A word shall quickly slay him.

God's word, for all their craft and force, One moment will not linger;

But, spite of hell, shall have its course

"Tis written by his finger.

And though they take our life,

Goods, honor, children, wife,

Yet is their profit small:

These things shall vanish all

The City of God remaineth.

7363

JOHN LYLY.

JOHN LYLY, an English dramatist, born 1554; died in London, 1606. Between 1578 and 1600 he composed several plays, chiefly mythological, which were acted by the boys of St. Paul's School in presence of Queen Elizabeth. But he is noteworthy principally on account of his two books, "Euphues, or the Anatomy of Wit" (1579), and "Euphues and His England" (1580), which were the first serious attempts in English to use words as mere musical notes, quite subordinating the matter to the sound. Fantastic as the form was, the recognition of new possibilities in the language intoxicated the cultured classes, and set the literary fashion for many years: story-writers who wished to assure themselves an audience entitled their books "Euphues his influence is clear and strong on Sidney and Spenser.

EUPHUES TO PHILAUTUS.

(From "Euphues and his England.")

," and the

THERE could nothing have come out of England to Euphues more welcome than thy letters, unless it had been thy person, which when I had thoroughly perused, I could not at the first, either believe them for the strangeness, or at the last for the happiness: for upon the sudden to hear such alterations of Surius, passed all credit, and to understand so fortunate success to Philautus, all expectation: yet considering that many things fall between the cup and the lip, that in one lucky hour more rare things come to pass, than sometimes in seven years, that marriages are made in heaven, though consummated in earth, I was brought both to believe the events, and to allow them. Touching Surius and Camilla, there is no doubt but that they both will live well in marriage, who loved so well before their matching, and in my mind he dealt both wisely and honorably, to prefer virtue before vainglory, and the goodly ornaments of nature [virtue], before the rich armor of nobility; for this must we all think, (how well soever we think of ourselves) that virtue is most noble, by the which men become first

noble. As for thine own estate, I will be bold to counsel thee, knowing it never to be more necessary to use advice than in marriage. Solon gave counsel that before one assured himself he should be so wary, that in tying himself fast, he did not undo himself, wishing them first to eat a Quince pear, that is, to have a sweet conference without brawls; then salt, to be wise without boasting.

In Boetia they covered the bride with Asparagonia, the nature of the which plant is, to bring sweet fruit out of a sharp thorn, whereby they noted, that although the virgin were somewhat shrewish at the first, yet in time she might become a sheep. Therefore Philautus, if thy Violet seem in the first month either to chide or chafe, thou must hear without reply, and endure it with patience, for they that cannot suffer the wranglings of young married women, are not unlike unto those, that tasting the grape to be sour before it be ripe, leave to gather it when it is ripe, resembling them, that being stung with the Bee, forsake the Honey.

Thou must use sweet words, not bitter checks, and though haply thou wilt say that wands are to be wrought when they are green, least they rather break than bend when they be dry, yet know also that he that bendeth a twig, because he would see if it would bow by strength, may chance to have a crooked tree, when he would have a straight.

It is prettily noted of a contention between the Wind and the Sun, who should have the victory. A Gentleman walking abroad, the Wind thought to blow off his cloak, which with great blasts and blusterings striving to unloose it, made it to stick faster to his back, for the more the wind increased the closer his cloak clapt to his body, then the Sun, shining with his hot beams, began to warm this gentleman, who waxing somewhat faint in this faire weather, did not only put off his cloak but his coat, which the Wind perceiving, yielded the conquest to the Sun.

In the very like manner fareth it with young wives, for if their husbands with great threatenings, with jars, with brawls, seek to make them tractable, or bend their knees, the more stiff they make them in the joints, the oftener they go about by force to rule them, the more froward they find them, but using mild words, gentle persuasions, familiar counsel, entreaty, submission, they shall not only make them to bow their knees, but to hold up their hands, not only cause them to honor them, but to stand

in awe of them: for their stomachs are all framed of Diamond, which is not to be bruised with a hammer but blood, not by force, but flattery, resembling the Cock, who is not to be feared by a Serpent, but a glead. They that fear their Vines will make too sharp wine, must not cut the arms, but graft next to them Mandrake, which causeth the grape to be more pleasant. They that fear to have curst wives, must not with rigor seek [seem] to calm [reclaime] them, but saying gentle words in every place by them, which maketh them more quiet.

Instruments sound sweetest when they be touched softest, women wax wisest, when they are used mildest. The horse striveth when he is hardly reined, but having the bridle never stirreth; women are stark mad if they be ruled by might, but with a gentle rein they will bear a white mouth. Gall was cast out from the sacrifice of Juno, which betokened that the marriage-bed should be without bitterness. Thou must be a glass to thy wife; for in thy face must she see her own, for if when thou laugh she weep, when thou mourn she giggle, the one is a manifest sign she delighteth in others, the other a token she despiseth thee. Be in thy behavior modest, temperate, sober, for as thou framest thy manners, so will thy wife fit hers. Kings that be wrestlers cause their subjects to exercise that feat. Princes that are Musicians incite their people to use Instruments, husbands that are chaste and godly, cause also their wives to imitate their goodness.

For thy great dowry that ought to be in thine own hands, Ior as we call that wine, wherein there is more than half water, so do we term that, the goods of the husband which his wife bringeth, though it be all.

Helen gaped for [his] goods, Paris for pleasure. Ulysses was content with chaste Penelope, so let it be with thee, that whatsoever others marry for, be thou always satisfied with virtue, otherwise may I use that speech to thee that Olympias did to a young Gentleman who only took a wife for beauty, saying: this Gentleman hath only married his eyes, but by that time he have [hath] also wedded his ears, he will confess that a fair shoe wrings, though it be smooth in the wearing.

Lycurgus made a law that there should be no dowry given with Maidens, to the end that the virtuous might be married, who commonly have little, not the amorous who oftentimes have too much.

Behave thyself modestly with thy wife before company, remembering the severity of Cato, who removed Manlius from the Senate, for that he was seen to kiss his wife in presence of his daughter: old men are seldom merry before children, lest their laughter might breed in them looseness, husbands should scarce jest before their wives, lest want of modesty on their parts be cause of wantonness on their wives' part. Imitate the Kings of Persia, who when they were given to riot, kept no company with their wives, but when they used good order, had their Queens ever at their [the] table. Give no example of lightness, for look what thou practicest most, that will thy wife follow most, though it becometh her least. And yet would I not have thy wife so curious to please thee, that fearing lest her husband should think she painted her face, she should not therefore wash it, only let her refrain from such things as she knoweth cannot well like thee. He that cometh before an Elephant will not wear bright colors, nor he that cometh to a Bull, red, nor he that standeth by a Tiger, play on a Taber: for that by the sight or noise of these things, they are commonly much incensed. In the like manner, there is no wife if she be honest, that will practice those things, that to her mate shall seem displeasant, or move him to choler.

Be thrifty and wary in thy expenses, for in old time, they were as soon condemned by law that spent their wives' dowry prodigally, as they that divorced them wrongfully.

Fly that vice which is peculiar to all those of thy country, Ieloufie [jealousy]: for if thou suspect without cause, it is the next way to have cause; women are to be ruled by their own wits, for be they chaste, no gold can win them, if immodest no grief can amend them, so that all mistrust is either needless or bootless.

Be not too imperious over her, that will make her to hate thee, nor too submissive [demisse], that will cause her to disdain thee; let her neither be thy slave, nor thy sovereign, for if she lie under thy foot she will never love thee, if climb above thy head never care for thee: the one will breed thy shame to love her too little, the other thy grief to suffer too much.

In governing thy household, use thine own eye, and her hand, for housewifery consisteth as much in seeing things as settling things, and yet in that go not above thy latchet, for Cooks are not to be taught in the Kitchen, nor Painters in their shops, nor Housewives in their houses. Let all the keys hang