seventeenth century; having, for its focs, the Puritans, a race of men stern, inflexible, and unforgiving, it flourished with difficuity, and by unceasing obloquy and reproach was first pursued into unpopularity, and at length to annihilation. It did not revive until the Restoration, when Charles II. licensed two companies, Killegrew's and Sir William Davenant's. Luxury in dress made great progress. The pocket handkerchiefs of the ladies were frequently wrought with gold and silver, and their shifts were richly embroidered. The chopine is sometimes mentioned; it was an Italian shoe, with a heel ridiculously high. The fly cap was in great vogue. Aldermen's wives had bonnets of velvet, large and showy. Chains and bracelets were ornaments used mostly by women of rank. The ruffs made of lawn and cambric, stiffened with yellow starch, were immoderately large the poking of these gracefully behind was considered a most important attainment. The waist became enormously long, the bodice or stays finished with a most extended point in front at bottom; and to render the appearance still more inconvenient and grotesque, the upper part of the gown, near the shoulders, was considerably enlarged by wool or other stuffing. The fardingale, a Spanish petticoat, bulky over the hips, now went out of fashion; it was introduced by Philip and Mary, and Howel intiinates that it was invented to conceal unlicensed pregnancy. Heywoode thus humorously sings the death of the fardingale "Alas! poor vardingales must lie i' th' streete; When Paul Hentzer saw Elizabeth, then in her 67th year, she had, in her ears, two pearls with very rich drops. She wore false hair, and that red; her bosom was uncovered," as all the English ladies," says Hentzer, "have till they marry.' She was dressed in white silk, bordered with pearls of the size of beans: and over it a mantle of black silk, shot with silver threads; and instead of a chain, she had an oblong collar of gold and jewels. The same writer adds, that wherever she turned her face, every one fell down upon his kness. Henry VIII. had been treated with similar servility. Petitions were presented to her as she went along, which as she received graciously, the people cried out "God save Queen Elizabeth," to which she answered, "I thancke ye, my goode peuple." The presence chamber was strewed with hay; and Hentzer gives a particular account of the tastings, and genuflexions made on entering the queen's room, though her majesty was not present. Needles and pins were now in common use; the making of the former was commenced in 1566 by Gröuse, a German. Pins were known in Henry VIII's reign, and afforded the ladies a convenient substitute for ribbons, loop-holes, tags, clasps, and skewers made of wood, brass, silver and gold. The introduction of silk, and worsted hose was a great improvement. Mrs. Montague, Eliza.. beth's silk woman, in her third year presented her majesty a pa'r of black knit silk stockings, which pleased the queen so much, that she never afterwards wore cloth hose. Soon after, Thomas Burdet, an ingenious apprentice, living opposite St. Magnus' Church, presented Lord Pembroke a pair of worsted stockings, the first knit in this country. The beard was on the wane in this reign. In the reign of Mary it throve luxuriantly; those of Bishop Gardiner and Cardinal Pole, in their portraits, are represented of an uncommon size; it gradually dwindled down into the mustachios or whiskers. The hair was cut close on the top of the head, and grew long on the sides. Showy young men wore jewels in the ears, and sometimes ribbands. The hat had superseded the woollen cap and hood. The crown of the hat was made high, narrowed towards the top, and had sometimes a rich hat-band, adorned by goldsmiths' work and precious stones, which, with a feather and scarlet cloak, marked the man of distinction. Coaches and caroches are both mentioned as being in use. They were first introduced by the Earl of Arundel. Before that time the queen, on public occasions, rode behind her chamberlain. The novelty and convenience of the plan soon brought them into general practice by people of fortune. Hackney coaches were not known till fifty years afterwards. Spoons and knives were as old as Edward the Confessor; but the fork was not yet discovered, and at every meal the fingers were used to keep the meat steady, and convey it to the mouth. Table cloths were made of very valuable linen. Mr. Otter, in Ben Johnson's Silent Woman, mentions a damask table cloth which cost eighteen pounds. The good man of the house sat at the upper end of the board," with a fayre napkyn layde before him on the table, lyke a master.' Among the customs of the sixteenth century, it must not be omitted to mention that of smoking, or as it was then called taking tobacco. It was first introduced into Europe by the Spaniards, and reached England in 1586, imported by Sir Walter Raleigh's settlers in Virginia. Sir Walter himself was one of its first admirers, but preserved great secrecy in his attachment. Owing to a ridiculous accident the foible was discovered; and it then became general. Sir Walter, as the story is related, was enjoying his pipe in solitude, forgetful that he had ordered his servant to attend him with a goblet of ale. The faithful domestic suddenly entering his study, and finding, as he thought, his master's brains on fire, and evaporating in smoke and flame through his nostrils, did his utmost to extinguish the conflagration, by emptying the goblet on Sir Walter's head. When many years after the gallant knight's fate drew near, he smoked two pipes publicly on the scaffold. Stowe, a few years after the introduction of tobacco, wrote of it; he calls it that "stinking weed," and says it was commonly used by most men and many women. The style of living had much improved. Lamb, and a great variety of delicate meats, mark the luxury of Elizabeth's reign. 'There were several courses, and every dish had its appropriate sauce. Beef began to be deemed too gross; brawn, however, was a favorite. A dessert of fruit, spices, and jellies, was not unusual. Breakfast was little liked. If anything was taken it was a glass of ale and a slice of bread. Rural life may be learned from Tasser's "Pointes of IIusbandrie." The farmer and family's diet is fixed to be red-herrings and salt fish in Lent; at other times fresh beef, pork, &c. At Christmas "good drinke, a good fire in the hall, brawne, pudding, and souse and mustard withal, capon, turkey, cheese, apples, nuts, with jolie gamboles." The prudent housewife is advised to make her own candles; servants are directed to go to bed at ten in the summer and nine in the winter, and to rise at five in winter and four in summer. The holidays throughout the year are appointed for working men. The gayest of these festivals seems to have been the wake-day, or vigil of the parish saint, "when every wanton maie danse at her wille." The hour of dinner with people of fortune was eleven before noon, and of supper between five and six in the afternoon; while the merchant took each of their meals an hour later, and the husbandmen one hour later than the merchant. Thus the fashion is entirely changed; the opulent and leisure classes taking their meals later than the industrious orders. Why the meals became later as the times became more refined is a curious fact. The chief cause seems to be, as Hume intimates, that in rude ages men have few amusements or occupation but what day-light allows; whereas in ages of refinement reading, study, and conversation afford employment which can as conveniently be pursued in the night as the day* Kings of England, p. 104. *Fymes Moryson, in his Itinerary, bestows great praise on English inns; he says, " as soone as a passenger comes to an inne, the servants run to him, and one takes his horse and walkes him about till he be cool, then rubs him down, and gives him meat another servant gives the passenger his private chamber, and kindles his fire; the third pulls off his bootes, and makes them cleane; then the host or hostess visits him, and if he will cate with the hoste, or at a common table with the others, his meale will cost him six pence, or in some places four pence; but if he will eat in his chamber, he commands what meat he will, according to his appetite; yea, the kitchen is open to him to order the meat to be dressed as he likes beste. After having eaten what he pleases, he may with credit set by a part for next day's breakfast. His bill will then be written for him, and should he object to any charge the host is ready to alter it. What a strange contrast to our modern style of travelling, and with what astonishment and dismay would a gentleman of the Elizabethian age peruse the following little bill of a railway hotel, for his rest and refreshment from his arrival in the afternoon, to his departure by an carly train the next morning: 8. d. 2 0 2 0 Tart 0 6 Ham and Eggs 1 0 Should this book escape the tru k makers, the above bill some years hence will le a curiosity. REIGN OF JAMES I. FROM 1603 TO 1625-22 YEARS, 3 DAYS. THE GUNPOWDER PLOT. Mild as James I. was in toleration, there was a project contrived at the very beginning of his reign for the re-establishment of Popery, which, were it not a fact known to all the world, could scarcely be credited by posterity. This was the gunpowder plot, than which a more horrid or terrible scheme never entered into the human heart to conceive. The Roman Catholics had expected great favour and indulgence on the accession of James, both as a descendant of Mary, a rigid Catholic, and also as having shown some partiality to that religion in his youth; but they soon discovered their mistake, and were at once surprised and enraged to find James on all occasions express his resolution of strictly exccuting the laws against them, and of persevering in the conduct of his predecessor. This declaration determined them upon more desperate measures; and they at length formed a resolution of destroying the king and both houses of parliament at a blow. The scheme was first broached by Robert Catesby, a gentleman of good parts and ancient family, who conceived that a train of gunpowder might be so placed under the parliament-house as to blow up the king and all the members at once. How horrid soever the contrivance may appear, yet every member seemed faithful and secret in the league, and about two months before the sitting of parliament they hired a house in the name of Percy, adjoining to that in which the parliament was to assemble. Their first intention was to bore a way under the parliament-house from that which they occupied, and they set themselves laboriously to the task; but when they had pierced the wall, which was three yards in thickness, on approaching the other side they were surprised to find that the house was vaulted underneath, and that a magazine of coals was usually deposited there. From their disappointment on this account they were soon relieved by the information that the coals were then selling off, and that the vaults would then be let to the highest bidder. They therefore seized the opportunity of hiring the place, and bought the remaining quantity of coals with which it was then stored, as if for their own use. The next thing done was to convey thither thirty-six barrels of gunpowder, which had been purchased in Holland, and the whole was covered with coals and with faggots, brought for that purpose. Then the doors of the cellar were boldly thrown open, and everybody admitted, as if it contained nothing dangerous. Confident of success, they now began to plan the remaining part of their project. The king, queen, and prince Henry, the king's eldest son, were all expected to be present at the opening of the parliament. The king's second son, by reason of his tender age, would be absent, and it was resolved that Percy should seize or assassinate him. The Princess Elizabeth, a child likewise, was kept at Lord Harrington's house, in Warwickshire; and Sir Everard Digby was to seize her, and immediately proclaim her queen. The day for the sitting of parliament now approached. Never was treason more secret, or ruin more apparently inevitable; the hour was expected with impatience, and the conspirators gloried in their meditated guilt. The dreadful secret, though communicated to above twenty persons, had been religiously kept during the space of near a year and a half; when all the motives of pity, justice, and safety were too weak, a remorse of private friendship saved the kingdom. Sir Henry Percy, one of the conspirators, conceived a design of saving the life of Lord Mounteagle, his intimate friend and companion, who also was of the same persuasion with himself. About ten days before the meeting of parliament, this nobleman, upon his return to town, received a letter from a person unknown, and delivered by one who fled as soon as he had discharged his message. The letter was to this effect: "My lord, stay away from this parliament; for God and man have concurred to punish the wickedness of the times, and think not slightly of this advertisement, but retire yourself into your country, were you may expect the event in safety. For though there be no appearance of any stir, yet I say they will receive a terrible blow this parliament; and yet they will not see who hurts them. This counsel is not to be contemned, because it may do you good, and can do you no harm. For the danger is past as soon as you` have burned this letter." The contents of this mysterious letter surprised and puzzled the nobleman to whom it was addressed; and though inclined to think it a foolish attempt to affright and ridicule him, yet he judged it safest to carry it to Lord Salisbury, secretary of state. Lord Salisbury, too, was inclined to give little attention to it, yet thought proper to lay it before the king in council, who came to town a few days after. None of the council were able to make anything of it, although it appeared serious and alarming. In the universal agitation between doubt and apprehension, the king was the first who penetrated the meaning of this dark epistle. He concluded that some sudden danger was preparing by gunpowder, and it was thought advisable to inspect all the vaults below the houses of parliament. This care belonged to the Earl of Suffolk, lord chamberlain, who purposely delayed the search till the day before the meeting of parliament, November 5, 1605. He remarked those great piles of faggots which lay in the vault under the house of peers, and seized a man preparing for the terrible enterprise, dressed in a cloak and boots, and a dark lanthorn in his This letter is said to have been sent by Mary, eldest daughter of Lord Morley, sister to Lord Monteagle, the wife of Thomas Abington, of Henslip, Worcester. Affection for her brother prompted the warning, while love for her husband, who was privy to the conspiracy, suggested such means as were best calculated to prevent his detection; others attribute it to Tresham, another confederate, who had no sooner given his consent to the plot than he repented it, and sought to break it up without betraying his associates. |