Euphues and his England Containing his voyage and his aduentures, myxed with sundrie pretie discourses of honest loue, the discription of the countrey, the court, and the manners of that isle. Delightful to be read, and nothing hurtfull to be regarded: wherein there is small offence by lightnesse giuen to the wise, and lesse occasion of looseness proffered to the wanton. By Iohn Lyly, Maister of Arte. Commend it, or amend it.

❧ To the Right Honourable my verie good Lorde and Maister, Edwarde de Vere, Earle of Oxenforde, Vicount Bulbecke, Lorde of Escales and Badlesmere, and Lorde great Chamberlaine of England, Iohn Lyly wisheth long lyfe, vvith en∣crease of honour.

THe first picture that Phidias the first Painter shadowed, was the protrai∣ture of his owne person, saying thus: if it be well, I will paynt many besids Phydias, if ill, it shall offende none but Phydias.

In the like manner fareth it with me (Right Honou∣rable) who neuer before handling the pensill, did for my first counterfaite, coulour mine owne Euphues, being of this minde, that if it were liked, I woulde drawe more besides Euphues, if loathed, grieue none but Eu∣phues.

Since that, some there haue bene that either dissem∣bling the faults they sawe, for feare to discourage me, or not examining them, for the loue they bore mee, that praised mine olde worke, and vrged me to make a new, whose words I thus aunswered. If I should coine a worse, it woulde be thought that the former was framed by chaunce, as Protogenes did the fome of his dogge, if a better, for flatterie, as Narsissus did, who only was in loue, with his owne face, if none at al, as froward as the Musiti∣on, who being entreated, will scarce sing sol fa, but not desired, straine aboue Ela.

But their importunitie admitted no excuse, in so∣much that I was enforced to preferre their friendshippe before mine owne fame, being more carefull to satisfie their requests, then fearefull of others reportes: so that

at the last I was content to set another face to Euphues, but yet iust behind the other, like the Image of lanus, not rūning together, like the Hopplitides of Parrhasius least they shoulde seeme so vnlike Brothers, that they might be both thought bastardes, the picture where∣of I yeld as common for all to view, but the patronage onely to your Lordshippe, as able to defend, knowing that the face of Alexander stamped in Copper doth make it currant, that the name of Caesar, wrought in Canuas, is esteemed as Cambricke, that the verye fea∣ther of an Eagle, is of force to consume the Beetle.

I haue brought into the worlde two children, of the first I was deliuered, before my friendes thought mee conceiued, of the seconde I went a whole yeare big, and yet when euery one thought mee ready to lye downe, I did then quicken: But good huswiues shall make my excuse, who knowe that Hens doe not laye egges when they clucke, but when they cackle, nor men set forth bookes when they promise, but when they performe. And in this I resemble the Lappwing, who fearing hir young ones to be destroyed by passengers, flyeth with a false crye farre from their nestes, making those that looke for them seeke where they are not: So I sus∣pecting that Euphues woulde be carped of some curi∣ous Reader, thought by some false shewe to bringe them in hope of that which then I meant not, leading them with a longing of a seconde part, that they might speake well of the first, being neuer farther from my studie, then when they thought mee houering ouer it.

My first burthen comming before his time, must needs be a blind whelp, the second brought forth after his time must needes bee a monster▪ the one I sent to a noble man to nurse, who with greate loue brought him vp, for a yeare: so that where-soeuer hoe wander, he hath

his Nurses name in his forhead, wher sucking his first milke, he cannot forget his first Master.

The other (right Honourable) being but yet in his swathe cloutes, I commit most humbly to your Lord∣ships protection, that in his infancie he may be kepte by your good care from fals, and in his youth by your great countenaunce shielded from blowes, and in his age by your gratious continuaunce, defended from cō∣tempt. He is my youngest and my last, and the paine that I sustained for him in trauell, hath made me past teeming, yet doe I thinke my selfe very fertile, in that I was not altogether barren. Glad I was to send them both abroad, least making a wanton of my first, with a blinde conceipt, I should resemble the Ape, and kil it by cullyng it, and not able to rule the second, I shold with the Viper, loose my bloud, with mine own brood. Twinnes they are not, but yet brothers, the one nothing resembling the other, and yet (as all children are▪now a dayes) both lyke the father. Wherin I am not vnlike vnto the vnskilfull Painter, who hauing drawen the Twinnes of Hippocrates, (who wer as like as one pease is to an other) & being told of his friends that they wer no more lyke than Saturne and Appollo, he had no other shift to manifest what his worke was, then ouer their heads to write: The Twinnes of Hippocrates. So may it be, that had I not named Euphues, fewe would haue thought it had ben Euphues, not that in goodnes the one so farre excelleth the other, but that both be∣ing so bad, it is hard to iudge which is the worst.

This vnskilfulnesse is no wayes to be couered, but as Accius did his shortnesse, who being a lyttle Poet, framed for himself a great picture, & I being a naugh∣tie Painter haue gotten a most noble Patron: being of Vlysses minde, who thought himselfe safe vnder the Shield of Aiax.

I haue now finished both my labours, the one being hatched in the hard winter with the Al••yon, the other not daring to bud til the colde were past, like the Mul∣bery, in either of the which or in both, if I seeme to gleane after an others Cart, for a few eares of corne, or of the Taylors shreds to make me a lyuery, I will not deny, but that I am one of those Poets, which the pain∣ters faine to come vnto Homers bason, there to lap vp, that he doth cast vp.

In that I haue written, I desire no praise of others but patience, altogether vnwillyng, bicause euery way vnworthy to be accompted a workeman.

It sufficeth me to be a water bough no bud, so I may be of the same roote: to be the yron, not steele, so I be in the same blade: to be vineger not wine, so I be in the same caske: to grinde coulours for Appelles, though I cannot garnish, so I be of the same shop. What I haue done, was onely to keepe my selfe from sleepe, as the Crane doth the stone in hir foot, and I would also with the same crane I had bene silent holding a stone in my mouth.

But it falleth out with me, as with the young wrast∣ler, that came to the games of Olympia, who hauing taken a foyle, thought scorne to leaue, till he had recei∣ued a fall, or him that being pricked in the finger with a Brāble, thrusteth his whole arme among the thornes for anger. For I seeing my selfe not able to stande on the yce, did neuerthelesse aduenture to runne, and bee∣ing with my first booke striken into disgrace, could not cease vntil I was brought into cōtempt by the second: where-in I resemble those, that hauing once wet their feete, care not how deepe they wade.

In the which my wading (right Honourable) if the enuious shall clap lead to my heeles to make me sinke, yet if your Lordship with your lyttle finger doe but

holde me vp by the chinne, I shall swimme, and be so farre from being drowned, that I shall scarce be duckt.

When Bucephalus was painted, Appelles craued the iudgemēt of none but Zeuxis: when Iuppiter was car∣ued, Prisius asked the censure of none but Lysippus: now Euphues is shadowed, only I appeale to your ho∣nour, not meaning thereby to be carelesse what others thinke, but knowing that if your Lordship allow it, there is none but will like it, & if there be any so nice, whom nothing can please, if he will not commend it, let him amend it.

And heere right Honourable, although the Histo∣rie seeme vnperfect, I hope your Lordship will par∣don it.

Appelles dyed not before he could finish Venus, but before he durst. Nichomachus left Tindarides raw∣ly, for feare of anger, not for want of Art. Timomachus broke off Medea scarce halfe coloured, not that he was not willing to end it, but that he was threatned: I haue not made Euphues to stand without legges, for that I want matter to make thē, but might to maintein them: so that I am enforced with the olde painters to colour my picture but to the middle, or as he that drew Ci∣clops, who in a little table made him to lye behinde an Oke, wher one might perceiue but a peece, yet cōceiue that al the rest lay behinde the tree, or as he that pain∣ted an horse in the riuer with halfe legges, leauing the pasternes for the viewer to imagine as in the water.

For he that vieweth Euphues, wil say that he is draw∣en but to the wast, that he peepeth as it were behinde some screene, that his feet are yet in the water: which maketh me present your Lordship, with the mangled body of Hector, as it appeared to Andromache, & with half a face, as the painter did him that had but one eye, for I am compelled to draw a hose on, before I can fi∣nish

the legg, & in steed of a foot, to set down a shoe, So that whereas I had thought to shew the cunning of a Chirurgian, by mine Anatomy with a knife, I must play the Taylor on the shoppe boord, with a paire of sheeres, But whether Euphues lympe with Vulcan, as born lame, or go on stilts with Amphionax, for lack of legs, I trust I may say, that his feet shold haue ben old Helena: for the poore Fisher-man that was warned he should not fish, did yet at his dore make nets, and the olde Vintener of Venice, that was forbidden to sell wine, did notwithstāding hang out an Iuie bush. This Pamphlet right honorable cōteining the estate of Eng∣land, I know none more fit to defend it, thē one of the Nobilitie of England, nor any of the Nobilitie, more auncient or more honorable thē your Lordship, besides that, describing the cōditiō of the English court, & the maiestie of our dread Souereign, I could not finde one more noble in court, thē your Honor, who is or should be vnder hir Maiestie chiefest in court, by birth borne to the greatest Office, & therfore me thought by right to be placed in great authoritie: for who so cōpareth the honor of your L. noble house, and the fidelitie of your aūcestors, may well say, which no other can truly gain∣say, Vero nihil v••rius. So that I commit the end of al my pains vnto your most honorable protectiō, assuring my self that the little Cock-boat is safe, whē it is hoised in∣to a tall ship, that the Cat dare not fetche the mouse of the Lions den, that Euphues shall be without daū∣ger by your L. patronage, otherwise, I cānot see, wher I might finde succour in any noble personage. Thus praying cōtinually for the encrease of your Lordships honour, with all other things that either you would wish, or God will graunt, I ende.

Your Lordships most dutifully to commaund. LOHN LYLY.