of new books to the Bishop of London.
This connexion with the censorship of the day is interesting, as showing
how Lyly was drawn into the whirlpool of the _Marprelate_ controversy.
Finally we know that he was elected a member of Parliament on four
separate occasions[12].

[11] Bond, I. p. 38.

[12] I have to thank Dr Ward for pointing out to me the interesting
fact that a large proportion of Elizabeth's M.P.'s were royal
officials.

These varied occupations are proof of the energy and versatility of our
author, but not one of them can be described as lucrative. Nor can his
publications have brought him much profit; for, though both _Euphues_
and its sequel passed through ten editions before his death, an author
in those days received very little of the proceeds of his work. Moreover
the publication of his plays is rather an indication of financial
distress than a sign of prosperity. The two dramas already mentioned
were printed before Lyly's connexion with the Choir School; and, when in
1585 he became "vice-master of Poules and Foolmaster of the Theater,"
he would be careful to keep his plays out of the publisher's hands, in
order to preserve the acting monopoly. It is probable that the tenure of
this Actor-manager-schoolmastership marks the height of Lyly's
prosperity, and the inhibition of the boys' acting rights in 1591 must
have meant a severe financial loss to him. Thus it is only after this
date that he is forced to make what he can by the publication of his
other plays. The fear of poverty was the more urgent, because he had a
wife and family on his hands. And though Mr Bond believes that he found
an occupation after 1591 in writing royal entertainments, and though the
inhibition on the choristers' acting was removed as early as 1599, yet
the last years of Lyly's life were probably full of disappointment. This
indeed is confirmed by the bitter tone of his letter to Elizabeth in
1598 in reference to the mastership of the Revels' Office, which he had
at last despaired of. The letter in question is sad reading. Beginning
with a euphuism and ending in a jest, it tells of a man who still
retains, despite all adversity, a courtly mask and a merry tongue, but
beneath this brave surface there is visible a despair--almost amounting
to anguish--which the forced merriment only renders more pitiable. And
the gloom which surrounded his last years was not only due to the
distress of poverty. Before his death in 16