The author outs himself: he used pseudonyms and nameless names.
Their shame should shine on him, beeing a No-body: A blueprint for Marlowe:
Poem "Of the booke" in the "passages before the book" by John Davies in "The scourge of Folly"(1611?)
"The Scourge of Folly"(1611?) of John Davies (Hereford) contains many Poems, Sonetts, Epigrams dealing with personalities (>150!) of the "High society" of the Elisabethan/Jacobean Era.-
Interestingly in the introductory "Passages of the Book" the author introduces (s. Faksimile above)
his "publishing philosphy" allegorically:
a) he uses pseudonyms as nameless names [nameless SOED-1591= anonymous, unknown, 1593 = bearing no legitimate name]
b) their shame ["SOED loss of reputation "his work] should shine on him, beeing a No-body
c) as a No-body, he lives incognito, an invisible anonymous person (see Blog 297)
d) he claims responsability for using pseudonyms ("beares the blame")
Some related questions:
1)The author also dedicates a sonett to his namesake (To my right Worthily-beloved Sir John Davies Knight, Atturney generall of ireland) saying: Your nature so affects my Name that both your Name and Nature are mine owne: and in their love to both, affect your fame; yet having not like fortunes, live unknowne;- What all of this mean?
2) Why Davies was so heavily informed and connected with the Elisabethan-Jacobean "High Society", but Shakespeare in no way whatsoever?
3) Isn' t it too much of a coincidence, that at the same time 2 different high profile poets with the same name John Davies (->Sir J.D. and J.D.of Hereford ->1 , ->2) wrote at the same time as Shakespeare? (s. Blog 297)
There are significant arguments that both John Davies (Sir J.D. and J.D. of Hereford) belonged to the multiplicity of pseudonyms (similar to Shake-speare) of the poet-genius Marlowe! ( As implausible and absurd as it may sound without a background knowledge !)
