In this place also are our merchants to be installed, as amongst the
citizens (although they often change estate with gentlemen, as
gentlemen doo with them, by a mutuall conuersion of the one into the
other) whose number is so increased in these our daies, that their
onelie maintenance is the cause of the exceeding prices of forreine
wares, which otherwise when euerie nation was permitted to bring in
hir owne commodities, were farre better cheape and more plentifullie
to be had. Of the want of our commodities here at home, by their great
transportation of them into other countries, I speake not, sith the
matter will easilie bewraie it selfe. Certes among the Lacedemonians
it was found out, that great numbers of merchants were nothing to the
furtherance of the state of the commonwealth: wherefore it is to be
wished that the huge heape of them were somewhat restreined, as also
of our lawiers, so should the rest liue more easilie vpon their owne,
and few honest chapmen be brought to decaie, by breaking of the
bankerupt. I doo not denie but that the nauie of the land is in part
mainteined by their traffike, and so are the high prices of wares kept
vp now they haue gotten the onelie sale of things, vpon pretense of
better furtherance of the common-wealth into their owne hands: whereas
in times past when the strange bottoms were suffered to come in, we
had sugar for foure pence the pound, that now at the writing of this
treatise is well worth halfe a crowne, raisons or corints for a penie
that now are holden at six pence, and sometime at eight pence and ten
pence the pound: nutmegs at two pence halfe penie the ounce: ginger at
a penie an ounce, prunes at halfe penie farding: great raisons three
pound for a penie, cinamon at foure pence the ounce, cloues at two
pence, and pepper at twelue, and sixteene pence the pound. Whereby we
may sée the sequele of things not alwaies but verie seldome to be such
as is pretended in the beginning. The wares that they carrie out of
the realme, are for the most part brode clothes and carsies of all
colours, likewise cottons, fréeses, rugs, tin, wooll, our best béere,
baies, bustian, mockadoes tufted and plaine, rash, lead, fells, &c:
which being shipped at sundrie ports of our coasts, are borne from
thence into all quarters of the world, and there either exchanged for
other wares or readie monie: to the great gaine and commoditie of our
merchants. And whereas in times past their cheefe trade was into
Spaine, Portingall, France, Flanders, Danske, Norwaie, Scotland, and
Iseland onelie: now in these daies, as men not contented with these
iournies, they haue sought out the east and west Indies, and made now
and then suspicious voiages not onelie vnto the Canaries, and new
Spaine, but likewise into Cathaia, Moscouia, Tartaria, and the regions
thereabout, from whence (as they saie) they bring home great
commodities. But alas I sée not by all their trauell that the prices
of things are anie whit abated. Certes this enormitie (for so I doo
accompt of it) was sufficientlie prouided for, An. 9 Edward 3. by a
noble estatute made in that behalfe, but vpon what occasion the
generall execution thereof is staied or not called on, in good sooth I
cannot tell. This onelie I know, that euerie function and seuerall
vocation striueth with other, which of them should haue all the water
of commoditie run into hir owne cesterne.
[Sidenote: Yeomen.]
Yeomen are those, which by our law are called Legales homines, free
men borne English, and may dispend of their owne free land in yearelie
reuenue, to the summe of fortie shillings sterling, or six pounds as
monie goeth in our times. Some are of the opinion by Cap. 2. Rich. 2.
an. 20. that they are the same which the French men call varlets, but
as that phrase is vsed in my time it is farre vnlikelie to be so. The
truth is that the word is deriued from the Saxon terme Zeoman or
Geoman, which signifieth (as I haue read) a settled or staid man, such
I meane as being maried and of some yeares, betaketh himselfe to staie
in the place of his abode for the better maintenance of himselfe and
his familie, whereof the single sort haue no regard, but are likelie
to be still fleeting now hither now thither, which argueth want of
stabilitie in determination and resolution of iudgement, for the
execution of things of anie importance. This sort of people haue a
certeine preheminence, and more estimation than labourers & the common
sort of artificers, & these commonlie liue wealthilie, kéepe good
houses, and trauell to get riches. They are also for the most part
farmers to gentlemen (in old time called Pagani, & opponuntur
militibus, and therfore Persius calleth himselfe Semipaganus) or at
the leastwise artificers, & with grasing, frequenting of markets, and
kéeping of seruants (not idle seruants as the gentlemen doo, but such
as get both their owne and part of their masters liuing) do come to
great welth, in somuch that manie of them are able and doo buie the
lands of vnthriftie gentlemen, and often setting their sonnes to the
schooles, to the vniuersities, and to the Ins of the court; or
otherwise leauing them sufficient lands wherevpon they may liue
without labour, doo make them by those meanes to become gentlemen:
these were they that in times past made all France afraid. And albeit
they be not called master as gentlemen are, or sir as to knights
apperteineth, but onelie Iohn and Thomas, &c: yet haue they beene
[Sidenote: Englishmen on foot and Frenchmen on horssebacke best.]
found to haue doone verie good seruice: and the kings of England in
foughten battels, were woont to remaine among them (who were their
footmen) as the French kings did amongst their horssemen: the prince
thereby shewing where his chiefe strength did consist.
[Sidenote: _Capite censi or Proletarij._]
The fourth and last sort of people in England are daie labourers,
poore husbandmen, and some retailers (which haue no frée land) copie
holders, and all artificers, as tailers, shomakers, carpenters,
[Sidenote: No slaues nor bondmen in England.]
brickmakers, masons, &c. As for slaues and bondmen we haue none, naie
such is the priuilege of our countrie by the especiall grace of God,
and bountie of our princes, that if anie come hither from other
realms, so soone as they set foot on land they become so frée of
condition as their masters, whereby all note of seruile bondage is
vtterlie remooued from them, wherein we resemble (not the Germans who
had slaues also, though such as in respect of the slaues of other
countries might well be reputed frée, but) the old Indians and the
Taprobanes, who supposed it a great iniurie to nature to make or
suffer them to be bond, whome she in hir woonted course dooth product
and bring foorth frée. This fourth and last sort of people therefore
haue neither voice nor authoritie in the common wealth, but are to be
ruled, and not to rule other: yet they are not altogither neglected,
for in cities and corporat townes, for default of yeomen they are
faine to make up their inquests of such maner of people. And in
villages they are commonlie made churchwardens, sidemen, aleconners,
now and then constables, and manie times inioie the name of
hedboroughes. Vnto this sort also may our great swarmes of idle
seruing men be referred, of whome there runneth a prouerbe; Yoong
seruing men old beggers, bicause seruice is none heritage. These men
are profitable to none, for if their condition be well perused, they
are enimies to their masters, to their freends, and to themselues: for
by them oftentimes their masters are incouraged vnto vnlawfull
exactions of their tenants, their fréends brought vnto pouertie by
their rents inhanced, and they themselues brought to confusion by
their owne prodigalitie and errors, as men that hauing not wherewith
of their owne to mainteine their excesses, doo search in high waies,
budgets, cofers, males, and stables, which way to supplie their wants.
How diuerse of them also coueting to beare an high saile doo insinuate
themselues with yoong gentlemen and noble men newlie come to their
lands, the case is too much apparant, whereby the good natures of the
parties are not onelie a little impaired, but also their liuelihoods
and reuenues so wasted and consumed, that if at all yet not in manie
yeares they shall be able to recouer themselues. It were verie good
therefore that the superfluous heapes of them were in part diminished.
And sith necessitie inforceth to haue some, yet let wisdome moderate
their numbers, so shall their masters be rid of vnnecessarie charge,
and the common wealth of manie théeues. No nation cherisheth such
store of them as we doo here in England, in hope of which maintenance
manie giue themselues to idlenesse, that otherwise would be brought to
labour, and liue in order like subiects. Of their whoredomes I will
not speake anie thing at all, more than of their swearing, yet is it
found that some of them doo make the first a cheefe piller of their
building, consuming not onelie the goods but also the health & welfare
of manie honest gentlemen, citizens, wealthie yeomen, &c: by such
vnlawfull dealings. But how farre haue I waded in this point, or how
farre may I saile in such a large sea? I will therefore now staie to
speake anie more of those kind of men. In returning therefore to my
matter, this furthermore among other things I haue to saie of our
husbandmen and artificers, that they were neuer so excellent in their
trades as at this present. But as the workemanship of the later sort
was neuer more fine and curious to the eie, so was it neuer lesse
strong and substantiall for continuance and benefit of the buiers.
Neither is there anie thing that hurteth the common sort of our
artificers more than hast, and a barbarous or slauish desire to turne
the penie, and by ridding their worke to make spéedie vtterance of
their wares: which inforceth them to bungle vp and dispatch manie
things they care not how so they be out of their hands, whereby the
buier is often sore defrauded, and findeth to his cost, that hast
maketh wast, according to the prouerbe.
Oh how manie trades and handicrafts are now in England, whereof the
common wealth hath no néed? How manie néedfull commodities haue we
which are perfected with great cost, &c: and yet may with farre more
ease and lesse cost be prouided from other countries if we could vse
the meanes. I will not speake of iron, glasse, and such like, which
spoile much wood, and yet are brought from other countries better
chéepe than we can make them here at home, I could exemplifie also in
manie other. But to leaue these things and procéed with our purpose,
and herein (as occasion serueth) generallie by waie of conclusion to
speake of the common-wealth of England, I find that it is gouerned and
mainteined by three sorts of persons.
1 The prince, monarch, and head gouernour, which is called the king,
or (if the crowne fall to the woman) the quéene: in whose name and by
whose authoritie all things are administred.
2 The gentlemen, which be diuided into two sorts, as the baronie or
estate of lords (which conteineth barons and all aboue that degree)
and also those that be no lords, as knights, esquiers, & simple
gentlemen, as I haue noted alreadie. Out of these also are the great
deputies and high presidents chosen, of which one serueth in Ireland,
as another did sometime in Calis, and the capteine now at Berwike; as
one lord president dooth gouerne in Wales, and the other the north
parts of this Iland, which later with certeine councellors and iudges
were erected by king Henrie the eight. But forsomuch as I haue touched
their conditions elsewhere, it shall be inough to haue remembred them
at this time.
3 The third and last sort is named the yeomanrie, of whom & their
sequele, the labourers and artificers, I haue said somewhat euen now.
Whereto I ad that they be not called masters and gentlemen, but
goodmen, as goodman Smith, goodman Coot, goodman Cornell, goodman
Mascall, goodman Cockswet, &c: & in matters of law these and the like
are called thus, Giles lewd-yeoman, Edward Mountford yeoman, Iames
Cocke yeoman, Herrie Butcher yeoman, &c: by which addition they are
exempt from the vulgar and common sorts. Cato calleth them Aratores &
optimos ciues rei publicæ, of whom also you may read more in the booke
of common wealth which sir Thomas Smith sometime penned of this land.
Of gentlemen also some are by the prince chosen, and called to great
offices in the common wealth, of which said offices diuerse concerne
the whole realme; some be more priuat and peculiar to the kings house.
And they haue their places and degrées, prescribed by an act of
parlement made An. 31 Henr. octaui, after this maner insuing.
These foure the lord Chancellor, the lord Treasuror (who is Supremus
ærarij Anglici quæstor _or_ Tribunus ærarius maximus) the lord
President of the councell, and the lord Priuie seale, being persons of
the degrée of a baron or aboue, are in the same act appointed to sit
in the parlement and in all assemblies or councell aboue all dukes,
not being of the bloud roiall, Videlicet the kings brother, vncle, or
nephue.
And these six, the lord great Chamberleine of England: the lord high
Constable of England: the lord Marshall of England: the lord Admirall
of England: the lord great master or Steward of the kings house: and
the lord Chamberleine: by that act are to be placed in all assemblies
of councell, after the lord priuie seale, according to their degrées
and estats: so that if he be a baron, then he is to sit aboue all
barons: or an earle, aboue all earles.
And so likewise the kings secretarie, being a baron of the parlement,
hath place aboue all barons, and if he be a man of higher degrée, he
shall sit and be placed according therevnto.
_The rehearsall of the temporall nobilitie of England, according to
the anciencie of their creations, or first calling to their degrees,
as they are to be found at this present._
[Sidenote: No duke in England.]
[Sidenote: Earles.]
The Marquise of Winchester.
The earle of Arundell.
The earle of Oxford.
The earle of Northumberland.
The earle of Shrewesburie.
The earle of Kent.
The earle of Derbie.
The earle of Worcester.
The earle of Rutland.
The earle of Cumberland.
The earle of Sussex.
The earle of Huntingdon.
The earle of Bath.
The earle of Warwike.
The earle of Southampton.
The earle of Bedford.
The earle of Penbrooke.
The earle of Hertford.
The earle of Leicester.
The earle of Essex.
The earle of Lincolne.
[Sidenote: Visconts.]
The viscont Montague.
The viscont Bindon.
[Sidenote: Barons.]
The lord of Abergeuennie.
The lord Awdeleie.
The lord Zouch.
The lord Barkeleie.
The lord Morleie.
The lord Dacres of the south.
The lord Cobham.
The lord Stafford.
The lord Greie of Wilton.
The lord Scroope.
The lord Dudleie.
The lord Latimer.
The lord Stourton.
The lord Lumleie.
The lord Mountioie.
The lord Ogle.
The lord Darcie of the north.
The lord Mountegle.
The lord Sands.
The lord Vaulx.
The lord Windsore.
The lord Wentworth.
The lord Borough.
The lord Mordaunt.
The lord Cromwell.
The lord Euers.
The lord Wharton.
The lord Rich.
The lord Willowbie.
The lord Sheffeld.
The lord Paget.
The lord Darcie of Chichester.
The lord Howard of Effingham.
The lord North.
The lord Chaundos.
The lord of Hunsdon.
The lord saint Iohn of Bletso.
The lord of Buckhirst.
The lord Delaware.
The lord Burghleie.
The lord Compton.
The lord Cheineie.
The lord Norreis.
_Bishops in their anciencie, as they sat in parlement, in the fift of
the Queenes maiesties reigne that now is._
[Sidenote: Cleargie.]
The archbishop of Canturburie.
The archbishop of Yorke.
London.
Durham.
Winchester.
The rest had their places in senioritie of consecration.
Chichester.
Landaffe.
Hereford.
Elie.
Worcester.
Bangor.
Lincolne.
Salisburie.
S. Dauids.
Rochester.
Bath and Welles.
Couentrie and Lichfield.
Excester.
Norwich.
Peterborough.
Carleill.
Chester.
S. Assaph.
Glocester.
And this for their placing in the parlement house. Howbeit, when the
archbishop of Canturburie siteth in his prouinciall assemblie, he hath
on his right hand the archbishop of Yorke, and next vnto him the
bishop of Winchester, on the left hand the bishop of London: but if it
fall out that the archbishop of Canturburie be not there by the
vacation of his sée, then the archbishop of Yorke is to take his
place, who admitteth the bishop of London to his right hand, and the
prelat of Winchester to his left, the rest sitting alwaies as afore,
that is to saie, as they are elders by consecration, which I thought
good also to note out of an ancient president.
OF THE FOOD AND DIET OF THE ENGLISH.
CHAP. VI.
The situation of our region, lieng néere vnto the north, dooth cause
the heate of our stomaches to be of somewhat greater force: therefore
our bodies doo craue a little more ample nourishment, than the
inhabitants of the hotter regions are accustomed withall, whose
digestiue force is not altogither so vehement, bicause their internall
heat is not so strong as ours, which is kept in by the coldnesse of
the aire, that from time to time (speciallie in winter) dooth enuiron
our bodies.
It is no maruell therefore that our tables are oftentimes more
plentifullie garnished than those of other nations, and this trade
hath continued with vs euen since the verie beginning. For before the
Romans found out and knew the waie vnto our countrie, our predecessors
fed largelie vpon flesh and milke, whereof there was great aboundance
in this Ile, bicause they applied their chéefe studies vnto pasturage
and féeding. After this maner also did our Welsh Britons order
themselues in their diet so long as they liued of themselues, but
after they became to be vnited and made equall with the English they
framed their appetites to liue after our maner, so that at this daie
there is verie little difference betwéene vs in our diets.
In Scotland likewise they haue giuen themselues (of late yeares to
speake of) vnto verie ample and large diet, wherein as for some
respect nature dooth make them equall with vs: so otherwise they far
excéed vs in ouer much and distemperate gormandize, and so ingrosse
their bodies that diuerse of them doo oft become vnapt to anie other
purpose than to spend their times in large tabling and bellie chéere.
Against this pampering of their carcasses dooth Hector Boetius in his
description of the countrie verie sharpelie inueigh in the first
chapter of that treatise. Henrie Wardlaw also bishop of S. Andrewes,
noting their vehement alteration from competent frugalitie into
excessiue gluttonie, to be brought out of England with Iames the first
(who had béene long time prisoner there vnder the fourth & fift
Henries, and at his returne caried diuerse English gentlemen into his
countrie with him, whome he verie honorablie preferred there) dooth
vehementlie exclame against the same in open parlement holden at Perth
1433, before the three estats, and so bringeth his purpose to passe in
the end by force of his learned persuasions, that a law was presentlie
made there for the restreint of superfluous diet, amongest other
things baked meats (dishes neuer before this mans daies seene in
Scotland) were generallie so prouided for by vertue of this act, that
it was not lawfull for anie to eat of the same vnder the degrée of a
gentleman, and those onelie but on high and festiuall daies, but alas
it was soone forgotten.
In old time these north Britons did giue themselues vniuersallie to
great abstinence, and in time of warres their souldiers would often
féed but once or twise at the most in two or thrée daies (especiallie
if they held themselues in secret, or could haue no issue out of their
bogges and marises, through the presence of the enimie) and in this
distresse they vsed to eat a certeine kind of confection, whereof so
much as a beane would qualifie their hunger aboue common expectation.
In woods moreouer they liued with hearbes and rootes, or if these
shifts serued not thorough want of such prouision at hand, then vsed
they to créepe into the water or said moorish plots vp vnto the chins,
and there remaine a long time, onelie to qualifie the heats of their
stomachs by violence, which otherwise would haue wrought and béene
readie to oppresse them for hunger and want of sustinance. In those
daies likewise it was taken for a great offense ouer all, to eat
either goose, hare, or henne, bicause of a certeine superstitious
opinion which they had conceiued of those three creatures, howbeit
after that the Romans (I saie) had once found an entrance into this
Iland, it was not long yer open shipwracke was made of this religious
obseruation, so that in processe of time, so well the north and south
Britons as the Romans, gaue ouer to make such difference in meats, as
they had doone before.
From thencefoorth also vnto our daies, and euen in this season wherein
we liue, there is no restreint of anie meat, either for religions sake
or publike order in England, but it is lawfull for euerie man to féed
vpon what soeuer he is able to purchase, except it be vpon those daies
whereon eating of flesh is especiallie forbidden by the lawes of the
realme, which order is taken onelie to the end our numbers of cattell
may be the better increased, & that aboundance of fish which the sea
yéeldeth, more generallie receiued. Beside this there is great
consideration had in making of this law for the preseruation of the
nauie, and maintenance of conuenient numbers of sea faring men, both
which would otherwise greatlie decaie, if some meanes were not found
whereby they might be increased. But how soeuer this case standeth,
white meats, milke, butter & cheese, which were neuer so deere as in
my time, and woont to be accounted of as one of the chiefe staies
throughout the Iland, are now reputed as food appertinent onelie to
the inferiour sort, whilest such as are more wealthie, doo féed vpon
the flesh of all kinds of cattell accustomed to be eaten, all sorts of
fish taken vpon our coasts and in our fresh riuers, and such
diuersitie of wild and tame foules as are either bred in our Iland or
brought ouer vnto vs from other countries of the maine.
In number of dishes and change of meat, the nobilitie of England
(whose cookes are for the most part musicall headed Frenchmen and
strangers) doo most exceed, sith there is no daie in maner that
passeth ouer their heads, wherein they haue not onelie béefe, mutton,
veale, lambe, kid, porke, conie, capon, pig, or so manie of these as
the season yeeldeth: but also some portion of the red or fallow déere,
beside great varietie of fish and wild foule, and thereto sundrie
other delicates wherein the swéet hand of the seafaring Portingale is
not wanting: so that for a man to dine with one of them, and to tast
of euerie dish that standeth before him (which few vse to doo, but ech
one feedeth vpon that meat him best liketh for the time, the beginning
of euerie dish notwithstanding being reserued vnto the greatest
personage that sitteth at the table, to whome it is drawen vp still by
the waiters as order requireth, and from whome it descendeth againe
euen to the lower end, whereby each one may tast thereof) is rather to
yéeld vnto a conspiracie with a great deale of meat for the spéedie
suppression of naturall health, then the vse of a necessarie meane to
satisfie himselfe with a competent repast, to susteine his bodie
withall. But as this large feeding is not séene in their gests, no
more is it in their owne persons, for sith they haue dailie much
resort vnto their tables (and manie times vnlooked for) and thereto
reteine great numbers of seruants, it is verie requisit & expedient
for them to be somewhat plentifull in this behalfe.