A Compendium of Common Knowledge 1558-1603
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A Compendium of Common Knowledge 1558-1603 Elizabethan Commonplaces For Writers, Actors, and Re-enactors Written and edited by Maggie Secara 10th Edition Expanded, corrected, and amended incorporating all previous editions & appendices Spring 2010 Designed for the World Wide Web by Paula Kate Marmor http://compendium.elizabethan.org/ MS Word / Adobe PDF Version 10 – Spring 2010 2 Contents A COMPENDIUM OF COMMON KNOWLEDGE .................................................................................1 PREFACE: SHORT ATTENTION SPAN HISTORY..............................................................................................6 Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................................6 PHILOSOPHICAL INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................7 SERVICES AND OCCUPATIONS......................................................................................................................8 NUMBERS & MEASURES, DATES & CLOCKS ..............................................................................................10 Counting up ..........................................................................................................................................10 Reckoning the time................................................................................................................................10 Reckoning the date................................................................................................................................10 GAMES.......................................................................................................................................................11 At the table............................................................................................................................................11 Other sport............................................................................................................................................11 MONEY: THE BASICS .................................................................................................................................12 The Basics.............................................................................................................................................12 The Coins In Your Pocket.....................................................................................................................12 Spending ...............................................................................................................................................13 RELIGION ...................................................................................................................................................14 LANGUAGE: THEE AND THOU ....................................................................................................................16 Using Thou familiarly...........................................................................................................................16 WEDDINGS & BETROTHALS .......................................................................................................................18 The Contract.........................................................................................................................................18 Weddings ..............................................................................................................................................19 On changing names ..............................................................................................................................19 MARRIAGE AND FAMILY............................................................................................................................20 Children................................................................................................................................................20 Wives.....................................................................................................................................................20 Widows .................................................................................................................................................21 Men.......................................................................................................................................................21 COMPARATIVE RELIGION: THE CATHOLICS ...............................................................................................22 COMPARATIVE RELIGION: THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND ..............................................................................23 TITLES AND FORMS OF ADDRESS ...............................................................................................................24 Direct Address ......................................................................................................................................25 MASTERS & SERVANTS..............................................................................................................................28 Terms ....................................................................................................................................................28 General Attitudes..................................................................................................................................28 PATRONAGE: RETINUE, COMPANIONS, & LIVERY......................................................................................30 Men.......................................................................................................................................................30 Women ..................................................................................................................................................30 Livery....................................................................................................................................................31 GREASING THE WHEELS.............................................................................................................................32 MORE SERVICES AND OCCUPATIONS .........................................................................................................34 DOMESTIC DETAILS ...................................................................................................................................35 FOOD .........................................................................................................................................................37 Breads...................................................................................................................................................37 Drink.....................................................................................................................................................37 Measuring it out....................................................................................................................................38 MORE LANGUAGE......................................................................................................................................39 Department of Redundancy Dept., pet peeve division..........................................................................39 MORE RELIGION ........................................................................................................................................40 PRECEDENCE, PREFERMENT, & ATTAINDER ..............................................................................................42 RANKS & FILES..........................................................................................................................................44 3 THE SENIOR PEERS OF ENGLAND ...............................................................................................................46 THE NOBLE STYLE.....................................................................................................................................48 HONOR AND DUELING................................................................................................................................49 THE CITY OF LONDON................................................................................................................................50 MORE COMPARATIVE RELIGION: CALVINISTS ...........................................................................................52 STILL MORE LANGUAGE............................................................................................................................53 Strange, but True, Department.............................................................................................................53 HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................................................54 In the country........................................................................................................................................54 SCIENCE AND HEALTH (WITHOUT KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES) ......................................................................55 IRELAND ....................................................................................................................................................57 SCOTLAND .................................................................................................................................................58