Your Graces most humble.

To the right reverend father in God my L. the Archbisshop of Canturbury his Grace.

II.

That night I returned to London and found all the wardes full of watchers; the cause thereof was for that very nere the Theatre or Curtain at the tyme of the Plays there laye a prentice sleeping upon the grasse, and one Challes at Grostock did turn upon the toe upon the belly of the same prentice; whereupon the apprentice start up and after words they fell to playne blowes. The companie increased of both sides to the number of 500 at the least. This Challes exclaimed and said that he was a gentelman and that the apprentice was but a rascall, and some there were little better than rogues that tooke upon them the name of gentlemen, and said the prentices were but the scum of the world. Upon these troubles the prentices began the next daye being Tuesday to make mutinies and assemblies and dyd conspire to have broken the prisons and to have taken forth the prentices that were imprisoned, but my lord and I having intelligence thereof apprensed[82] four or five of the chief conspirators who are in Newgate and stand indicted of their lewd demeanors....

Upon the same Wednesday at night two companions, one being a tailor and the other a clerk of the common pleas, both of the duchy and both very lewd fellows, fell out about a harlott, and the tailor raised the prentices and other light persons, and thinking that the clerk was run in to Lyons Inn came to the house with 300 at the least, brake down the wyndowes of the house and struck at the gentlemen; during which broil one Reynolds a bakers sonne came into Fleet Street and there made solemn proclamation for clubs. The street rose and took him and brought him unto me and the next day we indicted him also for this misdemenour with many other more....

Upon Sunday my lord sent two Aldermen to the Court for the suppressing and pulling downe of the Theatre and Curtain. All the Lords agreed thereunto saving my Lord Chamberlain ... but we obtained a letter to suppresse them all. Upon the same night I sent for the quene’s players and my lord of Arundel his players, and they all willinglie obeyed the Lords’ letters. The chiefest of her Highness’s players advised me to send for the owner of the Theatre[83] who was a stubborn fellow and to bind him. I dyd so. He sent me word that he was my Lord of Hunsdon’s man and that he would not come at me but he would in the morning ride to my lord. Then I sent the under-sheriff for him and he brought him to me, and at his coming he stouted me out very hasty, and in the end I showed him my lord his master’s hand, and then he was more quiet, but to die for it he would not be bound.

EUPHUISM, A FASHION OF 1580.

Source.—Lyly: Euphues, the Anatomy of Wit, 1578, beginning.

There dwelt in Athens[84] a young gentleman of great patrimony, and of so comely a personage, that it was doubted whether he were more bound to Nature for the lineaments of his person, or to Fortune for the increase of his possessions. But Nature, impatient of comparisons, and as it were disdaining a companion or copartner in her working, added to this comeliness of his body such a sharp capacity of mind, that not only she proved Fortune counterfeit, but was half of that opinion that she herself was only current. This young gallant, of more wit than wealth, and yet of more wealth than wisdom, seeing himself inferior to none in pleasant conceits, thought himself superior to all his honest conditions, insomuch that he thought himself so apt to all things that he gave himself almost to nothing but practising of those things commonly which are incident to these sharp wits, fine phrases, smooth quips, merry taunts, using jesting without mean and abusing mirth without measure. As therefore the sweetest Rose hath his prickle, the finest velvet his brack,[85] the fairest flower his bran, so the sharpest wit hath his wanton will, and the holiest head his wicked way. And true it is that some men write and most men believe, that in all perfect shapes a blemish bringeth rather a liking every way to the eyes than a loathing any way to the mind. Venus had her mole in her cheek which made her more amiable. Helen her scar in her chin, which Paris called Cos amoris, the whetstone of love, Aristippus his wart, Lycurgus his wen: so likewise in the disposition of the mind, either virtue is overshadowed with some vice, or vice is overcast with some virtue. Alexander valiant in war, yet given to wine. Tully eloquent in his gloses,[86] yet vainglorious. Solomon wise, yet too wanton. David holy, but yet an homicide. None more witty than Euphues, yet at the first none more wicked. The freshest colours soonest fade, the teenest[87] razor soonest turneth his edge, the finest cloth is soonest eaten with moths, and the cambric sooner stained than the coarse canvas: which appeared well in this Euphues, whose wit being like wax, apt to receive any impression, and bearing the head in his own hand either to use the rein or the spur, disdaining counsel, leaving his country, loathing his old acquaintance, thought either by wit to obtain some conquest, or by shame to abide some conflict, who preferring fancy before friends, and his present humour before honour to come, laid reason in water being too salt for his taste, and followed unbridled affection, most pleasant for his tooth. When parents have more care how to leave their children wealthy than wise, and are more desirous to have them maintain the name than the nature of a gentleman, when they put gold into the hands of youth, where they should put a rod under their girdle, when instead of awe they make them past grace, and leave them rich executors of goods, and poor executors of godliness, then is it no marvel that the son, being left rich by his father’s will, becomes retchless by his own will. But it hath been an old said saw, that wit is the better if it be the dearer bought: as in the sequel of this history shall most manifestly appear.

It happened this young imp to arrive at Naples[88] (a place of more pleasure than profit, and yet of more profit than piety) the very walls and windows whereof shewed it rather to be the Tabernacle of Venus than the Temple of Vesta. There was all things necessary and in readiness, that might either allure the mind to lust or entice the heart to folly: a court more meet for an Atheist, than for one of Athens, for Ovid, than for Aristotle, for a graceless lover, than for a godly liver, more fitter for Paris than Hector, and meeter for Flora than Diana. Here my youth (whether for weariness he could not, or for wantonness would not go any farther) 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 sooth his person to win credit: for he had guests and companions of all sorts.