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, § 5. DRESS AND FASHION Fashion in general, gorgeous attire, a dandy, The beggar's opportunity, medical treatment, flight PAGE 102 122 135 CHAPTER VI. BOOKS AND AUTHORS Patronage, portrait of a poet, an author's complaint, a pot- 140 The first London theatres, a German at the theatre, 3. THE AUDience 166 § 4. General behaviour, a gallant at the playhouse 172 Shakespeare's opinion, character of a player, magni- § 5. PURITAN OPPOSITION TO THE THEATRE 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 Buys New Place and other property at Stratford 1597: CHAPTER IX. HOUSE AND HOME (Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, 2 Henry IV, 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, (The Merchant of Venice, Antony and Cleopatra, The Tempest) England's naval power, a merchant, the sailor's life, the story LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS George Gascoigne, poet and dramatist, presenting his The south bank of the Thames, showing the Globe The Southwark Gate of London Bridge, from Visscher's A sixteenth century printer's office, from A book of An Elizabethan stage, from Victor E. Albright's Shaksperian Stage, 1909 Charlecote Hall, from Dr Furnivall's edition of Harrison's CHAPTER I ENGLAND AND THE ENGLISH This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle, This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.... 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 |