Brave New World Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England


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Imagine everything that's ever happened.

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The whole of history.

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Imagine you could go to any place, any time

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and see what the people then saw,

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understand what they thought

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and appreciate what they felt.

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What would that tell you about the human race?

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And how would it make you feel about the world you live in today?

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So much of what we know now

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goes directly back to England's Golden Age.

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The reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

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A time when England embraced the whole world.

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It's a period bursting with icons.

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Shakespeare. The Spanish Armada.

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The Virgin Queen herself.

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Who wouldn't want to travel back in time and see it first-hand?

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But if you did, what you would need most would be a visitor's handbook.

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Who are these strange people,

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so like us, but also so different?

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What are their rules, their customs and attitudes?

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I have spent years piecing these together so you don't have to.

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Let me plunge you into a world of splendour

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and magnificent achievements,

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but also of uncertainty and doubt,

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where simple survival is an art in itself.

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A world of plague, violence and superstition.

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But also of beauty and wisdom.

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I'll show you this fascinating period as if it's all around you.

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The sickness and the suffering, as well as the power and the glory.

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Because this is Elizabethan England.

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Tonight, I'm sending you to live amongst a section of society

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which is definitely on the up.

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These people are craftsmen, architects and merchants,

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scientists, explorers and writers.

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What they all share is a desire to better their lives.

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And through their success, they change the world.

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It's time to make your way in the world of the ambitious middle classes,

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men and women who will radically alter our nation.

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On your journey, you'll rub shoulders with some notable people,

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get the chance to travel the world

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and see history unfolding around you.

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With a bit of help, you can rise up the ranks and achieve greatness.

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You'll need to tread carefully

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as this is also a time of danger and uncertainty.

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But if you play your cards right, you might find yourself on a path

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to fame, fortune and glory.

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FAINT CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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Your journey begins in the provinces,

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at the very heart of Elizabeth's England,

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a place where the middle classes are on the rise -

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Stratford-upon-Avon.

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In fact, I'm going to start you off

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in the cut and thrust world of small-town merchants.

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A place where money is king.

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After decades of stagnation, towns are suddenly driving social change.

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As you walk through busy Stratford in the 1570s,

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you'll notice there's a buzz in the air and money to be made.

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As an ambitious trader, it's on the high street

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that you'll set up stall six days a week.

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You'll be surrounded by glovers, tailors,

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butchers and many a wealthy wool merchant.

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FAINT CHATTER

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Towns are engines of social change.

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The independent, self-reliant townsman

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with a trade and the ambition to improve his lot

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is one of the true agents of modernisation.

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By the end of Elizabeth's reign, many such men are much better off.

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It's from the ranks of the middling sort, in towns like Stratford,

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that many of the great names of the age will emerge.

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These upwardly-mobile men and women

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will leave a lasting impact on society.

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And while you're here in Stratford,

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it will be useful to get to know your neighbours.

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Here on Henley Street is the house of one John Shakespeare,

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the father of William, of whom you might have heard.

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The Shakespeares are just such an upwardly-mobile family.

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John himself is a glover,

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a prosperous man, working with leather.

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The leather, mind you, of deer, dogs and horses,

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not just cows and calves.

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As you walk past,

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you'll no doubt smell the tanyard at the back of the house.

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John Shakespeare uses urine and faeces to process his leather.

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All things being considered, it might be wise

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to invite the Shakespeares over to YOUR house for dinner.

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Unpleasant smells are just another reminder

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of why so many people want to rise up the social ranks.

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And there's one other unpleasantness you and your neighbours won't miss.

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Now, for the first time,

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the fires in your home won't constantly sting your eyes.

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In towns like Stratford, a revolution is taking place.

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It transforms the lives of ordinary people

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and changes the face of every street in the land.

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It's not a scientific discovery.

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It's not a political development.

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It is, in fact, the humble chimney.

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Chimneys mean that buildings can expand upwards

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and you can now heat every room in your home.

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The arrival of the chimney is just the beginning of what becomes

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a wholesale change in living standards.

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Driving this innovation is the availability of cheap bricks.

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Mass manufacture means they are now affordable

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for the many, not just the few.

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Chimneys were previously found in castles and grand houses,

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but never in the homes of ordinary people.

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Thanks to the humble chimney,

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you can now live in a state-of-art two-storey townhouse,

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not an unfashionable single-storey medieval home.

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Essential if you want show you're on the way up.

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And bear in mind that Elizabethan England

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is on average two degrees colder than you're used to,

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with very cold snaps in the 1570s and 1590s.

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So a chimney means your stay will be a lot more comfortable,

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especially if you want to have a bedchamber of your own,

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rather than sleep in the hall with everyone else.

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Across the land, medieval houses are being redeveloped.

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Not outwards, but skywards.

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So you see, adding value to your home

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isn't just a 21st-century obsession.

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In 1558, a chimney is the way to keep up with the Joneses.

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But in 1598, it's glass that is the ultimate status symbol.

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From now on, moderately wealthy gentlemen

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can afford to flood their houses with natural light.

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But it's still expensive.

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You may have glass at the front of your house to show off

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and still make do with shutters at the back.

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In Stratford, old buildings are being converted

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or demolished everywhere you look.

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It seems as if almost everyone is moving into the town,

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and, in fact, many are.

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Small businessmen are flooding in.

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Many from trades you'll recognise, and many you won't.

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For candles, go to a wax chandler.

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Need a legal document written up? Find a scrivener.

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Or if you fancy a pair of fine leather shoes,

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seek out a cordwainer.

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As these ambitious traders flock in,

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John Shakespeare will see his town change beyond recognition.

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Stratford's population grows from 1,500 to over 2,000

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during Elizabeth's reign.

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It's not just Stratford that's growing rapidly.

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Over the 45 years of the Queen's reign,

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the population of England rises from 3.2 million to 4.1 million.

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That's more than 25 percent more people to feed, clothe and house.

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England won't see such a high level of growth again

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until the end of the 18th century.

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Like the young William Shakespeare,

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you'll find Stratford can't match your grand ambitions

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in this rapidly changing society.

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And once you've outgrown a town like Stratford,

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there's only one place to head for.

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It's the epicentre of change in Elizabeth's England

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and it's the next rung on your ladder to fame and glory.

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The city of London.

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As you near the city, you'll pass a bizarre collection of people.

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Royal messengers, sheep drovers,

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physicians hurrying to bedsides

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and foreign travellers in new-fangled carriages

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all streaming in and out of the city.

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If you travel in from the north along Watling Street,

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the old Roman road,

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you'll eventually come to this spot, the junction with Oxford Street.

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This is Tyburn. The place of the notorious London gallows.

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It acts as a stark reminder

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that this is a place where only a minor indiscretion

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can cost you your life.

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Swiss visitor Thomas Platter

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vividly describes the hangings at Tyburn in his diary.

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Those condemned to the rope are placed on a cart

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and the hangman drives with them to the gallows, called Tyburn.

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There, he fastens them up one after another.

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The criminals' friends come

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and draw them down by their feet, that they may die all the sooner.

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As you pass Tyburn, you may well see the lifeless bodies of thieves

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and murderers hanging from the gallows.

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It's quite a haunting welcome to England's capital city.

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If the sight of dead, naked criminals at Tyburn

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hasn't put you off London for good,

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it's time to get to know England's capital city

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and make yourself at home.

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If you want to see all that London has to offer,

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you're going to need to find somewhere to stay.

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Elizabethan inns are one of the real pleasures of travelling.

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And London has some of the finest places to rest your head.

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When you arrive, a boy will unsaddle your horse,

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your luggage will be taken and you'll be shown to the innkeeper.

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The innkeeper will give you a candle to light your way to your bedchamber,

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where you'll find a wooden-framed bed.

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The bed itself is slung with ropes, on which a straw mat is placed

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with a couple of featherbeds on top of that.

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These are mattresses which should give you a good night's sleep,

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as long as there are no bedbugs.

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Foreign travellers often comment on the clean state of London's inns.

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And you can expect freshly-laundered sheets.

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The innkeeper is also legally responsible for keeping you safe.

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And so he'll do what he can to stop thieves

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and violence on his premises.

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However, I suggest you keep your wits about you

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as the servants at the inn may well have told some unsavoury characters

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about your onward travel plans

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and tipped them off about your expensive-looking belongings,

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all for the price of a drink.

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If, when you wake up in the morning,

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you've not been robbed of all you possess,

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it's time to explore the unique sights of London.

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There are numerous must-see attractions

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on any wealthy tourist's itinerary.

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Firstly, the Tower of London.

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Here you can hire a tour guide.

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You'll see Henry VIII's armour,

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the Royal Mint, a menagerie of exotic animals

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and the dungeons where Catholics are tortured.

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But tourism doesn't come cheap.

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If you want to do the full Tower experience in Elizabeth's reign,

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it will cost you the equivalent of 12 weeks' wages

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for the average labourer.

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You'll notice that London is a favourite destination

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for wealthy foreign tourists.

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One such visitor is the Venetian Allesandro Magno,

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who visits London in 1562 and spends time among the urban middle class.

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He keeps a journal of his experiences

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and comments on the things he finds strange about England and the people he meets.

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But the one thing you simply have to see is London Bridge.

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It's what every visitor to the city talks about.

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It's more than just a simple bridge.

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It's a magnificent ancient structure of 20 arches,

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it's 800 feet long, 60 feet high and 28 feet wide.

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It towers above the river.

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The bridge is covered in buildings,

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from wealthy merchants' houses to shops and even public toilets.

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It also has impressive gates and fortifications

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designed to protect the city.

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London Bridge is an imposing symbol, not only of the city's wealth,

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but also of Royal authority.

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The remains of more than 30 heads of executed traitors

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are to be seen there at the end of the reign.

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The great wealth of the city attracts all those hoping to make their fortunes,

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but it doesn't have to be all hard work.

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The Mermaid Tavern on Cheapside is a favourite haunt of William Shakespeare,

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who is a friend of the landlord.

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He and his fellow playwrights, and their drinking partners, are at the heart of this new London.

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If you like beer, you've come to the right place.

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For a ha'penny, you can have a pint of good English beer,

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served in a wooden mazer, or a shiny pewter tankard.

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The best quality is March beer, or double beer,

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made with twice the quantity of malt and thus twice as strong.

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But not everybody loves English beer.

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The Venetian Allesandro Magno describes it as "healthy but sickening to taste"

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and "cloudy like horse's urine".

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As well as providing some suspicious tasting beer,

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London's alehouses provide every indulgence you can imagine -

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food, music, flirtation, and much more besides.

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Many alehouses double up as places of prostitution,

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with the landlord's wife, or even his daughter, taking the position of house harlot.

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These are the harsh realities of Elizabethan life.

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The man has to work brewing ale and serving the customers,

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so the women of the household have to work too.

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Now you've explored the city,

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it's time to get down to the business of setting up and making some money.

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In 1599, the Swiss tourist Thomas Platter remarks that,

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"London is not in England, but England is in London."

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An observation about crowding in echoed by almost every foreign visitor to the City.

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London's not just the most populous place,

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it's also the centre of government and the centre of law,

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the centre of international trade and, of course, of culture.

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It's also a place of wonder and horror,

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of great wealth and abject poverty.

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Over the 45 years of Elizabeth's reign,

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the city's population increases from 70,000 to an astonishing 200,000

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as multitudes flock to the capital to seek their fortune.

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But London's pre-eminence isn't just to be measured in numbers of people.

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Even at the start of the period, Londoners pay ten times as much tax

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as residents of England's second largest city, Norwich.

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As you walk the streets of your new city,

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you'll see hawkers selling herbs, linens and fine drinking glasses.

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You'll smell tempting hot sausages and pies for sale.

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And you'll hear the hammering of metalworkers,

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the shouts of criers giving news

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and the anguished pleas for food and pity from Newgate and Ludgate prisons.

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The real soul of London is in the streets -

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the tiny alleys, dark with overhanging houses.

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Ordinary people's homes are the places for innovation,

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of manufacturing and commerce,

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attracting people from all over the country seeking their fortune.

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But this growth and dynamism is not without its problems.

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Queen Elizabeth doesn't like London encroaching on her land and palaces,

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and so she decrees that no new building can take place

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outside the city walls.

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This early idea of a green-belt

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has a significant impact on the landscape of the city.

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In London, space is at a premium.

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This plan shows you how closely packed together

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all the houses are and gives you a sense of how cramped life is.

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It also shows you all the latrines.

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Actually this bit of London isn't too badly served for such facilities

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due to the proximity of the River Fleet.

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Even so, you might have to cross your legs

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as it shows just 10 loos for the 30 properties on the map,

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let alone all the hundreds of other houses nearby.

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For those who come to live in the city, life is crowded,

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cramped, unhygienic and little more than a struggle.

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Tensions are increased by having to live so close to your neighbours.

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The lack of space means houses are rising fast,

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sometimes up to seven storeys high, all supported by nothing but timber beams.

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As you make money in the city, you might choose to buy one of these new townhouses,

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as opposed to lodging in the cramped conditions.

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The rapid growth of London also means that sanitation suffers.

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Without flushing toilets or effective drains,

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the smell of Elizabethan London is going to take some getting used to.

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Strange though it may seem, to most Londoners, the smell of sewage is the smell of progress,

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because it's also the smell of lots of people.

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Although the sanitation might leave a little to be desired,

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the city is where you can better yourself and improve your lot.

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London attracts everyone hoping to make a fortune or a name for themselves.

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Once you've made it in London,

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you can flaunt your new wealth through your choice of transport.

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When visiting London, the River Thames will be your constant companion.

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It's the lifeblood of the city

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and for many wealthier Londoners, it is by far the best way to get about.

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This is one of the reasons why there are so many boats on the river,

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from the practical barges carrying everything from dung to wine, and the Queen's glass-sided barge,

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to thousands of wherries, as waterborne taxis are known.

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These river taxis operate in all weathers.

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It will cost you a penny to cross from the city

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to the many entertainments of Southwark

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on the south bank of the river.

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The wherries are quick, and the best way to avoid the dirty crowded streets,

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as well as to show you're a self-respecting person of substance.

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The River Thames also provides the city with its port

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and it's this that makes London such a centre of international trade,

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new ideas and opportunities to make money.

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London's striving metropolitan elite are only too pleased to spend their new-found wealth.

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And it's London's bustling port that satisfies the demand

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for novelties as well as basic commodities.

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Luxury items such as sugar, exotic spices, carpets, cakes of soap and even marmalade,

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are imported from Europe, the Far East and the New World.

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If it's the finer things in life you're after,

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then London is definitely the place to be.

0:24:220:24:25

The constant movement of people and cargoes in and out of the city

0:24:260:24:30

makes it a conduit for the most terrifying thing you'll encounter in Elizabethan England -

0:24:300:24:35

the plague.

0:24:350:24:37

When planning your visit, you really must avoid 1563.

0:24:410:24:45

In that one year alone, over 17,000 Londoners die of bubonic plague.

0:24:450:24:50

But let's say you do visit during an epidemic,

0:24:500:24:52

are there any precautions you can take to avoid catching this dreaded disease?

0:24:520:24:57

You can never predict where it might strike,

0:24:590:25:01

outbreaks occur all over the country at different times.

0:25:010:25:05

But bear in mind that it is carried by rat fleas

0:25:060:25:09

and they don't travel very fast.

0:25:090:25:11

If you hear that the plague is in town, leave immediately.

0:25:130:25:16

Poor areas are more severely affected than rich ones, so avoid slums.

0:25:180:25:22

Plague can also be spread through infected garments,

0:25:220:25:25

so don't borrow or wear someone else's clothing.

0:25:250:25:27

And finally, bear in mind that plague can be spread in the breath.

0:25:270:25:31

Don't get over familiar with strangers and keep the kissing to a minimum.

0:25:310:25:34

So what should you do if you feel painful buboes on your groin and armpits,

0:25:370:25:40

and find yourself suffering from a rapid pulse, fever and headache?

0:25:400:25:45

Medicine won't help you.

0:25:450:25:46

There are supposed cures for plague,

0:25:460:25:48

but none of them will do you the slightest bit of good.

0:25:480:25:50

A physician won't even come near you.

0:25:500:25:53

I'm afraid in such circumstances, the outlook is bleak.

0:25:530:25:57

There is nothing you can do.

0:25:570:25:59

If you are unlucky enough to catch plague,

0:26:030:26:05

the ordinances enacted in 1578 mean you're subject to strict control measures.

0:26:050:26:10

You can't buy your way out of this one.

0:26:100:26:12

You'll be boarded up for a minimum of six weeks -

0:26:150:26:17

you, your family and servants, sick and healthy all in it together.

0:26:170:26:22

There are some harrowing stories about plague victims.

0:26:270:26:30

One that I find particularly moving is that of Thomas Smallbone.

0:26:300:26:34

He and his wife, his mother-in-law and his children all catch plague in the autumn.

0:26:340:26:38

One by one, the adults die

0:26:380:26:41

and then one by one, all the children die.

0:26:410:26:44

At the end, after eight months incarcerated in the house,

0:26:440:26:48

only the servants survive.

0:26:480:26:49

No matter how rich, ambitious or knowledgeable you are,

0:26:540:26:58

nothing can save you from this pestilence.

0:26:580:27:00

As well as horrific events like plague,

0:27:060:27:08

Elizabethan England also sees several positive changes that

0:27:080:27:12

make a real difference to the lives of the middling sort of people.

0:27:120:27:15

Without a doubt, the most far-reaching of all of these

0:27:150:27:19

is the publication of increasing numbers of books in English.

0:27:190:27:22

Over the course of the 16th century,

0:27:250:27:28

the proportion of books published in English increases rapidly.

0:27:280:27:32

This in turn encourages many ordinary people to read.

0:27:320:27:35

For prosperous townsmen, this is a major revelation.

0:27:390:27:42

Suddenly, they too can acquire knowledge and explore their world through literature.

0:27:420:27:47

Books are soon published on a wide range of subjects,

0:27:490:27:52

everything from cookery to medicine and even how to fire a cannon.

0:27:520:27:56

But it's the Bible, in English, which is the real bestseller of the age.

0:27:570:28:02

For the first time, people can read the word of God in their own homes

0:28:020:28:06

and consider its meanings for themselves.

0:28:060:28:09

It becomes the ultimate self-help book.

0:28:090:28:11

To read is to better yourself and move up the social ladder.

0:28:140:28:17

But as you can already read, you're at a major advantage.

0:28:190:28:22

Literacy can be your ticket to greatness in Elizabethan England.

0:28:240:28:27

At the start of the 16th century, only one in ten men can read and write,

0:28:310:28:35

but by the end of Elizabeth's reign, that has increased to one in four.

0:28:350:28:39

Even more strikingly, the proportion of women who can read and write

0:28:390:28:43

increases from 1% to 10%.

0:28:430:28:46

That's a ten-fold increase.

0:28:460:28:48

It marks a revolution. From now on, men aren't the only readers.

0:28:480:28:52

Women can read too, and they can publish.

0:28:520:28:55

One woman who fully embraces this new intellectual opportunity is Aemilia Lanyer.

0:29:000:29:05

In what is very much a man's world,

0:29:080:29:10

she challenges the status quo.

0:29:100:29:12

You'll definitely want to get to know Aemilia.

0:29:140:29:16

She's witty, educated and has a lot to say for herself.

0:29:160:29:20

In one of her most famous poems,

0:29:220:29:24

she shifts the blame for man's fall from grace in the Garden of Eden from Eve to Adam.

0:29:240:29:30

Aemilia Lanyer is one of the standard-bearers

0:29:590:30:02

of this revolution in women's literature.

0:30:020:30:04

Her work demonstrates that women too are capable of original ideas

0:30:040:30:08

and inspires others to set out on the long road to intellectual equality.

0:30:080:30:12

Ironically, although you are qualified to join this literate society,

0:30:230:30:27

the chances are you'll have very great difficulty reading anyone's handwriting.

0:30:270:30:31

This isn't because people can't write properly,

0:30:310:30:34

it's because there are many different types of script in use.

0:30:340:30:37

Most people learn to read using a typeface called 'black letter'.

0:30:420:30:45

To your eyes, black letter will look almost Gothic,

0:30:480:30:51

with numerous unfamiliar characters.

0:30:510:30:53

You'll probably find printed italic script much easier to understand.

0:30:580:31:03

It's called italic because of its Italian origin.

0:31:040:31:08

All modern typefaces are based upon it.

0:31:080:31:10

Many books are published using both italic and black letter.

0:31:110:31:15

But just to confuse matters further,

0:31:160:31:18

there's another script called Secretary Hand,

0:31:180:31:21

a style of writing which is never printed.

0:31:210:31:24

The upshot of all this is, if you're lucky enough to come across

0:31:290:31:32

the original manuscript of a Shakespeare play,

0:31:320:31:34

in all likelihood, you won't be able to read a word.

0:31:340:31:36

You'll find the printed versions much easier.

0:31:360:31:39

Numbers can also be a little bit tricky

0:31:520:31:54

as both Arabic and Roman numerals are in common use.

0:31:540:31:58

Increasingly, you'll see Arabic numerals used

0:31:580:32:00

because 1588 - one five eight eight -

0:32:000:32:03

is much easier to write than MDLXXXVIII.

0:32:030:32:09

Some educated men like William Cecil,

0:32:120:32:14

the Queen's chief advisor, simply can't think in Arabic numerals.

0:32:140:32:18

He converts dates and figures into Roman numerals

0:32:180:32:21

and then back again when formulating government policy.

0:32:210:32:26

You'll find numbers and counting much easier

0:32:270:32:30

than even the most highly educated men in the land.

0:32:300:32:32

The publishing of books in English has a major impact on literacy,

0:32:410:32:45

but for the ambitious and brightest,

0:32:450:32:48

there's another, more formal, route to education - school.

0:32:480:32:52

Traditionally, a formal education is only open to the wealthy few.

0:32:540:33:00

But increasingly, new grammar schools -

0:33:000:33:02

that is, schools that teach boys to read and write in Latin -

0:33:020:33:05

are springing up across the country.

0:33:050:33:07

Just like the one here in Stratford-upon-Avon.

0:33:100:33:12

As every responsible father knows, not to teach your son to read

0:33:160:33:19

and write is to disempower him in this fast-changing world.

0:33:190:33:23

By sending his son here to Stratford Grammar School, John Shakespeare

0:33:230:33:26

ensures that his son William isn't just restricted to a provincial trade, he's set up for life.

0:33:260:33:32

If you decide to drop in and visit a grammar school,

0:33:340:33:37

you had better prepare for a long day.

0:33:370:33:40

Lessons start at six or seven in the morning

0:33:400:33:42

and will normally carry on for at least ten hours,

0:33:420:33:45

although you might not stop until eight in the evening.

0:33:450:33:48

Teaching is generally in Latin and by rote,

0:33:480:33:50

with a school master dictating classical works from the front.

0:33:500:33:54

Discipline is brutal - so much so, that you'll be profoundly shocked.

0:33:540:33:59

Here at Stratford in the 1560s, the master John Brownsword

0:33:590:34:05

teaches all the Roman greats, including Ovid, Cicero

0:34:050:34:09

and Virgil, as well as some Greek.

0:34:090:34:12

Ben Jonson later writes that Shakespeare has "small Latin and less Greek",

0:34:120:34:18

trying to belittle his level of learning.

0:34:180:34:21

But just think about that. It's truly remarkable that

0:34:210:34:24

a provincially educated son of a glove maker has any Greek at all.

0:34:240:34:28

All across England, boys like William Shakespeare are being

0:34:300:34:33

prepared for an increasingly literate society.

0:34:330:34:36

From now on, literacy is the key to social mobility.

0:34:360:34:39

With an education, you can take advantage

0:34:520:34:55

of all the new opportunities that Elizabethan England provides.

0:34:550:34:59

Because above all else, this is a time of exploration,

0:35:010:35:05

discovery and scientific revolution.

0:35:050:35:08

But you need to understand how this brave new world operates.

0:35:130:35:16

And the first thing to bear in mind is just how intertwined religion is

0:35:190:35:24

with what YOU would consider established scientific fact.

0:35:240:35:30

One word you won't hear very often is science. Instead,

0:35:300:35:33

you'll come across the notion of Natural Philosophy, a catch-all term

0:35:330:35:37

that covers everything from mathematics to geography.

0:35:370:35:40

It also includes some very unscientific things

0:35:400:35:43

such as the interpretation of dreams, astrology and the occult.

0:35:430:35:47

One man who exemplifies this blurring of science and religion

0:35:490:35:52

is Dr John Dee, a famous astrologer and advisor of Queen Elizabeth.

0:35:520:35:57

With a favourable introduction,

0:36:010:36:03

he can open your eyes to the world of Elizabethan science.

0:36:030:36:06

If you meet Dee in 1582, you can watch as he and his friend

0:36:100:36:13

Edward Kelley try and study angels through a series of seances.

0:36:130:36:18

During their experience, an angel called Madimi instructs them

0:36:200:36:25

to share everything - including their wives.

0:36:250:36:28

Shocked, they ask Madimi if she means carnal knowledge,

0:36:280:36:32

and the angel confirms this is the case.

0:36:320:36:35

They duly comply and make love to each other's wives.

0:36:350:36:39

These men aren't charlatans or deviants,

0:36:420:36:45

they simply operate in a world where there are no scientific boundaries.

0:36:450:36:48

As God created everything,

0:36:480:36:50

every scientific discovery is a religious act.

0:36:500:36:53

In this world, religion and science are the same thing.

0:36:530:36:56

It's probably a good idea to make your excuses

0:36:580:37:01

if John Dee invites you and your husband to a seance.

0:37:010:37:04

According to the great polymath and philosopher Francis Bacon,

0:37:130:37:16

there are three things that set the Elizabethan Age

0:37:160:37:18

apart from the medieval one -

0:37:180:37:21

gunpowder, printing and the compass.

0:37:210:37:25

For centuries, it was believed that

0:37:280:37:30

the wisdom of ancient writers like Aristotle, Ptolemy and Pythagoras

0:37:300:37:35

provided an unquestionable basis for all human knowledge.

0:37:350:37:38

Any new thinkers who could see further could do so simply

0:37:380:37:41

because they were "dwarves standing on the shoulders of giants".

0:37:410:37:45

But when in 1492, Columbus discovered the Americas,

0:37:510:37:56

he proved the great minds of the ancient world

0:37:560:37:58

did not know everything. That discovery cannot be overestimated.

0:37:580:38:02

In Elizabeth's reign, the leading scientists and geographers,

0:38:020:38:06

men like Francis Bacon,

0:38:060:38:08

are themselves giants, standing on the shoulders of giants.

0:38:080:38:11

In Elizabeth's England, advances in scientific knowledge go hand in hand

0:38:130:38:17

with exploration - building on what Columbus started 50 years before.

0:38:170:38:22

But what drives this appetite for discovery? In short - money.

0:38:250:38:30

The world really is your oyster, and one of the key figures

0:38:460:38:49

in opening that oyster is the adventurer John Hawkins.

0:38:490:38:53

In the 1550s, he embarks on a revolutionary moneymaking venture.

0:38:550:39:00

He begins selling slaves from Africa

0:39:040:39:06

to the Spanish colonies in the Caribbean.

0:39:060:39:08

His voyage is such a success that Queen Elizabeth herself

0:39:100:39:14

invests in his next expedition.

0:39:140:39:16

I expect you will feel more than just a little uncomfortable

0:39:200:39:24

being part of what seems to us a completely immoral business.

0:39:240:39:28

But this immorality is not an issue for ambitious Englishmen

0:39:280:39:32

eager to exploit this new world.

0:39:320:39:34

Perhaps the most famous adventurer of them all is Sir Francis Drake.

0:39:360:39:40

He is the very embodiment of an Elizabethan self-made man.

0:39:400:39:44

From humble beginnings in Devon, he rises to become

0:39:440:39:47

one of the richest and most celebrated men in the kingdom.

0:39:470:39:51

In 1577, he sets out in command of a fleet of five ships with 200 men.

0:39:520:39:58

Three years later, having sailed round the world, he returns

0:39:580:40:01

with just one ship and 56 men, but a mountain of treasure.

0:40:010:40:05

Drake is a man whom you'll definitely want to meet.

0:40:130:40:17

He is a privateer, a state-sanctioned pirate.

0:40:170:40:20

On his voyage around the world, he extends English knowledge

0:40:200:40:24

of the Pacific Ocean and beyond.

0:40:240:40:27

He also plunders as much as he can.

0:40:270:40:30

No-one knows exactly how much he brings back from the ships and ports he attacks.

0:40:300:40:34

But the Spanish, from whom he steals most of it,

0:40:340:40:37

estimate his loot as worth £600,000 -

0:40:370:40:40

roughly twice the English government's annual revenue.

0:40:400:40:44

This lowly provincial buys himself

0:40:470:40:49

a place at the top of Elizabethan society with stolen Spanish gold.

0:40:490:40:54

You can visit Drake's famous flagship,

0:40:570:41:00

the Golden Hinde, at Greenwich.

0:41:000:41:02

It's common to break a piece off as a souvenir,

0:41:050:41:08

so visit by 1618, as after this date only the keel will be left.

0:41:080:41:12

Men like Drake use the compass and other new technologies

0:41:150:41:18

to navigate their way around the world,

0:41:180:41:21

but it's gunpowder and cannon that allow them to make their fortunes.

0:41:210:41:25

Superior firepower means that they can attack indigenous peoples with impunity

0:41:250:41:30

and plunder the ships and outposts of their Spanish rivals.

0:41:300:41:33

Drake's Golden Hinde is armed with 18 cannon.

0:41:370:41:41

14 of these are capable of sending an iron cannonball,

0:41:410:41:44

weighing some four pounds,

0:41:440:41:46

into the packed decks and sails of his enemy's ships.

0:41:460:41:50

The majority of English vessels are smaller, lower, more stable

0:41:540:41:58

and more manoeuvrable than the big Spanish galleons.

0:41:580:42:01

So, although fewer guns will defend you, an English ship

0:42:050:42:08

is probably your best bet when it comes to travelling the world.

0:42:080:42:12

Drake and his English contemporaries soon begin to challenge

0:42:160:42:19

the Spanish for mastery of the world's oceans.

0:42:190:42:22

If you are serious about voyaging into the great unknown with

0:42:290:42:33

Francis Drake or John Hawkins, there are a few things to bear in mind.

0:42:330:42:36

Life aboard an ocean-going ship is unbelievably hard.

0:42:390:42:43

As a crew member, you won't have any private space,

0:42:430:42:46

the food is atrocious

0:42:460:42:48

and it's likely you'll get scurvy on a long voyage.

0:42:480:42:51

That means you'll probably lose some teeth, your gums will start to rot,

0:42:510:42:54

and your breath will stink.

0:42:540:42:56

There are no washing facilities

0:42:560:42:59

so the smell of your body will soon overpower

0:42:590:43:01

even that of your reeking breath. You can't shave either,

0:43:010:43:04

so your beard will start to grow and insects will grow in your beard.

0:43:040:43:08

In fact, your whole body will be covered in lice and fleas.

0:43:080:43:11

And unfortunately, if you do seek out adventure, you probably won't

0:43:120:43:16

live very long - 82% of mariners are under 30,

0:43:160:43:20

because mortality rates are so high.

0:43:200:43:22

After his rampaging voyage around the globe

0:43:280:43:30

and success against the Spanish, Drake returns to England a hero.

0:43:300:43:35

You, too, can bask in his reflected glory, as all Englishmen do.

0:43:350:43:39

Drake shares his fortune with the Crown

0:43:410:43:44

and, begrudgingly, Queen Elizabeth knights him.

0:43:440:43:48

This lowly provincial becomes one of the most famous men of the age.

0:43:480:43:51

Through sheer determination and reckless courage,

0:44:050:44:08

Drake manages to steal

0:44:080:44:10

and fight his way into the upper echelons of Elizabethan society.

0:44:100:44:14

His knighthood is recognition by the Queen

0:44:140:44:16

and the establishment that men like him are the key to England's future.

0:44:160:44:21

But alongside the great advances in science, knowledge and trade,

0:44:280:44:32

exploration also awakens a darker side of human nature.

0:44:320:44:37

You may be shocked by the racism

0:44:370:44:40

and the prejudice of your fellow Englishmen.

0:44:400:44:42

Before the slaving expeditions of the 1560s, there are only

0:44:450:44:48

a handful of black men and women in England.

0:44:480:44:51

By 1596 however, their numbers have risen to such an extent

0:44:510:44:55

that the Queen orders the deportation of as many as possible,

0:44:550:44:58

on the grounds that there are too many unemployed people in the country.

0:44:580:45:02

Those that remain experience a rising tide of racism - as attitudes

0:45:020:45:06

that were once based on curiosity and ignorance turn hostile.

0:45:060:45:10

In Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus,

0:45:130:45:16

a black character is described as delighting in rape and murder.

0:45:160:45:19

And in Reginald Scott's Discovery Of Witchcraft,

0:45:190:45:22

it's even claimed that the devil himself has black skin.

0:45:220:45:25

The majority of black men and women are to be found serving in the

0:45:280:45:32

houses of the powerful and in ports, especially London and Plymouth.

0:45:320:45:36

Perhaps the most shocking aspect of Elizabethan racism

0:45:360:45:39

is the treatment of black women in these towns

0:45:390:45:42

as evidenced in the baptismal registers.

0:45:420:45:45

Such records suggest that rich men

0:46:000:46:02

are lending out their black female servants to friends and neighbours

0:46:020:46:05

for sexual novelty and experimentation.

0:46:050:46:08

You might be appalled by the actions of those around you,

0:46:120:46:15

but your moral outrage will baffle Elizabethans.

0:46:150:46:18

Having travelled the globe, English explorers and adventurers

0:46:260:46:30

bring back a mass of new discoveries that help transform

0:46:300:46:33

the understanding of the natural world.

0:46:330:46:36

Explorers from all over Europe,

0:46:370:46:39

including Englishmen such as Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh,

0:46:390:46:42

bring back plants and animals from the New World

0:46:420:46:45

with which you'll be very familiar -

0:46:450:46:47

the potato, the tomato, tobacco and the turkey.

0:46:470:46:49

These discoveries cause great excitement

0:46:490:46:51

for they support the idea that

0:46:510:46:53

when God created world, he created cures for all of mankind's diseases.

0:46:530:46:57

The result is an expansion in physic gardens, which are stocked

0:46:590:47:03

with every botanical specimen that might prove useful.

0:47:030:47:07

You might want to discuss these new discoveries with John Gerard,

0:47:080:47:12

the leading herbalist of the age.

0:47:120:47:14

Gerard compiles the most comprehensive catalogue of plants

0:47:160:47:20

yet undertaken, and the science of botany takes a huge leap forward.

0:47:200:47:24

John Gerard is keen to explore the medicinal

0:47:320:47:35

and nutritional properties of every plant he can find.

0:47:350:47:38

Of the newly discovered tomato he writes, "They yield very little

0:47:380:47:42

"nourishment to the body, and are only cultivated for their colour."

0:47:420:47:45

Prosperous Elizabethans put tomatoes and potatoes on the banquet table,

0:47:450:47:49

not to eat but for exotic decoration.

0:47:490:47:52

In short, the tomato is a status symbol.

0:47:520:47:55

Another exotic novelty you'll know well is tobacco.

0:48:220:48:26

If you're a smoker, you'll need to visit after 1573

0:48:260:48:29

when it first becomes available.

0:48:290:48:31

However, a quarter ounce will cost you ten pence in a tavern -

0:48:330:48:37

a huge sum of money, reflecting its exotic nature.

0:48:370:48:39

Smoking polarises opinion in Elizabethan England -

0:48:430:48:47

some people will assure you that it has medicinal properties,

0:48:470:48:51

but others aren't convinced.

0:48:510:48:53

The Swiss traveller Thomas Platter notes that the English love to smoke.

0:48:530:48:57

As well as being viewed as a dangerous vice

0:49:170:49:20

and a health risk, smoking has its social detractors, too.

0:49:200:49:23

Many will tell you that tobacco makes your breath

0:49:230:49:26

smell like the "piss of a fox".

0:49:260:49:27

For you, tobacco, potatoes

0:49:370:49:39

and tomatoes are everyday items that will barely get a second glance.

0:49:390:49:43

But to those around you, these are exotic novelties

0:49:430:49:47

that prove there's a whole world out there

0:49:470:49:49

waiting to be discovered and exploited.

0:49:490:49:52

If you visit England at the start of the Queen's reign

0:49:550:49:59

and then again at the end, you'll find a profoundly different place.

0:49:590:50:02

Scientific and geographic knowledge have been transformed

0:50:020:50:04

beyond recognition, and everyday life has undergone a revolution.

0:50:040:50:09

As well as driving innovation

0:50:100:50:12

and expanding knowledge of the natural world, Elizabethan

0:50:120:50:16

merchant-adventurers also set England against powerful rivals.

0:50:160:50:19

English attempts to muscle in on the burgeoning empires of Catholic Spain

0:50:210:50:26

and Portugal in the New World are bound to lead to conflict.

0:50:260:50:29

This is even more the case after 1577, when Dr John Dee,

0:50:290:50:33

he of the wife-swapping angel seances,

0:50:330:50:36

suggests the establishment of a British Empire.

0:50:360:50:39

Empire-building in the New World, and the actions of men

0:50:420:50:45

like Francis Drake set England on a collision course with Spain.

0:50:450:50:49

And as every English schoolboy and schoolgirl knows,

0:50:510:50:55

this is what leads to the launch of the Spanish Armada,

0:50:550:50:58

arguably the defining event in Elizabeth's reign.

0:50:580:51:03

In 1588, 122 Spanish ships set sail with the intention

0:51:060:51:10

of landing an army to overthrow Elizabeth.

0:51:100:51:14

On entering the Channel,

0:51:180:51:20

they are intercepted by a larger English fleet,

0:51:200:51:22

commanded by Drake and Lord Howard.

0:51:220:51:24

The English forces chase the Armada up the Channel to Calais,

0:51:290:51:32

where they send flaming fire ships into the massed Spanish fleet.

0:51:320:51:36

The Spanish panic and take flight.

0:51:360:51:39

The British weather does the rest and many of the Armada's ships are

0:51:430:51:47

wrecked trying to sail home around the Scottish and Irish coasts.

0:51:470:51:51

In the aftermath of this famous victory,

0:51:540:51:56

the Tudor propaganda machine seeks to exploit

0:51:560:51:59

this seemingly divine affirmation of Elizabeth's England.

0:51:590:52:02

This iconic portrait of the Queen is full of triumphant symbolism.

0:52:070:52:11

Behind Elizabeth are two panels depicting key events.

0:52:110:52:14

On the left, the English fleet attacks the arriving Armada,

0:52:140:52:18

a scene bathed in glowing light.

0:52:180:52:20

On the right, the Spanish fleet is wrecked on rocks,

0:52:200:52:23

enveloped by darkness.

0:52:230:52:26

The English have no doubt as to where God's favour lies.

0:52:260:52:29

And looking to the future, the Queen's hand lies on a globe,

0:52:290:52:33

her fingers suggestively pointing to the New World.

0:52:330:52:36

The profound changes of the Elizabethan era

0:52:510:52:53

radically alter the lives of the new metropolitan classes.

0:52:530:52:57

Urbanisation, education and advances in science and knowledge

0:52:570:53:02

all feed into this notion of a changing world.

0:53:020:53:05

But there's one place you HAVE to go to round off your visit.

0:53:120:53:16

On the south bank of the Thames at Southwark,

0:53:180:53:20

you'll see something extraordinary unfolding before your eyes.

0:53:200:53:24

To many it's the pinnacle of Elizabeth's England - the theatre.

0:53:270:53:32

'To be, or not to be - that is the question.'

0:53:360:53:39

'Friends, Romans, countrymen...'

0:53:390:53:42

'..To suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous...'

0:53:420:53:44

-'Fair is foul and foul...'

-'Lend me your ears...'

0:53:440:53:47

'..To take arms against a sea of troubles...'

0:53:470:53:50

'..Through the fog and filthy air...'

0:53:500:53:53

If you visit the Globe Theatre in 1599, you might just be lucky

0:53:530:53:57

enough to see the work of the man who has come to be regarded

0:53:570:54:00

as the foremost Elizabethan of them all -

0:54:000:54:03

William Shakespeare.

0:54:030:54:04

Like so many great men of the age, he prospers through sheer hard work.

0:54:040:54:10

For example, in that one year alone, 1599,

0:54:100:54:13

he writes no fewer than four plays -

0:54:130:54:16

Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and Hamlet.

0:54:160:54:20

Here at the Globe, Shakespeare provides thought-provoking

0:54:240:54:27

entertainment that reflects his own society on stage.

0:54:270:54:31

A third of all Londoners watches a play every month.

0:54:330:54:37

You'll certainly want to join these urban theatre-goers.

0:54:370:54:40

When you arrive, you'll be one of a 2,000-strong audience

0:54:440:54:47

waiting with anticipation for the entertainment to begin.

0:54:470:54:51

Be on guard against pickpockets in the bustling audience -

0:54:520:54:56

you wouldn't want to lose some of your hard-earned cash.

0:54:560:55:00

Watching Shakespeare's masterpieces is a unique

0:55:030:55:06

and unforgettable experience.

0:55:060:55:08

You'll hear his plays performed by actors he knows - the very people

0:55:080:55:12

for whom he has written the parts.

0:55:120:55:13

'Is this a dagger which I see before me?'

0:55:150:55:19

'When shall we three meet again?'

0:55:190:55:21

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers,

0:55:210:55:26

'for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother...'

0:55:260:55:31

Ben Jonson is in no doubt about his friend's talent and legacy.

0:55:310:55:35

Shakespeare is not just an entertainer, of course.

0:55:460:55:49

In his plays, he holds up a mirror to reality,

0:55:490:55:52

reflecting a rapidly changing society.

0:55:520:55:55

In so doing, he becomes a spokesman for the emerging middle class,

0:55:550:55:59

a group that transforms the nation.

0:55:590:56:01

You could say he rides the crest of a cultural wave,

0:56:010:56:04

one which is still breaking on the shores of the world.

0:56:040:56:07

You've journeyed through the many different realities

0:56:130:56:16

that make up Elizabeth's England -

0:56:160:56:18

from the abject lives of the poor,

0:56:180:56:21

to the sumptuous homes of the rich

0:56:210:56:24

and the exciting world of the emergent middle-classes.

0:56:240:56:28

But witnessing the past is one thing,

0:56:280:56:31

understanding it is quite another.

0:56:310:56:33

Your familiarity with it will come and go like a tide.

0:56:360:56:40

You may recognise the greetings, shouts and insults in the street,

0:56:430:56:47

and understand people's feelings, tears and laughter.

0:56:470:56:50

But when you hear the baying crowd at the hanging of a young woman,

0:56:500:56:54

or see the hatred in people's faces at the arrest of a Catholic priest,

0:56:540:56:57

or witness the pitiful bears in their cramped cages at Southwark,

0:56:570:57:01

then it will seem as if the tide of familiarity has receded.

0:57:010:57:05

For the men and women of Elizabeth's reign, this isn't a golden age,

0:57:060:57:11

it is simply the world they inhabit, with all its challenges.

0:57:110:57:14

They don't know that the Spanish invasion will fail,

0:57:160:57:18

and that there is no cure for the plague.

0:57:180:57:21

And the majority of people outside London haven't even heard the name William Shakespeare.

0:57:230:57:27

The uncertainty of life,

0:57:280:57:30

and the even greater uncertainty of the future, mean their lives

0:57:300:57:34

are full of wonder and terror, pleasure and pain, tears and

0:57:340:57:39

laughter - everything that we all experience, whatever age we live in.

0:57:390:57:43

But what really sets Elizabethan England apart is the idea of change.

0:57:460:57:51

People can see the ruined monasteries for themselves,

0:57:510:57:54

they can see the ruined castles for themselves,

0:57:540:57:57

they know that an Englishman has circumnavigated the globe.

0:57:570:58:00

They can see that change is possible, and once they realise that

0:58:000:58:03

change is possible, they know that change for the better is possible.

0:58:030:58:08

This is perhaps the most important idea that mankind has ever had,

0:58:080:58:13

and it is the lasting legacy of the Elizabethan Age.

0:58:130:58:16

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0:58:360:58:39

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