John Lyly

Study questions John Lyly

Gallathea

Gallathea MCQs

Facts about John Lyly

➾ He neglected logic and philosophy at Oxford, being naturally inclined toward the “pleasant paths of poetry”.

➾ Lyly begged Lord Burghley for a college fellowship from the crown, but the application was unsuccessful.

➾ He was once sent into the country by the university, where he spent three years unprofitably.

➾ In London, Lyly found powerful patronage early in his literary career with Edward Vere, the Earl of Oxford.

➾ He was declared the writer of the aggressive anti-Puritan tract Pappe with an Hatchet by Gabriel Harvey.

➾ A contemporary, Thomas Nashe, described Lyly as a small man and a habitual, confirmed tobacco-smoker.

➾ Lyly was known as the “vice master” of St. Paul’s and the Savoy companies of child actors.

➾ He openly complained of waiting ten years with unwearied patience for substantial court favour from the Queen.

➾ Lyly vowed to write “prayers instead of plays” in a thatched cottage if court recognition failed to materialise.

➾ He was elected a Member of Parliament for Aylesbury in 1593 and 1601, and for Appleby in 1597.

➾ Lyly died in London and was interred on 30 November 1606, at the church of St. Bartholomew-the-Less.

John Lyly MCQs

1. In what approximate year was the dramatist and author John Lyly born?

A. 1554
B. 1559
C. 1563
D. 1545

A. 1554.
John Lyly, the renowned dramatist and prose author of Euphues, was born about the year 1554 in Kent.

2. Which location and country is identified as the birthplace of the author John Lyly?

A. Weald, Kent
B. London, France
C. Oxford, Ireland
D. Dover, England

A. Weald, Kent.
John Lyly was a native of the Weald of Kent, England, where he was born circa 1554.

3. Which Oxford educational institution did John Lyly first enter as a student around 1569?

A. Magdalen College
B. Christ Church
C. Broadgates Hall
D. Trinity College

A. Magdalen College.
Lyly became a student of Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1569, though he did not matriculate until 1571.

4. Lyly was described by Wood as being averse to the crabbed studies of which two academic subjects?

A. Logic Philosophy
B. Mathematics Law
C. History Rhetoric
D. Classics Theology

A. Logic Philosophy.
Wood noted that Lyly’s genius bent toward poetry, leading him to neglect logic and philosophical academic studies.

5. In what year did John Lyly complete his initial degree, graduating B.A. from Oxford?

A. 1573
B. 1569
C. 1575
D. 1571

A. 1573.
Lyly was described as a ‘noted wit’ when he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts degree on 27 April 1573.

6. At which major English university was John Lyly incorporated M.A. in the year 1579?

A. Cambridge
B. Oxford
C. London
D. Dublin

A. Cambridge.
Lyly studied at both major universities and was awarded a Master of Arts at Cambridge University in 1579.

7. Lyly expressed equal affection in later years for which two specific institutions of higher learning?

A. Oxford Cambridge
B. London Inns
C. Magdalen Christ
D. Weald Kent

A. Oxford Cambridge.
Despite some university troubles, Lyly expressed equal affection for both the universities where he studied.

8. Whom did Lyly write to in 1574, begging for a presentation to a fellowship at his college?

A. Lord Burghley
B. Earl Oxford
C. Queen Elizabeth
D. Stephen Gosson

A. Lord Burghley.
Lyly petitioned Lord Burghley in 1574, hoping the crown could grant him a fellowship at Magdalen College.

9. In London, Lyly found a patron early in his literary career in which influential nobleman?

A. Edward Vere
B. Sir William
C. Henry Lok
D. Gabriel Cawood

A. Edward Vere.
On arriving in London to pursue court recognition, Lyly secured Edward Vere, Earl of Oxford, as his patron.

10. What was the title of Lyly’s first major literary work, published around 1579, his ‘first counterfaite’?

A. Euphues Wit
B. Campaspe
C. Woman Moone
D. Sapho Phao

A. Euphues Wit.
The first part of Lyly’s work, Euphues, the Anatomy of Wit, was published in 1579, bringing him immediate fame.

11. Which writer prefixed a letter from Lyly to his collection of poems, Hekatompathia, in 1582?

A. Thomas Watson
B. Robert Greene
C. Gabriel Harvey
D. Edward Blount

A. Thomas Watson.
In 1582, Lyly’s letter was included as a preface to the poetry collection Hekatompathia, written by Thomas Watson.

12. What specific type of prose work is Euphues, relating the conversations and adventures of a young Athenian gentleman?

A. Tedious Story
B. Pastoral Comedy
C. Moral Pamphlet
D. Historical Chronicle

A. Tedious Story.
Euphues is described as a very tedious story detailing the correspondence and adventures of the protagonist and his friend Philautus.

13. The section on education in Euphues, called ‘Euphues and his Ephœbus,’ was directly borrowed from whose ancient work?

A. Plutarch
B. Pliny
C. Ovid
D. Seneca

A. Plutarch.
Lyly borrowed the section concerning education in Euphues directly from Plutarch’s work on ‘Education’.

14. What specific literary style, characterized by excessive antithesis and fantastic similes, did Euphues popularise?

A. Euphuism
B. Petrarchan
C. Arcadian
D. Ovidian

A. Euphuism.
The novelty of the highly affected and strained antithetical style introduced in Euphues was named ‘Euphuism’.

15. Lyly drew the fantastic similes for his prose style mainly from which ancient natural historian’s work?

A. Pliny
B. Plutarch
C. Apuleius
D. Lucian

A. Pliny.
Lyly derived many of his fantastic similes used in Euphues from Pliny’s extensive Natural History.

16. What specific official position was Lyly appointed to, related to the children’s acting companies?

A. Vice Master
B. Master Revels
C. Foolmaster
D. Chief Dramatist

A. Vice Master.
Lyly’s ambition brought him the appointment as ‘vice master’ of the St. Paul’s and the Savoy child actors.

17. What position did Lyly openly aspire to obtain, stating it was a ‘hopeful item to the reversion’?

A. Mastership Revels
B. Lord Chamberlain
C. Queen’s Secretary
D. Vice Master

A. Mastership Revels.
Lyly frequently reminded the Queen of the promise or ‘hopeful item’ concerning the mastership of the revels.

18. Which play has been interpreted as Lyly’s first dramatic effort, and not merely his first use of blank verse?

A. Woman Moone
B. Campaspe
C. Sapho Phao
D. Endymion

A. Woman Moone.
Lyly’s description of The Woman in the Moon as “a poet’s dream” suggests it was his initial dramatic piece.

19. Which two of Lyly’s plays were the first to be published, appearing in the year 1584?

A. Campaspe Phao
B. Endymion Galathea
C. Mydas Bombie
D. Woman Moone

A. Campaspe Phao.
Campaspe (or Alexander and Campaspe) and Sapho and Phao were the first of his plays published in 1584.

20. In which specific political controversy did Lyly participate by championing the cause of the bishops?

A. Martin Mar-Prelate
B. Civil War
C. Gunpowder Plot
D. Spanish Armada

A. Martin Mar-Prelate.
Lyly involved himself in the Martin Mar-Prelate controversy, using his writing to vigorously support the bishops.

21. What was the title of Lyly’s only known contribution to the Martin Mar-Prelate controversy?

A. Pappe Hatchet
B. Almond Parrott
C. Pierce Supererogation
D. Wits Miserie

A. Pappe Hatchet.
Lyly’s tract, published under the pseudonym ‘Double V,’ was titled Pappe with an Hatchet.

22. Who confirmed Lyly as the author of Pappe with a Hatchet in 1590, despite the pseudonym ‘Double V’?

A. Gabriel Harvey
B. Gabriel Cawood
C. Thomas Nashe
D. Edward Blount

A. Gabriel Harvey.
Gabriel Harvey named Lyly as the writer of Pappe with an Hatchet in his reply appended to Pierce’s Supererogation.

23. Gabriel Harvey sarcastically referred to Lyly as the ‘vice-master of Poules’ and what other theatrical title?

A. Foolmaster Theatre
B. Witty Comicall
C. Rare Jewel
D. Babble London

A. Foolmaster Theatre.
Harvey ridiculed Lyly, stating he had not played the ‘vice-master of Poules and the foolmaster of the theatre for naught’.

24. Lyly served as a Member of Parliament for which constituency consecutively in 1593 and 1601?

A. Aylesbury
B. Hindon
C. Appleby
D. Westminster

A. Aylesbury.
Lyly was elected M.P. for Aylesbury in 1593 and subsequently returned to represent the same constituency in 1601.

25. In his piteous petition (c. 1591), Lyly complained of waiting for how many years for court favour recognition?

A. Ten
B. Thirteen
C. Seven
D. Twenty

A. Ten.
Lyly stated to the Queen that he had waited ten years, ‘with unwearied patience,’ for substantial royal recognition.

26. In his second petition (c. 1594), Lyly expressed hope for forfeited property following the fall of whom?

A. False Traitors
B. Earl Oxford
C. Martin Mar-Prelate
D. Court Creditors

A. False Traitors.
Lyly refers to the “just fall of these most false traitors,” likely relating to Roderigo Lopez and his associates.

27. Lyly finally requested permission from the Queen to dedicate a work to her, titled what?

A. Lillie Tristibus
B. Euphues Legacie
C. Golden Book
D. Love Metamorphosis

A. Lillie Tristibus.
He asked permission to dedicate “Lillie de Tristibus,” which would detail his patience and misfortunes, to the Queen.

28. What was the title of Lyly’s play published in 1601, played by the Children of the Chappell?

A. Love Metamorphosis
B. Woman Moone
C. Mydas
D. Campaspe

A. Love Metamorphosis.
Love’s Metamorphosis, a witty and courtly Pastorall, was printed in 1601, making it his last published play.

29. What physical characteristic did contemporary writer Thomas Nashe use to describe John Lyly?

A. Small Man
B. Squinting
C. Red-haired
D. Confirmed Smoker

A. Small Man.
Nashe, a contemporary of Lyly, described the dramatist as being a small man and also a heavy tobacco-smoker.

30. In what month and year was ‘John Lyllie, gent.’ interred in the church of St. Bartholomew-the-Less?

A. November 1606
B. September 1596
C. May 1603
D. December 1578

A. November 1606.
John Lyly’s burial took place on 30 November 1606, at St. Bartholomew-the-Less, marking his death.

31. The second part of Lyly’s work, Euphues and his England, was published in which year?

A. 1580
B. 1579
C. 1582
D. 1603

A. 1580.
Euphues and his England, containing his Voyage and Adventures, followed the first part and was issued in 1580.

32. Who translated Guevara’s work, which bears occasional resemblance to Euphues, as The Golden Book of Mark Aurelie?

A. Lord Berners
B. Sir Thomas
C. Gabriel Harvey
D. Robert Greene

A. Lord Berners.
Lord Berners translated the earlier form of Antonio de Guevara’s work, called The Golden Book of Mark Aurelie, in 1534.

33. Lyly’s style was compared to Guevara, but Lyly only knew the Spanish author through which language translations?

A. English French
B. Spanish Latin
C. Italian Greek
D. Dutch German

A. English French.
Lyly accessed Guevara’s work through French translations, which had been subsequently rendered into English.

34. Which contemporary author, in his Palace of Pleasure (1566), may have influenced Lyly’s style alongside Guevara?

A. Pettie
B. Nashe
C. Sidney
D. Harvey

A. Pettie.
It is consistent to credit Pettie, author of the Palace of Pleasure, with as much influence on Lyly’s style as Guevara.

35. According to Edward Blount, which group became Lyly’s “Schollers” regarding the new English language he taught?

A. Our Ladies
B. Gentlemen
C. Scholars
D. Critics

A. Our Ladies.
Blount claimed that Lyly taught the nation “a new English” and “all our Ladies were then his Schollers”.

36. Which critic described Lyly as excelling all earlier English prose writers in eloquence and having pithy sentences?

A. William Webbe
B. Edward Blount
C. Francis Meres
D. Charles Kingsley

A. William Webbe.
In 1586, William Webbe lauded Lyly in his Discourse of English Poetrie for his eloquent prose.

37. Who was called the “ape of Euphues” and wrote sequels like Euphues his Censure to Philautus?

A. Robert Greene
B. Thomas Lodge
C. John Dickenson
D. Antony Munday

A. Robert Greene.
Robert Greene, labelled the “ape of Euphues,” was one of Lyly’s most persistent imitators, publishing sequels.

38. Which contemporary writer complained of the ‘dainty wits’ of the time, enameling thoughts with ‘py’d flowers’?

A. Sidney
B. Nashe
C. Drayton
D. Jonson

A. Sidney.
Sir Philip Sidney, in Astrophel and Stella, implicitly criticized Lyly’s followers for their overly flowery style.

39. Thomas Nashe, while praising Lyly for facility in discourse, categorized him as which type of writer?

A. Hieroglyphical
B. Tricksiest
C. Pleasant
D. Witty

A. Hieroglyphical.
Nashe called Lyly one of those “hieroglyphical writers that by the figures of beasts, plants, and stones express the mind”.

40. Shakespeare vaguely ridiculed Lyly’s euphuistic style in which of his earliest published comedies?

A. Love’s Lost
B. Henry IV
C. Midsummer Dream
D. Merry Wives

A. Love’s Lost.
Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost is believed to contain vague ridicule of Lyly’s distinctive literary style.

41. Which character in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I caricatures Lyly’s vapid artificiality with the camomile quote?

A. Falstaff
B. Polonius
C. Laertes
D. Pistol

A. Falstaff.
Falstaff’s remark about youth wearing out quickly, compared to the camomile, accurately satirizes Lyly’s prose.

42. Who, in 1627, celebrated Sidney for reducing the English tongue from Lyly’s style of talking of ‘Stones, Stars, Plants’?

A. Michael Drayton
B. Ben Jonson
C. Francis Meres
D. William Wither

A. Michael Drayton.
Drayton, in his Of Poets and Poesie, criticized Lyly’s affected prose style and excessive use of similes.

43. Which 19th-century writer attempted to reverse the ridicule of Euphues, calling it a ‘righteous book’?

A. Charles Kingsley
B. Walter Scott
C. Edward Blount
D. Ludwig Tieck

A. Charles Kingsley.
Charles Kingsley attempted to restore Euphues’s reputation in his 1855 novel, Westward Ho!.

44. Francis Meres, in Palladis Tamia (1598), ranked Lyly among the best English writers for which genre?

A. Comedy
B. Tragedy
C. Epic
D. History

A. Comedy.
Meres declared Lyly “eloquent and witty,” reckoning him among the best writers of comedy in England.

45. Lyly’s plots and character names in his plays were principally derived from what source material?

A. Classical Mythology
B. English History
C. Court Gossip
D. Scriptural Sources

A. Classical Mythology.
The plots and characters in Lyly’s drama are mostly drawn from established stories in classical mythology.

46. Which Lyly play drew its material from Apuleius’s Golden Ass and reminded Hazlitt of Apuleius’s style?

A. Midas
B. Campaspe
C. Endymion
D. Sapho Phao

A. Midas.
The plot for Lyly’s play Midas was drawn from the narrative found within Apuleius’s Golden Ass.

47. Lyly’s play Campaspe owes part of its narrative framework and material to whose Natural History?

A. Pliny
B. Plutarch
C. Ovid
D. Lucian

A. Pliny.
Campaspe, one of the first plays published, drew certain material from Pliny’s extensive Natural History.

48. The only Lyly play written in blank verse, rather than euphuistic prose, is titled what?

A. Woman Moone
B. Campaspe
C. Mother Bombie
D. Love Metamorphosis

A. Woman Moone.
Except for The Woman in the Moon, which utilizes blank verse, all of Lyly’s plays are in euphuistic prose.

49. Lyly’s play Endymion is suggested to have provided some creative hints for which Shakespearean play?

A. Midsummer Dream
B. As You Like
C. King John
D. Titus Andronicus

A. Midsummer Dream.
Shakespeare is suggested to have borrowed hints from Lyly’s Endymion for his later romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

50. Who was the intended recipient of Lyly’s half-concealed compliments woven throughout his classical allusions?

A. Queen Elizabeth
B. Edward Vere
C. Lord Burghley
D. Thomas Watson

A. Queen Elizabeth.
Lyly’s plays are noted for containing veiled compliments and allusions concerning Queen Elizabeth I.

Gallathea MCQs

1. When was Gallathea performed before the Queen?

A. Christmas morning
B. New Year’s Day
C. Easter Sunday
D. Queen’s Birthday

B. New Year’s Day.
The play was performed before the Queen’s Majesty at Greenwich on New Year’s Day at night.

2. Who performed the play Gallathea?

A. Queen’s Men
B. Lord’s Players
C. Children of Paul’s
D. Earl’s Servants

C. Children of Paul’s.
The title page confirms that the play was performed by the Children of Paul’s.

3. Who printed the play in London in 1592?

A. John Charlewood
B. Widow Broome
C. Thomas Lyly
D. Greenwich Printers

A. John Charlewood.
John Charlewood printed the play in London for the Widow Broome in 1592.

4. The Queen’s judgment and favor are compared to what natural elements?

A. Deep water
B. Sun and shadow
C. Gold and virtue
D. Violet and Myrrh

B. Sun and shadow.
The Prologue compares the Queen’s judgment and favor to the Sun and the shadow.

5. What forced those who looked on Augustus Caesar to wink?

A. His perfect judgement
B. His piercing eyes
C. His royal armor
D. His severe look

B. His piercing eyes.
Augustus Caesar had such piercing eyes that anyone who looked on him was constrained to wink

6. Tityrus suggests they sit under a large, fair what?

A. Willow branch
B. Cypress tree
C. Fair Oak
D. Humble tree

C. Fair Oak.
Tityrus suggests that Gallathea sit down under this fair Oak tree.

7. From where does the fresh air Tityrus speaks of softly breathe?

A. Nearby ocean
B. Running stream
C. Humber floods
D. Deep woods

C. Humber floods.
They may enjoy the fresh air which softly breathes from the Humber floods.

8. The stately Temple of white Marble was dedicated to which God?

A. God of the Sun
B. God of the Sea
C. Minerva
D. Jupiter

B. God of the Sea.
A stately Temple of white Marble was dedicated to Neptune, the God of the Sea.

9. What foreign group oppressed the Land?

A. The Goths
B. The Danes
C. The Vikings
D. The Athenians

B. The Danes.
The Land was oppressed by the Danes, who committed sacrilege instead of sacrifice.

10. Neptune became enraged because men had broken what?

A. Broken their bonds
B. Broken their promise
C. Broken their vows
D. Broken their faith

C. Broken their vows.
Neptune caused the seas to break their bounds since men had broken their vows.

11. What might one gather after the flood instead of sweet roses?

A. Rotten weeds
B. Sharp stones
C. Salt froth
D. Dead fish

A. Rotten weeds.
After the great flood, one might gather rotten weeds instead of sweet roses.

12. How often must the fairest virgin be sacrificed to Neptune?

A. Every year
B. Every ten days
C. Every five-year day
D. Every century

C. Every five-year day.
The condition required the fairest and chastest virgin every five years as a peace offering.

13. What is the name of the Monster Neptune sends to collect the virgin?

A. The Dragon
B. The Agar
C. The Scylla
D. The Chimera

B. The Agar.
Neptune sends a Monster named the Agar, against whose coming the waters roar.

14. Gallathea says an honorable death is to be preferred before what?

A. Infamous shame
B. Infamous life
C. Vain glory
D. Hard fortune

B. Infamous life.
Gallathea believes an honorable death is to be preferred before an infamous life.

15. What did Tityrus disguise Gallathea as to avoid her terrible fate?

A. Nymph’s robes
B. Man’s attire
C. Peasant’s clothes
D. Shepherd’s wear

B. Man’s attire.
Tityrus disguised Gallathea in a man’s attire to prevent her terrible fate.

16. Tityrus reminds Gallathea that the Gods took the shape of what to gain love?

A. Of great knights
B. Of beasts
C. Of wise men
D. Of trees

B. Of beasts.
Tityrus notes that the Gods took the shapes of beasts to gain love.

17. Cupid says love is weaned by what quality?

A. By coldness
B. By delight
C. By jealousy
D. By dissembling

C. By jealousy.
Cupid defines love as nursed by delight and weaned by jealousy.

18. The Nymph says Diana’s virgins wound the swift Hart using what item?

A. A sharp sword
B. The bow
C. Small knife
D. Strong hands

B. The bow.
Diana’s virgins delight in the bow that wounds the swift Hart in the Forest.

19. The Nymph states that Venus’s Nymphs are amorous and too kind for what?

A. For their duty
B. For their sex
C. For their kind
D. For their beauty

B. For their sex.
Venus’s Nymphs are amorous and too kind for their sex.

20. Melebeus disguised Phillida to preserve her life through what?

A. Sure deceit
B. Sure flight
C. Sure vow
D. Sure marriage

A. Sure deceit.
Melebeus disguised Phillida to preserve her life through a necessary and sure deceit.

21. Phillida says she will be ashamed of her long hose and what?

A. Short hat
B. Short blade
C. Short coat
D. Short-staffed

C. Short coat.
Phillida states she will be ashamed of her long hose and her short coat.

22. The Mariner tells Rafe, Robin, and Dick they are currently in which county?

A. In Catita
B. In Thessaly
C. In Devonshire
D. In Lincolnshire

D. In Lincolnshire.
The Mariner informs the boys that they are now safely located in Lincolnshire.

23. Rafe complains that sailors’ bread is so hard he needs what for his teeth?

A. A small knife
B. A strong stone
C. A whetstone
D. A hammer

C. A whetstone.
Sailors’ bread is so hard that one must carry a whetstone in their mouth to grind their teeth.

24. What item does the Mariner know more about than the boys know by a whole pair?

A. By one Card
B. By one rope
C. By one board
D. By one book

A. By one Card.
The Mariner claims he knows by one Card what the three boys cannot know by a whole pair.

25. The Loadstone always points its nose toward which direction?

A. To the East
B. To the West
C. To the North
D. To the South

C. To the North.
The Mariner speaks of the Loadstone that always holds its nose toward the North.

26. Rafe suggests they meet again in one year to either beg together or…

A. Fight together
B. Hang together
C. Rule together
D. Sing together

B. Hang together.
Rafe plans that in twelve months, they will meet again to either beg or hang together.

27. What activity does Gallathea fear she will perform instead of a leg?

A. Make a bow
B. Make a curtsy
C. Make a sign
D. Make a nod

B. Make a curtsy.
Gallathea fears saluting the boy lest she make a curtsy instead of a leg.

28. Diana’s Nymph, Telusa, suggests using the boys as what kind of hunting tool?

A. As falcons
B. As pointers
C. As Beagles
D. As hounds

C. As Beagles.
Telusa suggests they make the boys take the woods and use them as Beagles.

29. What type of clothing is Cupid wearing while alone in the woods?

A. Shepherd’s wear
B. Boy’s habit
C. Nymph’s apparel
D. Hunter’s coat

C. Nymph’s apparel.
Cupid is alone, under the shape of a silly girl (in a Nymph’s apparel).

30. Cupid intends to confound the Nymphs’ loves so they practice only what?

A. Only devotion
B. Only impossibilities
C. Only hunting
D. Only duty

B. Only impossibilities.
Cupid plans to confound their loves in their own sex, so they practice only impossibilities.

31. Neptune decides to use the shape of a Shepherd to show himself what?

A. A warrior
B. A God
C. A subtle foe
D. A wise man

B. A God.
Neptune decides to use the shape of a Shepherd to show himself a God.

32. What noise does Rafe complain about, besides Owls and Frogs?

A. Hissing of worms
B. Hissing of Adders
C. Hissing of snakes
D. Hissing of dragons

B. Hissing of Adders.
Rafe complains the woods contain the screeching of Owls, croaking of Frogs, and hissing of Adders.

33. Peter, the Alchemist’s boy, is tired of blowing bellows and scraping what items?

A. Glass vessels
B. Great pots
C. Crosslets
D. Dirty molds

C. Crosslets.
Peter complains he is always blowing of bellows, beating of spirits, and scraping of Crosslets.[/bg_collapse]

34. What is the first Spirit listed by Peter as a ground of the Alchemist’s Art?

A. Sal Armoniac
B. Brimstone
C. Quicksilver
D. Orpiment

C. Quicksilver.
Peter explains that the first of the four Spirits, the grounds of their Art, is Quicksilver

35. Rafe determines that Brimstone is a stinking Spirit because his mother said the candle burnt what color?

A. Burnt so black
B. Burnt so blue
C. Burnt so red
D. Burnt so high

B. Burnt so blue.
Rafe thought Brimstone was a stinking spirit because his mother said the candle burned blue.

36. The Alchemist claims to have made twenty dozen silver spoons from the quintessence of what item?

A. Leaden plummet
B. Golden chain
C. Silver coin
D. Iron rod

A. Leaden plummet.
The Alchemist framed twenty dozen silver spoons from the quintessence of a leaden plummet.

37. Peter ran away because he feared his face would have been turned to what metal?

A. Turned to gold
B. Turned to silver
C. Turned to iron
D. Turned to brass

B. Turned to silver.
Peter ran because the metal came so fast he feared his face would have been turned to silver.

38. Gallathea laments that Nature gave her a fair face, but what kind of fortune?

A. So hard
B. So strange
C. So wicked
D. So lucky

A. So hard.
Gallathea laments that Nature gave her a fair face but gave her a fortune so hard.

39. Telusa compares Virgins’ hearts to Cotton trees, whose ripe fruit yields only what?

A. Nothing but fire
B. Nothing but wool
C. Nothing but leaves
D. Nothing but thorns

B. Nothing but wool.
Virgins’ hearts are like Cotton trees, whose fruit, when ripe, poureth forth nothing but wool.

40. Eurota confesses love took her first by which body part?

A. By the eyes
B. By the ears
C. By the heart
D. By the words

B. By the ears.
Eurota says love took her by the ears, as the boy’s sweet words sank deep into her head.

41. Which Nymph is described as the coyest, who now detests Vesta and honors Venus?

A. Clymene
B. Telusa
C. Servia
D. Ramia

C. Servia.
Servia, the coyest Nymph, detests Vesta, honors Venus, and makes a common scorn of virtue.

42. Gallathea and Phillida use which two words to realize they might both be maidens?

A. With fear
B. With love
C. Suppose and admit
D. Truth and lie

C. Suppose and admit.
Their deception is revealed when one says “admit” and the other counters with “suppose”.

43. Rafe asks the Astronomer if he is one of those who make what item?

A. Makes horoscopes
B. Makes calendars
C. Makes almanacs
D. Makes predictions

C. Makes almanacs.
Rafe asks the Astronomer if he is one of those people who make almanacs.

44. Where does the Astronomer boast he can hang the twelve signs from the Zodiac?

A. Up at Churches
B. Up at the cross
C. Up at Taverns
D. Up at houses

C. Up at Taverns.
The Astronomer boasts he can bring the twelve signs from their Zodiacs and hang them up at Taverns.

45. Diana compares love to Homer’s Moly, which has a white leaf, and what color root?

A. Black root
B. Red root
C. Green root
D. Brown root

A. Black root.
Diana compares love to Homer’s Moly, saying it has a white leaf and a black root.

46. What distinguishing mark identifies the captured disguised Nymph as Cupid?

A. By his wings
B. By Psyche’s burn
C. By his bow
D. By a magic ring

B. By Psyche’s burn.
The Nymphs found Psyche’s burn upon Cupid’s shoulder, and he confessed his name.

47. What household task does Diana plan to make Cupid do all night?

A. Wash the clothes
B. Weave Samplers
C. Spin wool
D. Polish the spears

B. Weave Samplers.
Diana dictates that Cupid shall weave Samplers all night and lackey after her all day.

48. Rafe tells Robin that the Alchemist multiplied a wench using what mystical item?

A. Magic fire
B. Golden flask
C. Philosopher’s stone
D. Leaden vessel

C. Philosopher’s stone.
Rafe says the Alchemist multiplied a wench using the Philosopher’s stone.

49. What saves the virgin Haebe from the Monster Agar?

A. Her hidden chastity
B. Her want of beauty
C. Her parent’s prayers
D. Her cunning device

B. Her want of beauty.
The Augur confirms the Monster failed to come because Haebe’s want of beauty saved her life.

50. The Goddesses agree the girls will learn whose lot it is to be changed into a boy when they arrive where?

A. At the altar
B. At the Church door
C. At the Grove
D. At the palace gates

B. At the Church door.
Venus states that neither girl shall know whose lot it is to be a boy until they come to the Church door.

Brief Overview

Gallathea (or Galatea) is an Elizabethan stage play by John Lyly. It was licensed for performance in 1585. The play is a pastoral comedy that focuses on themes of love, gender identity, metamorphosis, and societal expectations.

The play begins with the angry sea god, Neptune. He is demanding a sacrifice because men broke their vows. He commanded that the country must offer its fairest virgin every five years to a sea monster named the Agar.

To avoid this sad destiny, two fathers, Tityrus and Melebeus, disguised their beautiful daughters. Gallathea and Phillida were dressed in man’s clothing and sent into the surrounding woods for safety.

The two girls meet in the woods. They believe the other is a handsome boy and quickly fall in love with each other. Meanwhile, Cupid is also there, disguised as a Nymph. He causes trouble by wounding Diana’s chaste Nymphs with his arrows of love.

Diana’s followers capture Cupid, discovering him by the tell-tale burn mark left by Psyche. The scheduled human sacrifice fails because the girl presented to Neptune is not deemed the fairest.

Neptune, Diana, and Venus meet to settle the conflict. Diana agrees to free Cupid to stop Neptune from demanding more sacrifices. Gallathea and Phillida confess that they are maidens but swear their constant love for one another.

Venus promises to use her power to change one of them into a man. The girls would not know which one changed until they reached the church door.