[204] For her household in 1600-1601 see Household Ordinances, p. 281.—F.
[205] I suppose that Sir Thomas More, and Henry VIII., and Lady Jane Grey’s parents began “the higher education of women” in England by having their daughters properly taught. On “Education in Early England” see my Forewords (tho’ sadly imperfect) to the Babees Book (Early English Text Society).—F.
[206] Compare Chaucer’s Prologue: The Squire. On the evils of serving-men see Sir T. More’s Utopia, and my Ballads from MSS., i.—F.
[207] The chapter concludes with the special penal regulations for disturbers in the court precincts.—W.
[208] See Ascham’s Toxophilus. When our folk and government come to their senses every English boy and man’ll be taught rifle-shooting; ranges will be provided by compulsory powers; and every male over sixteen be made sure of his man in any invading force. If then any foreign force wants to come, let it, and find its grave.—F.
[209] “Our peaceable days” were on the eve of the greatest struggle for life ever known to England, but never before or since could she put a million men armed to the teeth into the field, and have still a reserve to fall back on. People who dream that the Spaniards would have fared better on land than sea are grievously out in their reckoning.—W.
[210] See the amusing extract from William Bulleyn in my Babees Book, pp. 240-243.—F.
[211] Here follows an account of Roman and Carthaginian galleys which “did not only match, but far exceed” in capacity our ships and galleys of 1587.—W.
[212] See my Ballads from MSS., i. 120, on this and Henry VIII.’s navy. There’s an engraving of this Great Henry, or Henry Grace (burnt August 27, 1553), in the British Museum.—F.
[213] Surely this statement was justified by facts. And Nelson, Dundonald, and their successors have shown that English sailors since have not degenerated.—F.