Francis Davison

Francis Davison (?1575-1621) was an English poet and anthologist.

Life
Davision was the son of William Davison, who served as secretary of state to Queen Elizabeth I of England. In 1586 he entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge; in 1593 he went to Gray's Inn, where he contributed to the Mask of Proteus at Gray's Inn.

From 1595 to 1597 he travelled abroad. While abroad he wrote a prose work, The Relation of Saxony (which was highly praised by Anthony Bacon), and also began writing poetry.

In 1602 Davison and his brother Walter published their poetry anthology, A Poetical Rhapsody, containing work by the brothers and by the Sir John Davies, Philip Sidney, Thomas Campion, and the Countess of Pembroke, among others. . The book contains roughly 80 of Francis Davison's own poems.

Edited

 * A poetical rhapsody. 1602.
 * Poetical rhapsody (edited by Egerton Brydges). (3 volumes), 1814-17.
 * Poetical rhapsody (edited by Nicholas Harris Nicholas). 1826.

Translated

 * Psalms translated by Francis and Christopher Davison. 1826.

Bibliographical information courtesy University of Virgina Tech. .