to hold fast; because besides this one Parent there is no one that can aid us in coming to heaven; but, as it is written, "No man hath ascended into heaven but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man who is in heaven"; on whose shoulders and wings only it is that we can ascend to heaven. Otherwise all word-mongers may say the Lord's Prayer; who, nevertheless, know not what the words signify. But what I consider to be prayer is that which proceedeth from the heart rather than from the mouth.

THE MARTYRS' HYMN.

FLUNG to the heedless wind, or on the waters cast,
The martyrs' ashes watched shall gathered be at last;
And from that scattered dust, around us and abroad,
Shall spring a plenteous seed of witnesses for God.
The Father hath received their latest living breath;
And vain is Satan's boast of victory in their death.
Still, still, though dead, they speak, and trumpet-tongued,
proclaim

To many awakened lands the One availing Name.

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," and the influence is clear and strong on Sidney and Spenser.

EUPHUES TO PHILAUTUS.

(From "Euphues and his England.")

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.

Gall was cast

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. 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, for 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.