of Sir Ph. Sidney and
Hubert Languet," ed. Pears, London, 1845, 8vo, p. 167.

[95] Preface "to the Reader" in "Six Court Comedies ... by the onely
rare poet of that time, the wittie, comicall, facetiously-quicke and
unparalelld John Lilly," London, 1632, 12mo.

[96] "Dramatic Works," ed. Fairholt, London, 1858, two vols. 8vo.

[97] Watson was then about twenty-five years old. "Poems," reprinted by
Arber, London, 1870, 4to.

[98] "'Euphues' I read when I was a little ape in Cambridge, and I then
thought it was _ipse ille_; it may be excellent still for ought I know,
but I lookt not on it this ten yeare" ("Strange Newes," 1592).

[99] "The Pilgrimage to Parnassus," ed. Macray, Oxford, 1886, 8vo. "The
Returne," part i. act v. sc. 2. This part was performed in 1600.

[100] "1 Henry IV.," act ii. sc. 4 (A.D. 1597-8, Furnivall).

[101] "De vermakelijke historie Zee-een Landreize van Euphues,"
Rotterdam, 1671, 12mo. Another edition of the same, 1682.

[102] London, 1718, 16mo. "Price 2s." (on title-page). Defoe's "Robinson
Crusoe" appeared the next year; Richardson's "Pamela" was published in
1740.

[Illustration: ANOTHER DRAGON, 1608.]

CHAPTER IV.

LYLY'S LEGATEES.

I.

All Lyly's imitators, Greene, Lodge, Melbancke, Riche, Munday, Warner,
Dickenson, and others, did not faithfully copy his style in all its
peculiarities, at any rate in all their works; some of them borrowed
only his ideas, others his plot; others his similes; most of them,
however, when they first began to write, went the fullest length in
imitation, and tricked themselves out in euphuistic tinsel. They were
careful by choosing appropriate titles for their novels to publicly
connect themselves with the euphuistic cycle. "Euphues" was a magic
pass-word, and they well knew that the name once pronounced, the doors
of the "boudoirs," or closets as they were then called, and the hands
of the fair ladies, were sure to open; the book was certain to be
welcome.

Hence the number of writers who declared themselves Euphues' legatees
and executors. Year after year, for a while, readers saw issuing from
the press such books as "Zelauto, the fountaine of Fame ... containing a
delicate disputation ... given for a friendly entertainment to Euphues
at his late arrival into England," by Munday, 1580; or as "Euphues his
censure to Philautus, wherein is presented a philosophicall combat
betweene Hector and Achylles," by Robert Greene, 1587: "Gentlemen