EUPHUISM, an affected style of speech which distinguished the conversation and writings of many of the wits of the court of Queen Elizabeth. The name and the style were derived from 'Euphues, or the Anatomy of Wit' (1579), and the 'Euphues and His Eng land' (about 1581), of John Lyly. It is pro able that Lyly got his idea of these books from Ascham who, in his 'Schoolmaster,' published a short time before, had said that Euphues is °he that is apt by goodness of wit, and appliable by readiness of will to learning having all other qualities of the mind and parts of the body that must another day serve learning.° At any rate Lyly adopted the word °Euphues") as the title of his hero, whom he developed in the sense in which Ascham used the Greek word °a man well endowed by nature.° Lyly deliberately, in his writing, appealed to the audience of ladies throughout Britain for whom it was made light, pleasant and couched in high sounding English, which his followers soon styled °the new Eng lish.° For over half a century re
mained one of the most popular of books and its author was held to be one of the im mortals. Among his most noted ardent admir ers was Queen Elizabeth herself. These books which became the model of the wits and the gallants of the time, and an acquaintance with which was regarded as a test of courtly breed ing, were characterized by smoothness and ver bal elegance, but chiefly by fantastic similes and illustrations. Sir Walter Scott draws the por trait of a euphuist in the character of Sir Pier cie Shafton, in 'The Monastery.' Consult Ar ber, (1869), a complete edition) ; Bond, 'Complete Works of Lyly' (1902); Laud mann, 'Der Euphuismus' (1881). See EUPHUES.