Netherland and lower Germany, which is made of barley and hops; for England yields plenty of hops, howsoever they also use Flemish hops. The cities of lower Germany upon the sea forbid the public selling of English beer, to satisfy their own brewers, yet privately swallow it like nectar. But in Netherland great and incredible quantity thereof is spent. England abounds with corn, which they may transport, when a quarter (in some places containing six, in others eight bushels) is sold for twenty shillings, or under; and this corn not only serves England, but also served the English army in the civil wars of Ireland, at which time they also exported great quantity thereof into foreign parts, and by God's mercy England scarce once in ten years needs supply of foreign corn, which want commonly proceeds of the covetousness of private men, exporting or hiding it. Yet I must confess, that daily this plenty of corn decreaseth, by reason that private men, finding greater commodity in feeding of sheep and cattle than in the plough requiring the hands of many servants, can by no law be restrained from turning corn-fields into enclosed pastures, especially since great men are the first to break these laws. England abounds with all kinds of fowl, as well of the sea as of the land, and hath more tame swans swimming in the rivers, than I did see in any other part. It hath multitudes of hurtful birds, as crows, ravens and kites, and they labour not to destroy the crows consuming great quantity of corn, because they feed on worms and other things hurting the corn. And in great cities it is forbidden to kill kites and ravens, because they devour the filth of the streets. England hath very great plenty of sea and river fish, especially above all other parts abundance of oysters, mackerel and herrings, and the English are very industrious in fishing, though nothing comparable to the Flemmings therein. FYNES MORYSON, Itinerary 1617

4. TEMPTATIONS

A. Drink: its effects, a fearful example, ale-houses,
taverns, English sobriety. B. Tobacco. a
tobacco seller, royal disapprobation. C. Dicing
and Gaming: cheaters, a gaming-house, false
dice, card-sharping. D. Debt and Usury:
a usurer, the debtors' prison

§ 5. DRESS AND FASHION

Fashion in general, gorgeous attire, a dandy,
fashion descends, barbers, fashionable ladies,
pride of merchants' wives, lap-dogs

The beggar's opportunity, medical treatment, flight
from London

PAGE

102

122

135

CHAPTER VI. BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Patronage, portrait of a poet, an author's complaint, a pot-
poet, a worthy poet, ballads and monsters, troubles of
authorship, fashion in books, stationers and booksellers

140

The first London theatres, a German at the theatre,
structure of a playhouse, playhouses, English
and Italian theatres, Paris-garden

3. THE AUDience

166

§ 4.

General behaviour, a gallant at the playhouse
THE ACTOR AND HIS CRAFT.

172

Shakespeare's opinion, character of a player, magni-
ficence of players' dress, the queen's players on
tour, a royal licence

§ 5. PURITAN OPPOSITION TO THE THEATRE
Denunciation from Paul's Cross, a sweeping con-
demnation, attitude of the city authorities,
a dramatist's reply, the actors' remonstrance

177

CHAPTER VIII. THE COURT

(Love's Labour's Lost, Much Ado About Nothing,

PAGE

190

§ 4.

202

THE DEATH OF QUEEN ELIZABETH

Part III. Shakespeare's last years, Stratford
1608-1616

Buys New Place and other property at Stratford 1597:
leaves London 1608: writes his last plays The
Winter's Tale and The Tempest: dies 1616

CHAPTER IX. HOUSE AND HOME

(Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, 2 Henry IV,
Coriolanus 1. iii., IV. v., The Winter's Tale)

208

An English housewife, the table, hospitality, the

kitchen, the dairy

§ 4.

SLEEP AND HEALTH

229

The bedroom, the care of the body, the physician,

death

CHAPTER X. ROGUES AND VAGABONDS

233

(King Lear, The Winter's Tale)

Rogues and the law, a courtesy man, an abraham man,
rufflers, hookers, two rogues and a parson, a counterfeit
crank

(The Merchant of Venice, Antony and Cleopatra,

The Tempest)

England's naval power, a merchant, the sailor's life, the story
of the Revenge, discovery, colonization, travellers' tales

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

George Gascoigne, poet and dramatist, presenting his
Hemetes the Heremyte (c. 1579) to Queen Elizabeth
An Elizabethan Huntsman, from Turberville's Noble Arte
of Venerie, 1576.

The south bank of the Thames, showing the Globe
Theatre and a bear-garden, from Hollar's View of
London, 1647

The Southwark Gate of London Bridge, from Visscher's
Map of London, 1616.

A sixteenth century printer's office, from A book of
trades, 1568

An Elizabethan stage, from Victor E. Albright's Shaksperian Stage, 1909

Charlecote Hall, from Dr Furnivall's edition of Harrison's
Description of England.

CHAPTER I

ENGLAND AND THE ENGLISH

This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England....
Richard II., II. i. 40-50

England

The air of England is temperate, but thick, cloudy and misty, and Caesar witnesseth that the cold is not so piercing in England as in France. For the sun draweth up the vapours of the sea which compasseth the island, and distills them upon the earth in frequent showers of rain, so that frosts are somewhat rare; and howsoever snow may often fall in the winter time, yet in the southern parts (especially) it seldom lies long on the ground. Also the cool blasts of sea winds mitigate the heat of summer.

By reason of this temper, laurel and rosemary flourish all winter, especially in the southern parts, and in summer time England yields apricots plentifully, musk melons in good quantity, and figs in some places, all which ripen well, and