At a time when Shakespeare was still a struggling unknown, John Lyly (1554?-1606) was already the principal court dramatist and author of the period's best-selling prose work, the wonderfully elaborated and, in its day, much-imitated Euphues.

To his contemporaries, Lyly was one of the major luminaries of the time; they would have been shocked by the totality of his later eclipse. A lack of modern editions meant that his work was neglected even by scholars. This edition brings his achievement before a wider audience, restoring him to his pivotal place in the English Renaissance.

Three texts are included: a substantial extract from Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit, and the plays Campaspe (the first significant comedy of the English Renaissance) and Gallathea (which exercised a considerable influence on Shakespeare). The texts are edited from first editions; the extract from Euphues is the first modern spelling edition of the 1578 text. Leah Scragg's introduction and annotations contribute to the revaluation of this key figure in English literature.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Note on the Texts

Selected Bibliography



Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit

Campaspe

Gallathea