Regarded by many as "a lively witness" to one of the richest periods in English literature, John Davies of Hereford deserves attention primarily for what his poetry reveals about his literary contemporaries--including William Shakespeare, John Donne, and Ben Jonson--and about daily life in England. Although Davies's poetry has not brought him into the ranks of distinguished poets, at times his verse compares with the best. He excelled as a penman and writing master, a profession that brought him into contact with some of England's most distinguished literary and aristocratic figures.

Of Welsh descent, Davies was born in the city of Hereford about 1565 and adopted the designation "of Hereford" to distinguish himself from other eminent figures who shared his name, most notably the writer Sir John Davies. In Microcosmos (1603) Davies requests "the Cittie of Hereford" to grant him permission to use her name, "That one, with other, may keepe...