New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-11
ENGLISH SOCIETY.
IN THE DAYS OF ELIZABETH.

SOCIETY IN THE EL1zABETHAN AGE: BY Hubert
Hall, +. $ a. svo PIP. 3o5. Macmillan q CO.
The method adopted by Mr.. Hall in illustration
of the age with which he deals undoubtedly
lends dcfnitcncss and an appearance Of precision
TO his pictures but it is not without grave defects
His facts are indisputablc, for they are taken
directly from the public records. His plan Is
TO illustrate each grade Of socicty-as, The land
lord, the tenant. the lawyer, the courticr, me
host the official and so forth-hy some concrete
example Thus, he takes Wild Darrell for his
landlord, Sir Thomas Gresham for his merchant,
John Popham for his lawyer This, Of course.
gives great ccarncss to the illustrations, and also
verisimiitudc: but il is not certain that gen
Civilizations upon suck examples are 70 be &c
ccpted as entirely trustworthy, naSmuch MS thc
men named were by no means average men. Wild
Darrell for instance could not have obtained thAt
"soubriquct" from his contemporaries uncas he
had been in many respects different from them.
Gresham may he recognized IS fair illustration
Of tie merchant princes OF his age hu' popham
was surely not an average specimen OF the Eliza
bcthan lawyer Yet, when proper allowance hns
been made for this possible source OF error II must
be admitted that Mr.. Halls researches have an
important, and especially disillusioning eject
upon tho prevalent ideas Of the Elzabcthan age
We find the cultivation Of the period 30 have
England of Elizabeth appears in fact. - he
country wherein the old and primitive law Of
force still obtains TO an unexpected extent. Turn
ing 10 the landlords note state Of contention.
rapacity, fraud bribery and violence but little
if at all beyond the practices under the Plan'aE-
enets The great landowners are AZ fend with
one another Litigation is general. and when It'll
cation proves adverse 20 strong suitors recourse
is often had 10 violence. Wild Darrell was the
quarry Of his own relatives and his wfes who
could not wait for his death TO divide his estates.
but pursued him pitiessy until they drove him
for refuge To the Court where his sole means OF
securing powerful protection consisted in heavy
bribery In those days Of romance and gnllanlry.
however, everybody seems 10 have been venal.
and nobody seems 70 have been ashamed Of II.
Popham, who was successivcly Solicitor General.
Attorney General, and Chief Justice OF England.
thought nothing, when at the bar. Of trying %
influence the decision OF judge before whom
he had cause. As for the courticrs. they were
the creediest and most corrupt Of oil, unless the
officials may be thought 10 have run them hard.
They were, moreover, bent upon founding landed
estates and preferred brides in the form Of realty.
Pembroke is employed hero in illustration, and
more rapacous man it would be difficult to find.
lie took everything that was offered, and those
who hcstated 10 surrender their property
aercely threatened, and if that did not serve. i'm
prisoied.
As 10 the poor tenant, he led hard life, being
continually attacked by his own landlord. Land
tenurcs were at this time In transition state.
The fcudal system was breaking up. and old and
new customs and laws were mingled in confusing
way IL was the interest and aim Of the ten
ant to maintain that be had freehold IL was
the interest and aim OF the landlord to maintain
that he only possessed terminable or threc-lifc
lease. The tenant often held upon ancient Gus
tom, and in his own defence he kept copy Of
me customs of the manor. When his title was
! attacked he usually fell back upon this document,
| and if he could prove that he had done the pre-
scribed service the courts would, as a rule, up
hold him. But the landlords rcsorted to all man
ner Of tricks and subterfuges to obtain their ends
| and not seldom they and their lawyers were too
| crafty for the Door tenant. Nevertheless il some
| times happened that bold and litlgious man Of
the people would cause serious and prolonged
trouble for persons in high station, as the bishop
! of Ely discovered to his cost Considering the
| cheapness of human life at this period, and the
| light danger attaching to murder, il is somewhat
! surorisine that the Bshop-whOsc morals were
! apparently not too strict for even such crime
| did not cause his prosecutor 10 he " removed.
! Perhaps the fact that he had for enemies almost
all the people Of his diocese may have acted AS a
deterrent, for he was nice specimen Of a Bishop,
! all things considered.
Mr. Halls researches and discoveries concern
ing Sir Thomas Gresham ere calculated TO sur
prise all who have been accustomed 20 accept
/ the traditional character Of the founder OF tho
/ ROYAL Exchange In these pages the old 'ncr-
chant prince appears very much like a Shylock
Hi, wealth was really gained in financing for The
Government and no modern "Yonng Napoleon
could have taken better care Of himself In these
transactions. In fact, when the accounts came
10 be closed Sir Thomas was held 10 have cheated
the Government 10 have tried TO cheat II.
out Of a good many Thousand pounds. But he
had Of course great influence" and he succeeded
| in getting his accounts accepted in spite OF all
the exhibits made by the Government auditors
! and accountants. Csury seems 10 have been
| common among the city business men. and 10
| avoid the law against it the most curious
| wagcrs were resorted. TO. as is here shown from
the record of a typical smart man of the period.
| The people who delight in asserting tie superior
corruption and profigacy of the nineteenth over
all the preceding centuries may Learn some useful