Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-05
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By the Bookloper

England, SuCu hS SHakeSpeareS Eng
land" edited by Raleigh, Onions and
land" by J. D. wilson: England In
Shakespeare's Day." by @. B. Harrison,
and "Elizabetnan Life In Town and
Country" by Miss M. st. Claire Byrne.
But these and other valuable source
books are too valuable, too scholarly.
for the general reader, who wants to
be entertained as well as informed,
perhaps preferring the former II he IS
frank with himself and the makers OF
literature. A book designed for this
general reader, which Is vivid as stcA'
is Life in Elizabethan Days: A Picture
of a Typical English Community at the
End Of the Sixteenth Century" by
William Stearns Davis. The author has
already similarly treated medieval life
in his Life on Medieval Barony.
His method Is a clever one. In Life
in Elizabethan Age" he imagines q flc-
titious but typical English sixteenth
century town, "Boroughport, situate IN
the County Of Thropshire east
Of the sun and west of the moon, upon
the southern coast of England" Near
Boroughport, and also imaginary and
typical, Is "Hollydean Hall, seat of the
landlord, rising some two miles from
Hockey Bar, the northernmost Of the
city gates" and spread on the thriv-
ing farm lands of Hollydean parish.
Then, of course. Mr.. Davis invents in
habitants for Eollydean Hall. It's mas
ter is Sir Walter Hollydean, who has,
because Of family poverty, in his youth
been articled to rich London ner-
chant whose daughter Catherine he
has married. The pounds and shillings
of the London merchant rebuilt the
crazy old manor house in the most
approved architecture" Lost Hollydean
lands were bought back, Sir Walter
becomes justice of the peace and his
lady became "a great stickler for ranks
and pedlgrees and tries to make her
children believe that her own grand
father was nothing less than lordly
royal cofferer and not merely petty
usurer, as the malicious allege." Sir
Walter and Lady Hollydean have three
children-Capt Andrew Hollydean, who
poses as a gallant and a rake: Mistress
Anne and young Mistress Arabella,
healthy, strapping girls in their teens. "
Having created family. Mr.. Davis
proceeds to tell lis how they lived, every
day and on unusual occasions.
The chapters In Life In Elizabethan
Days" taken together, give very COM
PANbS PASVN4O Va 4lLDdDClLIull llAC AL Go"II
and country, but not of London life,
which was totally different. Some of the
subjects discussed are "A Stately Man
sion and Its Furnishings" "Raiment,
Sober and Gay; Food and Feasting,"
Maids, Matrons and Matrimony." The
Pains Of Schooling" Books, Authors
and Printing: True Religion and It's
Ministers" Plaques, Religions and
Funerals; Cottages and Farms, "
Rogues, Vagabonds and the Queens
Justice; Fairies, the Devil and Witch
craft; "Pastimes and Dancing" "Trav-
elers and Inns" Ships and Seafaring"
and The Queens Progress to Holly
dean" The architecture and furnish
ing Of Hollydean are ornate and elegant.
belonging to the new age" of Elizabeth
The popular architect, Master Sylvester.
has rebuilt 1t, after Sir Walters mar
rage, in the "Italianate" style. The
great hall, where retainers and
servants and less preferred guests gather
under the hcspitable presidency of
Master Scanwell, the proprietor's stew
ard" is AN apartment of noble dimen-
sions. There Is a gallery for
musicians over against the dais. set up
near the high ceiling of ornamental
plaster work. At the center of one side
wall, raised upon another low platform,
is an enormous fireplace armed with
huge iron flredogs." Tapestries adorn
the walls Of the great hall, the parlors
and the great galleries. The other less
important rooms are hung with the
sixteenth century forerunner of wall
paper, painted cloths" long strips of
canvas painted in a kind of tempera,
the scenes being sketched in broadly,
somewhat as will be the theater scenery
Of another age. There are all
manner Of designs, especially conven-
tionalized plants and beasts, but, above
all, there are crude 'histories'-scenes
from the Bible or else from the
old mythology" The mansion is
further adorned with Turkey work"
handsome embroideries supposed to be
limitations of Turkey carpets; family
portraits, with great attention to the
costumes, but little correctness of like
ness; silver plate and pewter. carved
stools and tables. few straight carved
armchairs for the family and distin-
guished guests: carved Bullets. cabinets,
cupboards, often inlaid with mar
queterie: carved chests everywhere, but
almost no chests of drawers; enormous
carver beds. with valances, canopies and
curtains to shut out the dangerous night
air.
Elegant as are the other furnishings
Of Hollydean, the floors remain crude
and rustic. There are no carpets.
The floors are strewn with thick lay
ers of ruShes. Enter her majesty's
presence chamber; the silken-clad legs
of lordly courtiers are pricked as they
kneel in salutation upon the hay. = =
Hollydean. like all contemporary man.
sions. has this deep, crackly floor cover
ing in all the better chambers. Just
now in Summer. when grasses. rushes
and wild flowers are abundant, this
natural carpet is not unpleasant. The
rushes have just been changed, and
the whole dwelling is permeated by
the clean, sweet odor of new-mown
hay. In Midwinter and early
Spring the case, alas, Is very different :;
the old rushes have been allowed to re-
main since Autumn. Dust, ale drop
pings, grease and all manner of rub
bish have sifted down through them.
In many rooms there is constant eat
ing; how easy to clear the plates and
trenches merely by flinging down the
bones and crusts to hide themselves in
the stalks, and, presumably, to be de-
voured by the numerous cats and dogs
Then in March, when the meadows be-
gin to supply a new crop, there is a
tremendous bundling and sweeping.
The old rushes are cast out for the
lads bonflres and are replaced with the
fragrant layer of the new Qualmish
people, however, complain that the
hordes of vermin that breed happily
all through the Winter are never quite
cleared out of mansion. Not merely
the floor rushes, but the tapestries.
hangings and curtains are sure to be
populous. What matter? An
Englishman's skin should be tough:
and If the odor from the rushes is
sometimes a trifle strong fine gentle
ready scent ball or 'pomander.' AS for
the suggestion that stale rushes breed
disease, Sir Walter simply wags his
head and Swears that the world is full
of silly notions" In describing the food
of the family at Hollydean Mr.. Davis
tells us that the English have always
been mighty eaters of flesh. The use