The greatest part of our building in the cities and good townes of
England consisteth onelie of timber, for as yet few of the houses of
the communaltie (except here & there in the West countrie townes) are
made of stone, although they may (in my opinion) in diuerse other
places be builded so good cheape of the one as of the other. In old
time the houses of the Britons were slightlie set vp with a few posts
& many radels, with stable and all offices vnder one roofe, the like
whereof almost is to be séene in the fennie countries and northerne
parts vnto this daie, where for lacke of wood they are inforced to
continue this ancient maner of building. It is not in vaine therefore
in speaking of building to make a distinction betwéene the plaine and
wooddie soiles: for as in these, our houses are commonlie strong and
well timbered, so that in manie places, there are not aboue foure,
six, or nine inches betwéene stud and stud; so in the open and
champaine countries they are inforced for want of stuffe to vse no
studs at all, but onlie franke posts, raisins, beames, prickeposts,
groundsels, summers (or dormants) transoms, and such principals, with
here and there a griding, whervnto they fasten their splints or
radels, and then cast it all ouer with thicke claie to keepe out the
wind, which otherwise would annoie them. Certes this rude kind of
building made the Spaniards in quéene Maries daies to woonder, but
chéeflie when they saw what large diet was vsed in manie of these so
homelie cottages, in so much that one of no small reputation amongst
them said after this maner: "These English (quoth he) haue their
houses made of sticks and durt, but they fare commonlie so well as the
king." Whereby it appeareth that he liked better of our good fare in
such course cabins, than of their owne thin diet in their princelike
habitations and palaces. In like sort as euerie countrie house is thus
apparelled on the out side, so is it inwardlie diuided into sundrie
roomes aboue and beneath; and where plentie of wood is, they couer
them with tiles, otherwise with straw, sedge, or reed, except some
quarrie of slate be néere hand, from whence they haue for their monie
so much as may suffice them.
The claie wherewith our houses are impanelled is either white, red, or
blue, and of these the first dooth participat verie much with the
nature of our chalke, the second is called lome, but the third
eftsoones changeth colour so soone as it is wrought, notwithstanding
that it looke blue when it is throwne out of the pit. Of chalke also
we haue our excellent Asbestos or white lime, made in most places,
wherewith being quenched we strike ouer our claie workes and stone
wals, in cities, good townes, rich farmers and gentlemens houses:
otherwise in steed of chalke (where it wanteth for it is so scant that
in some places it is sold by the pound) they are compelled to burne a
certeine kind of red stone, as in Wales, and else where other stones
and shels of oisters and like fish found vpon the sea coast, which
being conuerted into lime doth naturallie (as the other) abhorre and
eschew water whereby it is dissolued, and neuerthelesse desire oile
wherewith it is easilie mixed, as I haue seene by experience. Within
their doores also such as are of abilitie doo oft make their floores
and parget of fine alabaster burned, which they call plaster of Paris,
whereof in some places we haue great plentie, and that verie
profitable against the rage of fire.
In plastering likewise of our fairest houses ouer our heads, we vse to
laie first a laine or two of white morter tempered with haire vpon
laths, which are nailed one by another (or sometimes vpon reed or
wickers more dangerous for fire, and made fast here and there with
saplaths for falling downe) and finallie couer all with the aforesaid
plaster, which beside the delectable whitenesse of the stuffe it
selfe, is laied on so euen and smoothlie, as nothing in my iudgment
can be doone with more exactnesse. The wals of our houses on the inner
sides in like sort be either hanged with tapisterie, arras worke, or
painted cloths, wherin either diuerse histories, or hearbes, beasts,
knots, and such like are stained, or else they are seeled with oke of
our owne, or wainescot brought hither out of the east countries,
whereby the roomes are not a little commended, made warme, and much
more close than otherwise they would be. As for stooues we haue not
hitherto vsed them greatlie, yet doo they now begin to be made in
diuerse houses of the gentrie and wealthie citizens, who build them
not to worke and feed in as in Germanie and else where, but now and
then to sweat in, as occasion and néed shall require. This also hath
béene common in England, contrarie to the customes of all other
nations, and yet to be séene (for example in most stréets of London)
that many of our greatest houses haue outwardlie béene verie simple
and plaine to sight, which inwardlie haue beene able to receiue a duke
with his whole traine, and lodge them at their ease. Hereby moreouer
it is come to passe, that the fronts of our stréets haue not béene so
vniforme and orderlie builded as those of forreine cities, where (to
saie truth) the vtterside of their mansions and dwellings haue oft
more cost bestowed vpon them, than all the rest of the house, which
are often verie simple and vneasie within, as experience dooth
confirme. Of old time our countrie houses in steed of glasse did vse
much lattise and that made either of wicker or fine rifts of oke in
chekerwise. I read also that some of the better sort, in and before
the times of the Saxons (who notwithstanding vsed some glasse also
since the time of Benedict Biscop the moonke that brought the feat of
glasing first into this land) did make panels of horne in stéed of
glasse, & fix them in woodden calmes. But as horne in windows is now
quite laid downe in euerie place, so our lattises are also growne into
lesse vse, bicause glasse is come to be so plentifull, and within a
verie little so good cheape if not better then the other.
I find obscure mention of the specular stone also to haue béene found
and applied to this vse in England, but in such doubtfull sort as I
dare not affirme it for certeine. Neuerthelesse certeine it is that
antiquitie vsed it before glasse was knowen, vnder the name of
Selenites. And how glasse was first found I care not greatlie to
remember euen at this present, although it be directlie beside my
purposed matter. In Syria phenices which bordereth vpon Iurie, & néere
to the foot of mount Carmell there is a moore or marris, wherout
riseth a brooke called somtime Belus, and falleth into the sea néere
to Ptolemais. This riuer was fondlie ascribed vnto Baall, and also
honored vnder that name by the infidels, long time before there was
anie king in Israell. It came to passe also as a certeine merchant
sailed that way loden with Nitrum, the passengers went to land for to
repose themselues, and to take in some store of fresh water into their
vessell. Being also on the shore they kindled a fire, and made
prouision for their dinner, but bicause they wanted treuets or stones
whereon to set their kettels on, ran by chance into the ship, and
brought great péeces of Nitrum with him, which serued their turne for
that present. To be short, the said substance being hot, and beginning
to melt, it mixed by chance with the grauel that laie vnder it; and so
brought forth that shining substance which now is called glasse, and
about the time of Semiramis. When the companie saw this, they made no
small accompt of their successe, and foorthwith began to practise the
like in other mixtures, whereby great varietie of the said stuffe did
also insue. Certes for the time this historie may well be true: for I
read of glasse in Iob, but for the rest I refer me to the common
opinion conceiued by writers. Now to turne againe to our windowes.
Heretofore also the houses of our princes and noble men were often
glased with Berill (an example whereof is yet to be séene in Sudleie
castell) and in diuerse other places with fine christall, but this
especiallie in the time of the Romans, wherof also some fragments haue
béene taken vp in old ruines. But now these are not in vse, so that
onelie the clearest glasse is most estéemed: for we haue diuerse
sorts, some brought out of Burgundie, some out of Normandie, much out
of Flanders, beside that which is made in England, which would be so
good as the best, if we were diligent and carefull to bestow more cost
vpon it, and yet as it is, each one that may, will haue it for his
building. Moreouer the mansion houses of our countrie townes and
villages (which in champaine ground stand altogither by stréets, &
ioining one to an other, but in woodland soiles dispersed here and
there, each one vpon the seuerall grounds of their owners) are builded
in such sort generallie, as that they haue neither dairie, stable, nor
bruehouse annexed vnto them vnder the same roofe (as in manie places
beyond the sea & some of the north parts of our countrie) but all
separate from the first, and one of them from an other. And yet for
all this, they are not so farre distant in sunder, but that the
goodman lieng in his bed may lightlie heare what is doone in each of
them with ease, and call quicklie vnto his meinie if anie danger
should attach him.
The ancient manours and houses of our gentlemen are yet and for the
most part of strong timber, in framing whereof our carpenters haue
beene and are worthilie preferred before those of like science among
all other nations. Howbeit such as be latelie builded, are c[=o]monlie
either of bricke or hard stone, or both; their roomes large and
comelie, and houses of office further distant from their lodgings.
Those of the nobilitie are likewise wrought with bricke and hard
stone, as prouision may best be made: but so magnificent and statelie,
as the basest house of a baron dooth often match in our daies with
some honours of princes in old time. So that if euer curious building
did florish in England, it is in these our yeares, wherin our workemen
excell, and are in maner comparable in skill with old Vitruuius, Leo
Baptista, and Serlo. Neuerthelesse, their estimation more than their
gréedie and seruile couetousnesse, ioined with a lingering humour
causeth them often to be rejected, & strangers preferred to greater
bargaines, who are more reasonable in their takings, and lesse wasters
of time by a great deale than our owne.
The furniture of our houses also exceedeth, and is growne in maner
euen to passing delicacie: and herein I doo not speake of the
nobilitie and gentrie onelie, but likewise of the lowest sort in most
places of our south countrie, that haue anie thing at all to take to.
Certes in noble mens houses it is not rare to sée abundance of Arras,
rich hangings of tapistrie, siluer vessell, and so much other plate,
as may furnish sundrie cupbords, to the summe oftentimes of a thousand
or two thousand pounds at the least: whereby the value of this and the
rest of their stuffe dooth grow to be almost inestimable. Likewise in
the houses of knights, gentlemen, merchantmen, and some other wealthie
citizens, it is not geson to behold generallie their great prouision
of tapistrie, Turkie worke, pewter, brasse, fine linen, and thereto
costlie cupbords of plate, worth fiue or six hundred or a thousand
pounds, to be deemed by estimation. But as herein all these sorts doo
far excéed their elders and predecessors, and in neatnesse and
curiositie, the merchant all other; so in time past, the costlie
furniture staied there, whereas now it is descended yet lower, euen
vnto the inferiour artificers and manie farmers, who by vertue of
their old and not of their new leases haue for the most part learned
also to garnish their cupbords with plate, their ioined beds with
tapistrie and silke hangings, and their tables with carpets & fine
naperie, whereby the wealth of our countrie (God be praised therefore,
and giue vs grace to imploie it well) dooth infinitelie appeare.
Neither doo I speake this in reproch of anie man, God is my iudge, but
to shew that I do reioise rather, to sée how God hath blessed vs with
his good gifts; and whilest I behold how that in a time wherein all
things are growen to most excessiue prices, & what commoditie so euer
is to be had, is dailie plucked from the communaltie by such as looke
into euerie trade, we doo yet find the means to obtein & atchiue such
furniture as heretofore hath beene vnpossible. There are old men yet
[Sidenote: Thrée things greatlie amended in England.]
dwelling in the village where I remaine, which haue noted three things
to be maruellouslie altered in England within their sound remembrance;
& other three things too too much increased. One is, the multitude of
[Sidenote: Chimnies.]
chimnies latelie erected, wheras in their yoong daies there were not
aboue two or thrée, if so manie in most vplandish townes of the realme
(the religious houses, & manour places of their lords alwaies
excepted, and peraduenture some great personages) but ech one made his
fire against a reredosse in the hall, where he dined and dressed his
meat.
The second is the great (although not generall) amendment of lodging,
for (said they) our fathers (yea and we our selues also) haue lien
[Sidenote: Hard lodging.]
full oft vpon straw pallets, on rough mats couered onelie with a shéet
vnder couerlets made of dagswain or hopharlots (I vse their owne
termes) and a good round log vnder their heads in steed of a bolster
or pillow. If it were so that our fathers or the good man of the
house, had within seuen yeares after his mariage purchased a matteres
or flockebed, and thereto a sacke of chaffe to rest his head vpon, he
thought himselfe to be as well lodged as the lord of the towne, that
peraduenture laie seldome in a bed of downe or whole fethers; so well
were they contented, and with such base kind of furniture: which also
is not verie much amended as yet in some parts of Bedfordshire, and
elsewhere further off from our southerne parts. Pillowes (said they)
were thought méet onelie for women in childbed. As for seruants, if
they had anie shéet aboue them it was well, for seldome had they anie
vnder their bodies, to kéepe them from the pricking straws that ran
oft through the canuas of the pallet, and rased their hardened hides.
[Sidenote: Furniture of household.]
The third thing they tell of, is the exchange of vessell, as of treene
platters into pewter, and wodden spoones into siluer or tin. For so
common were all sorts of tréene stuffe in old time, that a man should
hardlie find foure péeces of pewter (of which one was peraduenture a
[Sidenote: This was in the time of generall idlenesse.]
salt) in a good farmers house, and yet for all this frugalitie (if it
may so be iustly called) they were scarse able to liue and paie their
rents at their daies without selling of a cow, or an horsse, or more,
although they paid but foure pounds at the vttermost by the yeare.
Such also was their pouertie, that if some one od farmer or husbandman
had béene at the alehouse, a thing greatlie vsed in those daies,
amongst six or seuen of his neighbours, and there in a brauerie to
shew what store he had, did cast downe his pursse, and therein a noble
or six shillings in siluer vnto them (for few such men then cared for
gold bicause it was not so readie paiment, and they were oft inforced
to giue a penie for the exchange of an angell) it was verie likelie
that all the rest could not laie downe so much against it: whereas in
my time, although peraduenture foure pounds of old rent be improued to
fortie, fiftie, or an hundred pounds, yet will the farmer as another
palme or date trée thinke his gaines verie small toward the end of his
terme, if he haue not six or seuen yeares rent lieng by him, therewith
to purchase a new lease, beside a faire garnish of pewter on his
cupbord, with so much more in od vessell going about the house, thrée
or foure featherbeds, so manie couerlids and carpets of tapistrie, a
siluer salt, a bowle for wine (if not an whole neast) and a dozzen of
spoones to furnish vp the sute. This also he taketh to be his owne
cléere, for what stocke of monie soeuer he gathereth & laieth vp in
all his yeares, it is often séene, that the landlord will take such
order with him for the same, when he renueth his lease, which is
commonlie eight or six yeares before the old be expired (sith it is
now growen almost to a custome, that if he come not to his lord so
long before, another shall step in for a reuersion, and so defeat him
out right) that it shall neuer trouble him more than the haire of his
beard, when the barber hath washed and shauen it from his chin. And as
they commend these, so (beside the decaie of housekéeping whereby the
poore haue beene relieued) they speake also of thrée things that are
growen to be verie grieuous vnto them, to wit, the inhansing of rents,
latelie mentioned; the dailie oppression of copiholders, whose lords
séeke to bring their poore tenants almost into plaine seruitude and
miserie, dailie deuising new meanes, and séeking vp all the old how to
cut them shorter and shorter, doubling, trebling, and now & then seuen
times increasing their fines, driuing them also for euerie trifle to
loose and forfeit their tenures (by whome the greatest part of the
realme dooth stand and is mainteined) to the end they may fléece them
yet more, which is a lamentable hering. The third thing they talke of
is vsurie, a trade brought in by the Iewes, now perfectlie practised
almost by euerie christian, and so commonlie that he is accompted but
for a foole that dooth lend his monie for nothing. In time past it was
"Sors pro sorte," that is, the principall onelie for the principall;
but now beside that which is aboue the principall properlie called
"Vsura," we chalenge "F[oe]nus," that is commoditie of soile, & fruits
of the earth, if not the ground it selfe. In time past also one of the
hundred was much, from thence it rose vnto two, called in Latine
"Vsura, Ex sextante;" thrée, to wit "Ex quadrante;" then to foure, to
wit "Ex triente;" then to fiue, which is "Ex quincunce;" then to six,
called "Ex semisse," &c: as the accompt of the "Assis" ariseth, and
comming at the last vnto "Vsura ex asse," it amounteth to twelue in
the hundred, and therefore the Latines call it "Centesima," for that
in the hundred moneth it doubleth the principall; but more of this
elsewhere. See Cicero against Verres, Demosthenes against Aphobus, and
Athenæus lib. 13. in fine: and when thou hast read them well, helpe I
praie thée in lawfull maner to hang vp such as take "Centu[=u] pro
cento," for they are no better worthie as I doo iudge in conscience.
[Sidenote: By the yeare.]
Forget not also such landlords as vse to value their leases at a
secret estimation giuen of the wealth and credit of the taker, whereby
they séeme (as it were) to eat them vp and deale with bondmen, so that
if the leassée be thought to be worth an hundred pounds, he shall paie
no lesse for his new terme, or else another to enter with hard and
doubtfull couenants. I am sorie to report it, much more gréeued to
vnderstand of the practise; but most sorowfull of all to vnderstand
that men of great port and countenance are so farre from suffering
their farmers to haue anie gaine at all, that they themselues become
grasiers, butchers, tanners, shéepmasters, woodmen, and "denique quid
non," thereby to inrich themselues, and bring all the wealth of the
countrie into their owne hands, leauing the communaltie weake, or as
an idoll with broken or féeble armes, which may in a time of peace
haue a plausible shew, but when necessitie shall inforce, haue an
heauie and bitter sequele.