Note 214 — Chapter IV

Two other plays of Lyly's appear at first sight to present pastoral features. There are five 'shepherds' among the dramatis personae of Mydas, but they appear in one scene only (IV. ii), and merely represent the common people, introduced to comment on the actions of the king. The names, as is usual with Lyly, except in the case of comic characters, are classical. The other play is Mother Bombie, which, however, is nothing but a comedy of low life, combining the tradition of the Latin comedy with the native farce, which goes back through Gammer Gurton to the old interludes. It contains a good deal of honest fun and a notable lack of Euphuism.