The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-12-09
= ELIZABETHAN HOME LIFE.

/
Social Conditions in London During tho
a. Sixteenth Century.
In these narrow limits it is impos-
sible to reproduce much Of the Eliza
bethan daily life. Here, however, are
certain details. ~ Is'fB h5H so8 !.
The ordering of the household was
strict. Servants and prentices were up
at, six o'clock in the summer and at
seven o'clock in the winter. No one on
any ..pretence, except that of illness,
was to absent himself from morning
and evening prayers; there was to be
no striking, no;profane Language. SUM-
day was iclean-shirt day. Dinner was
at eleven o'clock, supper six O'clock.
There was no public or private office
which was not provided with a Bible
In the better classes there was "a gen.
eral enthusiasm for learning of all
kinds. The ladies, initiating the exam
pie OF the church. practiced embroidery,
wrote beautifully, played curious in.
struments, knew how to sing in parts,
dressed with as much magnificence as
they could afford, danced the coranto
and the lavolta as well as. the simple
hey, and studied languages-Latin
Greek and Italian. The last was the
favorite language. MANY COLLECTED
books. DR.. John Dee had as many as
four thousand, of which one thousand
were manuscripts. They were arranged
| on the shelves with the leaves turned
4 outward, not the, backs This was to
show the gliding, the gold clasps and
| the asilken strings. The books were
bound with great care and cost; every
body knows the beauty type used in the
4 printing. ~
Tournaments were maintained until
the end of Eiizabeth's reign. But we
I hear little Of them, and it is not
likely that they retained much OF
their old popularity. One Sir Henry
Lee entered the tilt-yard~ every
year until age prevented him They
also kept up the sport Of fitting at the
4 quintain in the water. But their favor.
lite amusements We're the pageant and
the play. The pageant came before
the play; and while the latter was per.
formedon rough scaffoId in an inn
yard, the former was provided with
splendid dresses, music songs, and
! properties of every kind There were
| pageants for the reception Of the king
when he made procession into the
city there were court pageants; there
were private rpageants in great mems
houses; there were pageants got up by
companies. Walter Besant, in Har.
per's Magazine. NV,
i ~ te City Noises. ,@ 40 SO
New corners to cities are AWAY.
greatly annoyed and confused at first
! by the almost incessant noises, but after
| a time becomes insensible to them
This is the rule, but like, ALI others, i,
T has its exceptions. Occasionally are
encountered persons who have, nervous
systems SO nicely balanced that they
are entirely thrown off the center, .
and the rumbling of horse cars, the
jingling of bells and the rattle of rick.
ETY. wagons are constant wear and
tear upon them. The full effect OF
these disturbances on such people is
1 scarcely ever appreciated even by them.
selves, and they are singularly disposed
! toireason backward, and conclude that
nervous weakness is the cause of their
i extreme =, sensitiveness to the noises,
I whereas these noises are oftentimes the
real cause of their nervous weakness
/ A short stay in the country ought to
show them their mistake, for one and