The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-10

nouothh1ou IN ieellDR, tolQ AFTER the mdunoi
OF the Italian amatory novel. and with fire.
duent allusions to modern persons under an
cient names. Petite was fond OF ALTERATION,
antithesis and other affected forms Of speech
that had already grown at court and the uni.
versity Into dainty fashion OF talk. and that
became aftsrward associated with the style oil
Lyly's "EuphueA"
"Euphues'' 10 the first example OF the novel
written With A purpose. Tho book seems to
have been inspired by the reading Of Roger
Ascham's "Schoolmaster." with certain pas
sages OF which everybody is familiar. includ-
Ing conspicuously the account Of Lady Jane
Greys reading Plato's Phedo in Greek. and
the solemn admonitions addressed to young
Englishmen contemplating tour in Italy.
John LILY. who was graduate OF Magdalen
College, Oxford wss an sdept In the ingenious
and elegant dfction then cultivated at oil
European courts. and especially in those OF
Spain and England. and he thought 1t would
be we'll to put some OF the sound doctrine
found In Ascham's schoolmaster" In the way
OF courtiers BY framing It to their taste in the
shape OF an italian novel written with vigiant
attention to the most exquisite refinement
OF phrase. The style adopted by Lyly In
Euphues" gave rise in his own day to the
term "euphusm." which is still retained as a
convenient name for . diction Astounding In
tricks Of phrase and In conceits OF fancy. 1t
Is not to DO inferred. however. that under the
fantastic dress there was not In Elizabeth's
time. at all events. much solid English
thought. Lyly himself wrote with pro-
foundly earnest intention underlying quick
wit. The first part OF "Euphues." published
In 1870. was a complete narrative. The
- t., 4
which appeared in 1850. is modified
in treatment. and may have been designed to
mitigate the austere effect OF tho first. which
It seems had given some offence He now
indirectly deprecates too rigorous interpre-
tation OF his meaning. Having before salts
fed his consoienoa henow satisdes the court
Tho second story ~ fsstgpedly enriched with
love taleA letters between lovers and exam
pies OF those fantiful conflicts OF wit in argu.
ment upon some courtly theme to which fine
ladies and gentlemen OF Elizabeth's court
used to sit down as deliberately as now
children sit down to round game Of
forteits. As regards the form OF "Euphues"
this was an outcome Of tho revival Of
the study Of Demosthcpes and Cicero and
OF the Greek and Latin works upon tho art OF
speaking. The habit Of straining after fine rhet-
ORIG had spread from Italy throughout west
ern Europe. not in the FIRST instance In the way
Of writing. but in tho way OF refined speech.
Hence an extravagant employment OF tho
various figures OF speech set forth in the
books Of rhetoric. the third science in the
Trivium. Lyly's "Euphues." by it's union OF
what has boon called transverse ALTERATION"
with antithesis. enriched the courtly style. it
was supposed. with one gift moro FOR those with
wit enough to add 1t to their other graces. As
for antithesis. this had been used rather freely.
even In the plain English Of Ascham: but the
opposition and balancing Of words in equal
clauses adjective to adjective. noun to noun.
adverb to advcrb. verb to verb. runs all
through Euphues" In ALTERATION also 1t may
be said that there was nothing new. since it
was assiduously aimed at by the Anglo
Saxons: but LILY introduced o more artful
system Of alliteration than the mere pairing OF
nouns with adjectives having the first letter.
The particular ingenuity Of euphuism in this
respect lies in a combination Of alliteratioh
with antithesis. making the corresponding
words in the sarno clauses begin With the
same letter. 1t is. so to speak. a transverso
ALTERATION FatheE than longitudinal. as In the
balanced clauses: Il shall have thee not only a
comfort in my life. but also n companion In
my love-" or in the antithesis. The faith OF
panL though 1t fry in their words 1t freezes In
their works" Lyly also liked to equalize three
or moro clauses Of n sentence usually three.
Such n construction is shown in the sentence.
Il would have them nurtured In such a place
MS is renowned for learning. void OF corrupt
manners. indebted with vice." 1t is. however.
to be borne In mind that there was but little
use OF trOpe in tho prose euphuism OF Lylys
time. 1t was lator euphuism that transferred
the strain to metaphor. That form Of rhetoric
was held in Elizabeths time to belong to
poetry. whore it was used by Lyly. himself.
simply and wttiy. without any Of the labored
balancing Of clauses that would TO unsuited to
metrical expression At the same time. in
Lyly's elaborated prose. and that OF others
In his day who sought to render still
moro exquisite the courtier's dainty mode Of
speech. there was a large use. not indood OF
metaphors. but OF illustrations akin to SMILES:
There Is reason to believe that books were
often ransacked by enphuists in the nero
search after fncts that could be cleverly used
by the phrase-maker. In like manner. as
moralizinG was In fashion. wise thoughts
could be culled out OF Plutarchs Essays"
1t is certain that in Elizabeth time women as
we'll as men had to speak alphabetically il
they wished to DO In the fashion. 1t is pointed
out by Edward Blount. who edited some OF
Lyly's writings In 1882. that that beauty In
court which could not parley euphuism. was
"a, kttle regarded as she which DOW there
speaks not Frepsb."" NJ. w. H.
Another Catholic Lifts OF Jesus.
The favor with which the translation OF q
II "a 49, fSf 1,.,I lima