at Parston
in Hertfordshire, and an account was published of her strange and
wonderful prophecies in 1609. In 1626 Sir John was appointed lord
chief justice of the King's-bench, but before the ceremony of his
installation could be performed he died suddenly of an apoplexy in the
fifty-seventh year of his age, and was buried in the church of St.
Martin's in the Fields. He enjoyed the joint applauses of Camden, Ben
Johnson, Sir John Harrington, Selden, Donne, and Corbet; these are
great authorities in our author's favour, and I may fairly assert that
no philosophical writers ever explained their ideas more clearly and
familiarly in prose, or more harmoniously and beautifully in verse.
There is a peculiar happiness in his similies being introduced more to
illustrate than adorn, which renders them as useful as entertaining,
and distinguishes them from any other author.

In quality of a lawyer Sir John produced the following pieces:

1. A discovery of the true causes why Ireland was never entirely
subdued until his Majesty's happy reign; printed in 4to. London 1612,
dedicated to the King with this Latin verse only.

Principis est virtus maxima nosse suos.

2. A declaration of our sovereign lord the King, concerning the title
of his Majesty's son Charles, the prince and duke of Cornwall; London
1614.

His principal performance as a poet, is a Poem on the Original,
Nature, and Immortality of the Soul, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth. It
was republished by Nahum Tate, 1714, addressed to the Earl of Dorset
and Middlesex, who was a great admirer of our poet, and the editor
gives it a very just and advantageous character. Without doubt it is
the Nosce Teipsum so much admired by King James, printed 1519, and
1622, mentioned by Wood; to which were added by the same hand:

Hymns of Astrea in acrostic verse; and Orchestra, or a poem expressing
the antiquity and excellency of dancing, in a dialogue between
Penelope and one of her Woers, containing 131 stanzas unfinished. Mr.
Wood mentions also epigrams, and a translation of several of King
David's Psalms, written by Sir John Davies, but never published.

NOSCE TEIPSUM.

Why did my parents send me to the schools,
That I, with knowledge might enrich my mind,
Since the desire to know first made men fools
And did corrupt the root of all mankind.

For when God's hand, had written in the hearts,
Of our first parents all the rules of good,
So that their skill infus'd