278. The Streets; Amusements; Profanity.
The streets of London and other cities were rarely more than twelve or fifteen feet wide. They were neither paved nor lighted. Pools of stagnant water and heaps of refuse abounded. There was no sewage. The only scavengers were the crows. The houses were of timber and plaster, with projecting stories, and destructive fires were common. The chief amusements were hunting and hawking, contests at archery, and tournaments. Plays were acted by amateur companies on stages on wheels, which could be moved from street to street.
The subjects continued to be drawn in large measure from the Bible and from legends of the saints. They served to instruct men in Scripture history, in an age when few could read. The instruction was not, however, always taken to heart, as profane swearing was so common that an Englishman was called on the Continent by his favorite oath, which the French regarded as a sort of national name before that of "John Bull" came into use.
SEVENTH PERIOD[1]
"God's most dreaded instrument,
In working out a pure intent,
Is man—arrayed for mutual slaughter."
Wordsworth
The Self-Destruction of Feudalism
Baron against Baron
The Houses of Lancaster and York (1399-1485)
House of Lancaster (the Red Rose) House of York (the White Rose)
Henry IV, 1399-1413 Edward IV, 1461-1483
Henry V, 1413-1422 +Edward V, 1483
*Henry VI, 1422-1461 Richard III, 1483-1485
[1] Reference Books on this Period will be found in the Classified List of Books in the Appendix. The pronunciation of names will be found in the Index. The Leading Dates stand unenclosed; all others are in parentheses. *Henry VI, deposed 1461; reinstated for a short time in 1470. +Edward V, never crowned.