The England Of Charles II

213 Pages·1934·4.406 MB·English

by  Arthur Bryant

THE ENGLAND OF
CHARLES II
THE ENGLAND OF
CHARLES II
BY
ARTHUR BRYANT
"Whocouldsowatch, andnotforgettherack
Ofwillswornthinandthoughtbecometoofrail,
Norrollthecent-un'esback
Andfeelthesincwaofhissoulgrowhale.”
V. SACKVILLEWas":(TbsLand)
LONGMANS, GREEN AND co.
LONDON . NEW YORK . TORONTO
A 1934
LONGMANS, GREEN _AND CO. LTD
39 rxrsnnoswzn now, LONDON, n.c.4
6 01.1: counr novsn smznr, CALCUTTA
53 NICOL ROAD, nomnmr
36A MOUNT ROAD, MADRAB
LONGMANS, GREEN AND co.
114 rzrrn AVENUE, NEW YORK
221 mar 20-ru mum-r, curcmo
88 TREMONT TEMPLE, nosron
LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
480 UNIVERSITY AVENUE, TORONTO
IADI AND PRINTED Ill GIIA1.‘ BRITAIN
BY JARROLD AND SONS LTD" NORWICH
CONTENTS
Cl-IAFTER PAGI
I APPROACH TO ENGLAND . . . I
Channel crossing (1); Dover (1); English atti-
tude toforeigners (2); apparent laziness 3); jour-
ney to Canterbury (4); sights of the road (4);
Kentishlandscape(5); Englishclimate(6); Canter-
bury(7); streetsandhouses(7); thecoastroad(B);
agriculturalKent(B); Feversharn(9); Chathamand
Rochester ( ); Gad’s Hill—a notable robbery (9);
GravesendZ10); theferrytoLondon(lo); sightsof
theThames(11); theroyalyachtsatWoolwichand
Greenwich (11); LongReachand theshipbuilding
yards (12); (cid:191)rstsightofLondon(12)
II THE CAPITAL . . . . .
Population(I3); boundariesand rowth
(13); its noises.(14); street cnes (:3; tia(cid:192)ic con-
lgistion (I5); night noises (16); e smells (16);
kofsanitation(16-17); unhealthinessofLondon
(17); smoke pollution and fogs (18); colour and
beauty (19); the houses (I9); the palaces of the
nobility (20); merchants’ dwellings (20); churches
(20); St.Paul’s(zo); streets(21); signs(21); courts
and alleys (21); stables (22); street lighting (22);
linkboys (22); dangerof(cid:191)re (23); Fire ofLondon
(23); rebuilding after the Fire (23); disappearance
of open spaces and great houses (24); vocational
divisionsofLondon(25); markets(25); shops(26);
NewExchange(26); itsyoungwomen(26); taverns
andcook-sho S(27); ale-houses(27); coffee-houses
(28); public gulldings (28); Royal Exchange (23);
the Temple and its Fire (28); the Tower (29); its
Zoo (29); other London sights (29); seasonal
events(30); BartholomewFair(30); LondonRiver
(30); its watermen (31); sculls, oars and barges
(31); London Bridge (32); watermen’s language
(32); pleasures_of the river (33); yachting and
summerexpeditions (34); workinghoursandholi-
days (35); thelicensed layhouses (35); unlicensed
theatres (36); bull and) bear-gardens (37); cock-
(cid:191)ghting (37); rural aspect ofLondon ( 8); subur-
banpleasures (3B); |oysofthetown(39)
V
THE ENGLAND OF CHARLES II
CHAPTER nos
III THE UNIT OF LIFE . . . . 41
Tb:Country: Englandthecountry,itsbeautyand
spaciousness(41); variedrichness(41); oldwaysof
countrylife(42); localvariations(42); local dialect
and spelling (42); independence of London (42);
Tbs fami(cid:191)r: its strength despite political changes
(43); its prosaicfoundations (44); fallinginlove-—
ancient and modern attitude (44); early marriages
(44); strengtheningafamily(45); parents’rightsin
choice for marriage (45); difficulty of matching
daughters (46); easywooingofrichwidovyer_(47);
wivesandproperty(47); importance and intricacy
of marriage settlements (48); an impatient wooer
(48); phraseology of courtship (48); love letters
(49); weddingceremonies(49); bridalfavours(50);
undressing the bride (50); absence ofhoneymoon
(51); a bride's home-coming (52); durability of
marriage(52); misleadingevidenceofcomiclitera-
ture(32); differentviewpresentedinprivatecorre-
spon ence (53); charm of family letters (54); a
h0usewife’s occupations (55); servants (55); recipe
and herbal books (56); country-house products
(56); child-bearing(57); largefamilies(57); choice
ofChristiannames(57);_Puritannomenclature(58);
Christenings (59); nursing mothers (59); infantile
mortality (60); the rod and(cid:191)lialpiety (60); Educa-
tiorz: early educationAg); hom books (61); reli-
gious teaching (61); sical learning (62); gram-
mar schools (663); educational democracy (64);
public schools ( 4); infonnaiity ofthe educational
system(65); populareducation(66); craftsmanship
(67); Tbs Univer.ritie.r.' size of Oxford and Cam-
bridge (68); territorialconnectionofcolleges (68);
age of undergraduates (69); early maturity (69);
curriculum (69); value of Disputations (70); lec-
tures (7_1); spartan life of undergraduates (72);
earlyrising (72); servitors and sizats (72); noble-
men'sprivileges(72); Gentlemencommoners (73);
Cuitureqfthe Country Gantry: a cultural aristocracy
(_74); _ country houses and gardens (74); their
libraries (75)
IV RELIGIO MEDICI . . . .
Religion.‘ importanceoffaithin17thcentury(76);
its effects (76); homely piety (78); the Anglican
church (78); strength of popular Protestantism
vi
CONTENTS
CHAPTER sacs
(79); love of sermons (80); nonconforrnity (80);
the Independent sects (81); the Presbyterians (81);
unlicensed preachers and the State (82); Puritan
virtues (83); the Quakers (84); national hatred of
Catholicism (85); persecutedCatholics (85); popu-
lar intolerance (B7); superstition (87); universal
i'EaclingoftheBible(88); effectonnationalthought
and speech (88); Frequent M0ri'a1ii_'5'.' funerals (89);
mourningrites(90); Dinar:andMedicine.‘ medieval
medicaltheory(90); the“humours” (91); frequent
practice ofbleeding (91); amateur doctoring (91);
recipes“$92); plague smallpox (93); deci.1-nation
ofpop tion b infectious diseases (93); pioneers
in medicine (93); new methods oftreatment (94);
$Yd=n1_==m (94); w-"serif ‘$94); Fish m91'==li1Y_in
operations ( 5); Spa: and atermgPlacer.‘ English
loveofholica (193); thepilgrimageofhealth(96);
rusticspas (95: arrogate (96); Burton (96); Ep-
som (97); TunbridgeWells (97); Bathan its cus-
toms (97-99)
V. HABIT AND PASTIME . . . . I00
Drink: Drinkinghabitsofnation(100); beerand
ale (100); cider (101); wine (101); English vine-
yards (102); brandy drinking (103); prevalence of
drunkenness (103); Food: feeding habits (104);
morningdraught(104); Englishloveofmeat(105);
of “relishes” (105); cheapness of local delicacies
g-95); atravelling ourmet’sparadise(105); plenti-
food st;pplies E06); lavish recipes (106); hap-
hazard me s (107); feasts (108); importance of
numberofdishes(108); courses(108); arrangement
of table (109); toasts (110); barbarity of English
table manners (111); Eriqmxe and Manners? In(cid:192)u-
ence ofFrench “Civility” (112); modes ofaddress
andbehaviour(113); respecttolords(I13); tedious
rules of decorum (114); growingncivilisation of
court and aristocracy (115); roug ess ofpopular
habits (116); universalloveof(cid:191)ghting(116); duel-
ling (117); violence of political feeling (117); the
mob (1I7); 5p0rt.r and Pa_m'me.r: abundance of
game (118); staghunting(118); foxhunting(119);
gling (119); sporting squires (120); hawking
(120); shooting (121); horse-racing (121); New-
market (122); country race meetings (123); (cid:191)shing
(124); bowls and ninepins (125); tennis, cricket,
vii
THE ENGLAND OF CHARLES II
CHAPTER PAGE
andfootball(125); rusticgames(125); villagefeasts
and holidays (126); indoor games (127); cards
(127); a winter interior (127); dancing (128);
music(129)
131
VI THE MEANS OF LIFE . . . .
Popu11_1t:'an.' €\lati)onal statistiizls (131); clasjsescuand
occupations 131 ; town an country w e
(12311); zdgrgrulturqéulalnd tenure (132); rgsing lanrcl
v ues 132; agri turalim rovements 133); rise
in land values (134); rentals (134); tithes (134);
farmingcow»(154); was<'=8(1gf); hiringfairs(111);
agricultural pnoes (135); am e crops (136); glaz-
1(cid:192)B(Isc7I); dairyf(cid:192)mms (I37); fruits (Ia ); S 999
£37); 've{IsityofEnglishdfarmin (138);(l'radeand
xii-try: “ enturing” an speculation 1 9); ex-
tensionofcredit(159); earlycapitalism(140); rustic
indus (140); quality of craftsmanship (141);
natiorl-illindustrial resourem (142); exportandim-
port (142); shipping and shipbuilding (142); de-
predations of Moorish corsairs (143); the wool
Erade (14;_4)t;hEgst (1(4.4);)br19adclothiI11.:11l1-
actureo e out - est 144; t eWest ' ing
(145); othertextiles(146); closeunionoftra_deand
agriculture (147); Bristol (147); distribution of
gadezzndipduistry(147);i(cid:191)oal,iron,‘andsgzei(148);
es 149 ; rampart.‘ state o roa s 150;
highlway1?en)(150); br;_ctlgei_ £151); inns (152);
coac es 153; ranspo o cavy goods 153 ;
packhorses (153); posts (154); Londonpenny post
(155);. fr_anltin(g (156); inland nagigation (156);
Colonisation 156); Overseas T e expansion
(158); Scienti(cid:191)c discovery (158--160); The Royal
Society and its practical uses (160); freedom of
privateenterprise(161); taxation(161); smuggling
((cid:191)>(cid:191));i wa es anddPIICFS (11613; ren€ug1i:)ra2_pgi;bof
s e artigcersan proessio men 1 3; er:
costofclothes (164-166); descriptionandtypesof
clothes (166); wigs (166); country clothes (167);
underclothes (168)
169
VII. THE ENGLISH POLITY . . .
TriplesupportofEnglishgovernment(169); the
Executive Monarchy (16 ); Whitehall (169); the
Galleries(170);theCouncilandBedChambers(171);
public pageantry of the Court (171); Parliament,
viii
CONTENTS
PAGE
not a governin body, but a bulwark against
misgovernment (172); the rule of “known law”
(172); a_Parliament ofprivileged ‘_‘Estates” (173);
itsgrowingstrength(174); theparish—theunitof
government(174); theCountyoffices(175); village
emocracy (175); l2l1Ct€a11Sl1 o(cid:192)icers (175); the
Churchwardens (176); e Overseers of the Poor
(176); PoorLaw(176); theSurveyorsoftheHigh-
ways (177); road repair (178); rule of public
opinion (L'£_8_)1; t%mPetty,Con(cid:191)tabge (179); tl£'_1C pare-
servation t e ' g’s eace 180; res t or w
(181); elasticity ofadministration (182)?eceducative
value oftparish self-government (133); rough
strength o English democracy (184); the national
character(184)
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . . . 187
189
APPENDIX OF REFERENCES. . .
ix
IN
MEMORY
OF
GEORGE TOWNSEND WARNER
INTRODUCTION
IN this book I have tried to describe a visit
made to a far country. The country was
called England—the land we now inhabit, but
then possessed by our great-great-great-great-
great-great-grandparents. Yet it is not so far
from us but that an aged man living to-day might
have set eyes in youth on another veteran who
had exchanged speech with one of its people.
I have tried to depict that country as it must
have seemed to the great bulk of its own inhabi-
tants. Ihavethereforelefttoothers,likeMr.G.N.
Clark in his admirable Seventeenth Century, or Mr.
Willey in his Seventeenth Cenemy Bae/égreurzd, the
discussion of philosophic ideas then forming in
the minds of a few exceptional men, but little
perceived by the average Englishman or English
woman of the time. Mine is the common or
garden and, I think, living England.
The main source for this book is the as yet
unpublished Shakerley MSS., whose transcription
has occupied my leisure for the past ten years.
But it is also based on every book and manuscript
of the period that I have read. I have therefore
made no attempt to compile a bibliography, but
xi