- 

 trait of this writer, and all my enquiries have 

 failed in discovering one. In Mr. Soame Je- 

 nyn's Hall, at Botesham, in Cambridgeshire (in 

 1770), was a full-length portrait of an elderly 

 gentleman in a gown, with a book in one hand, on 

 which is written " Nosce Teipsum." If this is a 

 genuine portrait of Sir John Davies, it ought to 

 be engraved to accompany a new edition of his 

 poetical works ; a publication which the lovers of 

 our old poetry v^ould deem an acceptable offering. 



Edward F. Himbault. 



A KOTE ON QUEEN ANNE S FARTHINGS. 



The idea Ihat a Qiiecn Anne's farthing is a coin of 

 the greatest I'arity, originated perhaps in Ihe fact that 

 there are several pattern pieces e.\.ecute 1 by Croker, 

 which are much valued by collectors, and which con- 

 sc((nently bring higher prices. One type only was in 

 circulation, and this ap])cars to have been very 

 limited, fi)r it is somewhat scarce, though a speci- 

 men m.ay easily be procu red of any dealer n coins 

 for a t(.'W sliillings. This bears tbe bust of the 



