The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-08-28
England in Queen Elizabeth's Day.

So RAPIDLY were the English growing in the
luxuries and vices of other lands, While they re-
tanned their native vigor and coarse habits that
the piay-wrights constantly alluded to the lncon-
eruity of the fashions displayed in the dress of
dandies, to their language mixed of all the dia-
lects in Europe, to their aptitude for every dissi-
ration. to their skill in the sports of all nations,
and to decay of antique severity. We have
robbed Greece of gluttony,' says stephen Gasson,
Spain of pride, France OF deceit and Dutchiano
oi o~ua6ina." But these affections were only a
kind of varnish on the surface OF society. The IN
cidents of court gossip show how savage was the
life beneath. Queen Elizabeth spat one day IN
the midst of her mobiles, at a gentleman who dis-
pleased her. She struck Lord Essex on the
cheek. Burleigh often cried at her ill-treatment.
The Lords wrangled and even drew swords In her
presence. Once Leicester took her handkerchief
from her lap to wipe his face at tennis. Lady
Jane Gray was starved and beaten by her parents,
and exposed to such indignities that she wearled
Of life yet they made her one OF the best 0reek
scholars of the day. Heretics were burned In
every town. Sir Henry Sidney, as We learn from
a paper recently published by Mr.. Froude, when
sent to quell the Irish rebels, first proclaimed the
Queens sovereignty and then allowed no mercy to
the recusants. He sc put man, woman and child
the advantages of pillaging, or s. having some
killing" with a preference for the latter when
they felt themselves in humor of the chase.
The belief in witches everywhere prevailed, nor
was it an uncommon village sport to drown old
women in the ponds, and to rack suspected wiz
ards till for very anguish they confessed fictitious
crimes. Country folks conducted their revels
with a license that would shock our modern ears.
The Lord of Misrule led out his motley train, and
ladies went a-maying with their lovers to the
woods. The feasts of asses and of fools prOfaned
the sanctuaries !; nor were the sports of Christmas
so well suited to celebrate a Christian festival as
to recall the rites of Wooden and of Freya. Men
women who read Plato and discussed the
beauties of Petrarch's poetry, allowed the coars-
est practical jokes and used the grOssest language.
They sold farms and forests, and wore their acres
in the form of gems and gold lace on their backs.
But their splendid clothes and jewels did not pre-
vent them from indulging in the most untidy
habits. They would lie upon the rushes which
the fragments OF old feasts and they
burned perfumes to sweeten chambers musty
bad air. The church itself was not respected.
The nave Of st. Paul became a rendezvous of
thieves and prostitutes. Fine gentlemen paid
of money for the privilege of clanking up
crowded from the square outside In all
their finery, often took the sacrament and then
run out to their sports. Men were
Papists and Protestants according to the time Of
day hearing mass in the morning and sermon in
the afternoon. There was no end to the extrava-
gance and incOngruity of elements which then
prevailed in England. Yet in the midst of this
confusion rose cavaliers like Sydney, philosophers
like Bacon, poets like Spencer in whom all that
is pure, elevated, subtle, tender, wise, delicate
and learned in our modern civilization displayed
irself.IC ornhiU Magazine.