John Lyly (Lilly or Lylie) (c.

1553 – 1606) was an English writer and playwright, best known for
his prose romance Euphues and his comedic play Endimion. Lyly died a poor and bitter man,
neglected by Queen Elizabeth and almost forgotten by most of his peers; his reputation has
sadly not fared much better since his death, even though he is without question one of the
most important contributors to English drama. Lyly was one of the earliest playwrights of the
Elizabethan period, and his innovative contributions to English prose and theater are believed
by many scholars to have been the inspiration for a generation of younger playwrights, among
them Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Kyd, and William Shakespeare, who are now remembered
as some of the most important writers in the English language.
Lyly's contribution to English literary history is twofold. First and foremost, his Euphues—which
was one of the most popular literary works ever published in English at that time, and propelled
Lyly to instant fame—had an enormous influence on the style of English prose. Lyly's prose was
intricate, and explicitly modeled after the prose of classical and Renaissance European masters;
the result was that English prose, perhaps for the first time, was recognized as having literary
merit equal to that of verse. After Euphues, however, Lyly focused his attention on the theater,
and his play Endimion is now believed to have revolutionized the English theater; Lyly was the
first playwright to write dialog in prose, and Endimion's complex and powerful language,
combined with its elegantly simple plot, would become a model for dozens of Elizabethan plays.
Lyly has been overshadowed by his successors, but his crucial role in the development of
English drama and prose cannot be denied.
Christopher Marlowe, Robert Greene, and Thomas Nashe from Cambridge, and John Lyly,
Thomas Lodge, and George Peele. The term "University Wits" was not used in their lifetime, but
was coined by George Saintsbury.

One of the University wits (used by Saintsbury in 19th century) – published Euphues: The
Anatomy of Wit in 1578 – new writing style – lot of similes, alliterations, puns and Greek
and Roman mythologies along with nature – gained fame in Elizabethan court.
Second novel – Euphues and his England published in 1580 – Both novels were prose
romance, Romantic intrigue – with general discussions on religion, society, love and
humanity and epistolary style – the story is about Euphues – an intelligent and witty
student.
Later, Lyly turned toward plays – mostly performed by Children of Paul’s (a Children’s
company) favoured by Queen Elizabeth – finest is Endymion (some critics say his
masterpiece) – a romantic comedy written in Euphuism style.
Only comedy – only contemporary of Shakespeare who never wrote a tragedy - Lyly’s
popularity waned with the rise of Thomas Kyd, Christopher Marlowe, and William
Shakespeare.
Euphues is – a romantic intrigue – told in letters – interspersed with general discussions on
such topics as religion, love, and epistolary style.

Lyly adopted the name from Roger Ascham's The Scholemaster, which describes Euphues as a
type of student who is "apte by goodnes of witte, and appliable by readines of will, to learning,
hauving all other qualities of the mind and partes of the bodie, that must an other day serue
learning, not trobled, mangled, and halfed, but sounde, whole, full & hable to do their office".

JOH N LYLY 1554-1606

John Lyly was the grandson of William Lily, the author of the standard Latin grammar that every
English schoolboy studied. After receiving the M.A. degree at Oxford, Lyly went to London,
where his prose romance Euphues (1578) was an instant success. Subsequently, he wrote
several elegant, sophisticated plays acted at court by the children's companies, and served
several terms as a member of Parliament, though his hopes of obtaining a lucrative court
appointment, such as Master of the Revels, were disappointed. The title Euphues, taken from
the name of that book's hero, is Greek for "of good natural parts, graceful, witty"; the subtitle,
Anatomy of Wit, means something like "analysis of the mental faculties." The plot of the work
involves a young man who leaves university for the carnal temptations of the city, falls in love,
betrays his best friend, is in turn betrayed, repents, and thereafter ladles out great quantities of
moral wisdom. But the story of the repentant prodigal is distinctly secondary to the prose style
which has come to be known as Euphuism. It has two features: an elaborately patterned
sentence structure based on comparison and antithesis, and a wealth of ornament including
proverbs, incidents from history and poetry, and fanciful similes drawn from contemporary
science, classical texts, or the author's own imagination. Euphuism became a rage for a while,
especially at court, though it was criticized by Sidney, parodied by Shakespeare, and mocked by
Nashe and Jonson. The style may have been particularly popular among court women; the
publisher of Lyly's Six Court Comedies in 1632 informed his readers that "All our ladies were
then his [Euphues's or Lyly's] scholars, and the beauty in court who could not parley Euphuism
was as little regarded as she which now there speaks not French." Although it did not last, this
highly self-conscious, overwrought style is an example of the Elizabethans' fascination with
ornate language and artifice.
From Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit [EUPHUE S INTRODUCED]
There dwelt in Athens a young gentleman of great patrimony, and of so comely a personage,
that it was doubted1 whether he were more bound to Nature for the lineaments of his person,
or to Fortune for the increase of his possessions. But Nature impatient of comparisons, and as it
were disdaining a companion or copartner in her working, added to this comeliness of his body
such a sharp capacity of mind, that not only she proved Fortune counterfeit, but was half of
that opinion that she herself was only current2. This young gallant, of more wit 3 than wealth,
and yet of more wealth than wisdom, seeing himself inferior to none in pleasant conceits4,
thought himself superior to all in honest conditions, insomuch that he deemed himself so apt to
all things, that he gave himself almost to nothing, but practicing of those things commonly
which are incident to these sharp wits, fine phrases, smooth quipping, merry taunting, using
jesting without mean,5 and abusing mirth without measure. As therefore the sweetest rose
hath his prickle, the finest velvet his brack,6 the fairest flower his bran,7 so the sharpest wit
hath his wanton will, and the holiest head his wicked way. And true it is that some men write
and most men believe, that in all perfect shapes, a blemish bringeth rather a liking every way to
the eyes, than a loathing any way to the mind. Venus had her mole in her cheek which made
her more amiable: Helen8 her scar on her chin which Paris called cos amoris, the whetstone of
love. Aristippus (Socrates’ disciple) his wart, Lycurgus (Spartan lawmaker) his wen (cyst-fat
lump on skin): So likewise in the disposition of the mind, either virtue is overshadowed with
some vice, or vice overcast with some virtue. Alexander valiant in war, yet given to wine. Tully
eloquent in his glozes (flattery talk), yet vainglorious: Solomon wise, yet too too wanton: David
holy but yet an homicide:1 none more witty than Euphues, yet at the first none more wicked.
The freshest colors soonest fade, the teenest2 razor soonest turneth his edge, the finest cloth is
soonest eaten with moths, and the cambric sooner stained than the coarse canvas: which
appeared well in this Euphues, whose wit being like wax apt to receive any impression, and
having the bridle in his own hands, either to use the rein or the spur, disdaining counsel, leaving
his country, loathing his old acquaintance, thought either by wit to obtain some conquest, or by
shame to abide some conflict, and leaving the rule of reason, rashly ran unto destruction. Who
preferring fancy before friends, and his present humor3 before honor to come, laid reason in
water being too salt for his taste, and followed unbridled affection, most pleasant for his
tooth.4(taste, affection) When parents have more care how to leave their children wealthy than
wise, and are more desirous to have them maintain the name than the nature of a gentleman;
when they put gold into the hands of youth, where they should put a rod under their girdle,5
(belt- whipping) when instead of awe they make them past grace, and leave them rich
executors of goods, and poor executors of godliness, then is it no marvel that the son, being left
rich by his father's will, become retchless by his own will.6 It hath been an old-said saw,7 and
not of less truth than antiquity, that wit is the better if it be the dearer bought: as in the sequel
of this history shall most manifestly appear. It happened this young imp8 to arrive at Naples (a
place of more pleasure than profit, and yet of more profit than piety), the very walls and
windows whereof shewed it rather to be the Tabernacle of Venus than the Temple of Vesta.9
There was all things necessary and in readiness that might either allure the mind to lust or
entice the heart to folly, a court more meet1 for an atheist than for one of Athens, for Ovid
than for Aristotle, for a graceless lover than for a godly liver: more fitter for Paris than Hector,
and meeter for Flora than Diana.2 Here my youth (whether for weariness he could not, or for
wantonness ould not, go any further) determined to make his abode: whereby it is evidently
seen that the fleetest fish swalloweth the delicatest bait, that the highest soaring hawk
traineth3 to the lure, and that the wittiest sconce4 is inveigled with the sudden view of alluring
vanities. Here he wanted5 no companions which courted him continually with sundry kinds of
devices, whereby they might either soak his purse to reap commodity, or soothe his person to
win credit, for he had guests and companions of all sorts. There frequented to this lodging and
mansion house as well the spider to suck poison of his fine wit as the bee to gather honey, as
well the drone as the dove, the fox as the lamb, as well Damocles6 to betray him as Damon7 to
be true to him: yet he behaved himself so warily, that he singled his game8 wisely. He could
easily discern Apollo's music from Pan his pipe,9 and Venus's beauty from Juno's bravery,1 and
the faith of Laelius2 from the flattery of Aristippus, he welcomed all but trusted none, he was
merry but yet so wary that neither the flatterer could take advantage to entrap him in his talk
nor the wisest any assurance of his friendship: who being demanded of3 one what countryman
he was, he answered, "What countryman am I not? If I be in Crete, I can lie, if in Greece I can
shift, if in Italy I can court it:4 if thou ask whose son I am also, I ask thee whose son I am not. I
can carouse with Alexander, abstain with Romulus, eat with the Epicure, fast with the Stoic,
sleep with Endymion, watch with Chrysippus,"5 using these speeches and other like. An old
gentleman in Naples seeing his pregnant wit,6 his eloquent tongue somewhat taunting, yet
with delight, his mirth without measure yet not without wit, his sayings vainglorious yet pithy,
began to bewail his nurture and to muse at his nature, being incensed against the one as most
pernicious, and enflamed with the other as most precious: for he well knew that so rare a wit
would in time either breed an intolerable trouble or bring an incomparable treasure to the
common weal:7 at the one he greatly pitied, at the other he rejoiced.
1. Doubtful, uncertain. 2. Genuine, 3. Intellect, 4. Witty expressions. 5. Moderation
6. Break, flaw. 7. Husk. 8. The Greek queen whom Paris abducted to Troy: the most beautiful
woman in the world.
Aristippus was a disciple of Socrates and traditionally the founder of the Cyrenaic school of
philosophy, which taught that life's goal is pleasure.
9. Lycurgus was a Spartan lawmaker.
1. The biblical King David loved Bathsheba and had her husband, Uriah, killed so he could marry
her. Alexander the Great killed his friend Clitus in a drunken brawl. Tully (Marcus Tullius Cicero)
was the great Roman orator, famous for his "glozes" (flattering speeches). Solomon, David's
son, was famous both for his wisdom and for his many wives.
2. Keenest. 3. Whimsy. 4. Taste. "Affection": passion. 5. I.e., whip them. ("Girdle": belt.)
6. Appetite, the opposite of reason. "Retchless": reckless. 7. Saying, proverb.
8. Novice. "Sequel of this history": rest of this story.
9. Symbolizing chastity, in contrast to Venus.
1. Fitting.
2. Diana was the goddess of chastity. Ovid was
famous for his love poems, Aristotle for his pro-
found philosophical works. Paris was the lover of
Helen, in contrast to his brother Hector, a great
Trojan soldier. Flora was a fertility goddess whose
annual celebrations were noted for lasciviousness.