"There do reign likewise thereabouts another sort of dangerous people, under the name of poor soldiers, that say they were maimed, and lost their limbs in his honor's service and wars against the Amazons; and they pretend to have passports from their captains. Some of them say, they have served under Sir Robert Kemp and Sir Robert Cooke; others under William Knaplocks, Lord Marshal, Sir Francis Marham, Captain Crymes, Captain Conny, Yelverton, Hugan, Sir Francis Davison, and some other of good place."

To what extent he prosecuted his legal studies is uncertain; but as we are without any evidence of his professional acquirements, it may be inferred that the smiles of Poetry entirely seduced him from severer but more useful pursuits. In May 1595, Davison was sent by his father, agreeably to the custom among the higher classes of society at the period, to travel in different parts of Europe. Of this part of his life we have very minute and curious information; and the following letters from his tutor and himself to his father must be read with considerable interest, from the picture they present of the times, as well as the traits they exhibit of the young poet's character and attainments. The usual licence from the Queen allowing them to go abroad, has been preserved; and the subjoined literal copy was taken from the original.

ELIZABETH R.

Elizabeth, by the grace of God Queene of England, France, and Irlande, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all and singular

Printed in this work. The Sonnet which accompanied a copy of this Speech to his First Love, will be found in p. 110.

our Justices of Peace, Mayors, Sheriffes, Bailliffes, Constables, Comptrollers, and Searchers, and to all other our Officers, Ministers, and Subjects, to whom it may apperteine, and to everie of them greeting. Whereas of our especial grace we have licensed, and by this presents do license our trustie and welbeloved subiecte Frauncis Davison of Graisinn, in the Countie of Midd', gentleman, and Edward Smythe, Mr of Arts, to passe out of this realme. Wherefore we will and comande you and everie of you to suffer them quietlie to passeby you out of this our Realme, with one servant, two horses, and fifty poundes in money or under, with their baggs, bagguages, and other necessaries, without any your lett, troble, or contradiction, as ye tender our pleasure. And this our Let'res, or the duplicate of them, shalbe as well unto you as unto the said Frauncis Davison and Edward Smythe, sufficiente warrant and discharge in this behalfe. Provided allwaies, that the said Frauncis Davison and Edward Smythe do not haunte or resorte unto the territories or dominions of any foreine prince or potentate not being with us in league or amitie, nor yet wittinglie kepe companie with any parson or parsons evell affected to of State, or with any other that is departed out of this our Realme without our license, or that contrarie to or license doth yet remayne on the other side the Seas. Provided also, that notwithstanding any thing in this our license conteyned, whensoever it shall seme good unto us to call the said Frauncis Davison and Edwarde Smythe home againe before the end of the tearme before expressed, and shall signifie the same unto them either by our owne l'res or by the l'res of any fower of our privie Counsell, or by meanes of any of our Ambassadors, that then it shall not be lawful for them to abide on the other side the seas any longer time then the distance of their aboade shall require, and or lawes do permitt, and that without fraude or covin. And if they do not (without urgent and verie necessarie cause to the contrarie) retourne in maner abovesaid, then we will this our License furthwith to be taken void and of non effect from the beginninge, and to be

enterpreted and judged to all purposes and entents as though no such license had been geven, and they departed without license. Geven under our Signett at our Manor of Grenwich, the xxvijth daie of Maie, in the xxxviith yeere of our reigne, 1595.*

The earliest of the letters alluded to is from Mr. Smyth,+ Davison's tutor, dated from Venice, in the January after their departure. From this communication we learn the amount which Secretary Davison had allowed for their expenses; its insufficiency for their wants; the means which Smyth had employed to make it extend as far as possible; and, from the postscript, proof of his pupil's high spirit, and his fear lest it should involve him in a quarrel.

To the Right Honorable Mr. Secretary Davison, at his House at Stepney, give these.

"I HAVE SO often and so directly written unto your honor heretofore, concerning our necessary expences in our travelling through Germany, and the excessive rate that we are enforced to endure since our coming into Italy, by reason of our continual residing in Venice, that I might very well have spared to have been troublesome in these, had I not perceived that your proportion of £100 yearly for our expences is so absolutely resolved upon (as I gather both by your letters to Mr. Francis and to myself), that howsoever our excess has been born withal heretofore, yet hereafter we may not look for a larger allowance,

Harl. MSS. 38, f. 188.

+ Query if it was not this individual who was of Brasen Nose College, Oxford, and took the degree of B. D. 5th July, 1566: An Edward Smith, and most likely the same person, translated A Discourse touching the Tranquillity and Contentation of the Mind. London, 1592.

because you know that such a sum may very well suffice. Although it becometh not me to make any question of that which your honor does at any time so expressly affirm, yet both because I assuredly know that in this point you ground upon other men's report, and for that it hath pleased your honor to command me to advertise you faithfully how this proportion will agree with the time and place wherein we live, I trust it may stand with your accustomed favour to pardon me, though I be bold to be of a far different opinion, and, for some proof, allege my own experience. I have hitherto gone to the market, and, as frugally as I could, made our provision of all our necessaries; and albeit we have not at any time more than one dish, and that not very costly neither, yet, with the rent for our chamber, our weekly expences amount very near to 40s. beside apparel, books, and many other trifling charges which I see cannot be avoided, especially so long as we are in these parts, where, in truth, such are not fit to remain as cannot eat oil, roots, salads, cheese, and such like cheap dishes, which, forsooth, Mr. Francis can in no wise digest, and any good thing else whatsoever is at a very great rate; we are necessarily compelled to spend the more, and yet not so much as other gentlemen of our nation in this town do make show of; for the most part of them have told me of a greater expence by many degrees. But I allege not other men's examples for argument to persuade your honor to allow us any farthing for the nourishing of any prodigal humours; neither would I wish that you should be deceived any longer in Mr. Wo:* and some others, who report they have lived in these parts for a hundred marks by the year; for Mr. Granger and some other merchants can prove the contrary by their wofull experience, to whom so many hundred crowns are due by these and such like frugal travellers. But seeing we cannot hope for any such favour whilst we are abroad, I beseech you, Sir, either to make account of spending £200 yearly, or very near, or else

* Query-Mr. Wotton.

to call me home, who have endured that to deserve well of your honor, to pleasure Mr. Francis, and to spare your purse, that I would not be hired unto for any money. And yet, to my grief, I fear a hard censure, considering you shall find yourself charged so far beyond your expectation. But I desire you, Sir, to spare to think otherwise than well of me until I return, and then, if I be not able to justify myself, let me be blamed. I would have removed to Padua long since, if the expectation of money from Stoad, which we as yet hear not of, and the scattering receiving of Mr. Hickmans ducats, which we took up by twenty and by forty at a time, had not necessarily tied us to remain in this place, where, in truth, we have already spent much to small purpose, and so long as we stay here, we may account our time in a manner lost. And I fear, that wheresoever we live in Italy, neither your nor our own expectation will be satisfied; but as touching this point, if it may please your honor to confer with my honorable Lord Willoughby* at his coming home, to whom Mr. Francis is much bound for his many kindnesses, though Doctor Hawkins,† who liveth here almost in contempt of all gentlemen by reason of his pride and other follies, hath played him an unkind part, by seeking his discredit by impertinent speeches, and far unbeseeming an Ambassador, as, God knoweth, he would fain be accounted. I doubt not but your honor will judge otherwise of this country than peradventure you have done heretofore, and cause us to retire where we have better means to serve God, to gain knowledge, and to spare your purse. Howsoever, I beseech your honor to let me understand in your next what your resolution is touching these expences, that I may, by your direction, accordingly dispose of

• Peregrine Bertie, Lord Willoughby of Eresby.

+ Dr. Henry Hawkins. He was a civilian, and the nephew of Christopher Yelverton, the Speaker of the House of Commons in 1597, and was then employed by the Earl of Essex to collect and transmit intelligence from Italy. Numerous letters from Hawkins are referred to in Birch's Memoirs of Queen Elizabeth.