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Tudor Prose: John Lyly's Euphues (1578-79)

Richard Kroll, UCI

Here my youth (whether for weariness he could not, or for wantonness would 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 traineth to the lure, and that the wittiest brain is inveigled with the sudden view of alluring vanities. Here he wanted 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 his lodging, 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 Damocles to betray him as Damon to be true to him. Yet he behaved himself so warily that he singled his game wisely. He could easily discern Apollo's music from Pan his pipe, and Venus' beauty from Juno's bravery, and the faith of Laelius from the flattery of Aristippus. He welcomed all, 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 of 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. 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," using these speeches and other like. An old gentleman in Naples seeing his pregnant wit, 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 inflamed 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 commonweal; at the one he greatly pitied, at the other he rejoiced.

Having therefore gotten opportunity to communicate with him his mind, with watery eyes, as one lamenting his wantonness, and smiling face, as one loving his wittiness, encountered him on this manner.

"Young gentleman, although my acquaintance be small to entreat you, and my authority less to command you, yet my good will in giving you good counsel should induce you to believe me, and my hoary hairs (ambassadors of experience) enforce you to follow me; for by how much the more I am a stranger to you, by so much the more you are beholding to me . . . ." (210)