creased employ even to the common labourer. Without justifying luxury or expense beyond the means, too common in every rank, it may be observed, that the person who encourages and employs the honest artificer is a much greater benefactor to his country, than either the man who hoards his wealth, or distributes it blindly in careless charity.

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The inventories of the royal palaces enumerate many costly articles. In the bedchamber of Henry VIII., at Hampton, was a steel glass (or mirror) covered with yellow velvet." At Westminster, among the glasses to look in," was a fair great looking steel glass, set in crimson velvet, richly embroidered with damask pearls, with knots of blue, and a curtain of blue taffetas, embroidered with Venice gold, and cordrants of the same gold." As yet, looking glasses, properly so called, were little known; the mirrors were never hung up in the sitting rooms; they were placed in bedchambers or dressing closets, and carefully covered to protect them from damp or other injuries. Towards the close of the century they became more common. Hentzner describes, in the house of a tailor, "a most perfect looking glass, ornamented with gold, pearls, silver and velvet;' it was reckoned to be worth 500 French crowns.

Strutt remarks upon the great number of clocks in these inventories, some of them richly adorned. Watches will be noticed among articles of dress. Clocks had become common through the country, though still articles of wonder to the ignorant. A Scottish freebooter wrote to an English gentleman, demanding, among other articles, the wee trim gawing thing, that stands in the neuk of the hall, chirping and chirming at the neun tide of the day." If he obtained it, he would probably have had to express himself as a later Scottish plunderer did of a watch, that “it died (that is, stopped) the same night he gat it."

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In the expenses of Henry VII., in 1503, is, To the smyth of Richmont for a litell clock, 37. 6s. 8d." Many readers will recollect the curious clock still remaining

in the cathedral at Wells. A clock given by lord North to the earl of Leicester, in 1580, with a dial, cost 67. 10s.

The supply of table linen was very scanty at the commencement of this period. In the earl of Northumberland's family, seventy ells of linen cloth, at eightpence the ell, supplied the whole establishment with borde (or table) cloths, napkins, towels, cupboard and dresser cloths; but before the close of the century, we read of private persons with "fayre napkins before them," and of a damask table cloth, worth eighteen pounds. Such was the rapid progress during the sixteenth century.

THE FINE ARTS.

Painting and sculpture made considerable progress during the sixteenth century. At the beginning of that period, the arts were chiefly encouraged in building or adorning ecclesiastical structures. But in Italy and Flanders, these arts were cultivated more than in England. Henry VIII. encouraged portrait painting, and the faithful representations of many leading English characters of that period were preserved by Holbein. Oliver was the first English painter worthy of notice; many of his miniature portraits are still preserved.

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Engraving in wood and metal, for printing, was much encouraged. Among the earliest good English specimens of this art, are the engravings in The Shippe of Foles," printed by Pynson. Some ancient chronicles contain improved specimens of this art. Among them may be noticed the engravings in the early editions of Foxe's Acts and Monuments, many of which are executed with much spirit and accuracy.

Copperplate engraving was encouraged by archbishop Parker. Engraved portraits of popular characters were common. Saxton engraved maps of the English counties, imperfect and far from correct, but showing increased attention to the topography of our land.

Many superstitious pictures and images were de

stroyed at the Reformation, after which time sculptors chiefly depended upon monumental effigies for employment; many of this period yet remain, showing various degrees of ability. Fire-places, and the interior of rooms, often were richly sculptured; many ornamental carvings of this period yet remain, and exhibit application and skill of superior order.

The beautiful specimens of architecture in Henry VII.'s Chapel, and other buildings of this period, are well known to most of our readers. Italian artists began to introduce the Grecian style in some public and private buildings, though it was not suited to our northern country and climate.

Music was generally cultivated. In families of the middle classes, almost every person was supposed to be more or less skilled in music. Thomas Tallis composed a song of forty parts. The Reformation checked the use of instrumental music in churches, but vocal music was encouraged. In 1548, psalm singing was authorized at this period Edward VI. was much gratified by the psalmody of Sternhold, and the manner in which he accompanied some of the psalms of his version on the organ.

In 1560, Jewell notices the improved spirit of religion among the people, which had been promoted by psalmody in public worship. It was begun in the church of St. Antholin. He notices that at Paul's Cross, sometimes, there were six thousand persons singing together; this was following the plan adopted upon the continent.

Keyed and stringed instruments became general, so that viols or citherns were placed in barbers' shops, that customers might amuse themselves while waiting. In the expenses of Henry VII.are lutes for the princesses Margaret and Mary, afterwards queens of Scotland and France; each cost 13s. 4d., and a pair of clavycords 10s. Morison, at the end of the century, says, "When you come to an inn, you shall be offered music, which you may freely take or refuse."

FOOD.

The national food of England, in the sixteenth century, was similar to that of the preceding centuries. It was chiefly plain joints of beef, mutton, and pork: but for banquets, and among those who thought themselves more refined than others, made dishes, and various elaborate preparations, were esteemed; these were termed "the triumphs of cookery.' A writer in the reign of Henry VII., describes the higher ranks as having "the most dilecat deynties, and curyous mets," with subtilties of the cunyng appreparyng of the cooks." The subtilties were chiefly paste and sweetmeats, in the forms of castles and ships, and figures of all sorts.

The diet of the poorest classes, early in the century, is described by a poet as consisting mostly of brown bread, whig or sour butter-milk, bacon, and curds. At the close," cabbages, radishes, parsnips, carrots, melons, pompons, or such like," were their principal food. Wheaten bread they had when they could reach the price of it; at other times bread made of oats and barley. Flesh meat they did not often have: a cow was reckoned a valuable possession to a poor man. The class next above them, about A.D. 1500, had wheaten bread, beef, perry or cider, and cream. Vegetables were but little used. Salted meat was a principal article of food during the winter months, the cattle being slaughtered about Martinmas, as, on account of the scarcity of winter fodder, they would lose their condition after that time. A supply of salted fish was laid in before Lent. As noticed in the "Middle Ages of England," in the family of the earl of Northumberland, at this period, one hundred and sixty gallons of mustard was the quantity usually prepared to make this diet the more palatable. Before the end of the century, the diet of the artificer and husbandman was much improved, consisting of butchers' meat,

besides souse, brawn, bacon, pies of fruit, fowls, cheese, butter, and eggs.

Beer and ale were the principal drinks. A receipt for strong ale directs, that not more than sixty gallons were to be brewed from three pecks of malt; but it might be as much stronger as the brewer pleased. Hops came into general use for beer after 1524, but were partially used before that time, being imported from Flanders. Ale of five days old is spoken of as ready for use; hops not being generally put into ale till the next century, that liquor was drank soon after it was brewed. Harrison, late in the century, in 1586, describes his process of brewing; from eight bushels of malt, half a bushel of wheat, and the same of oats, he had ten score gallons of beer, or more. The best beer, he says, was commonly a year old, being brewed in March, and "for the household usually not under a month's age, each one coveting to have it stale as he may, so that it be not soure." A Frenchman, in 1553, says, The English are fond of eating, with their beer, soft saffron cakes stuffed with raisins.

The importance of a proper supply of malt liquor is thus spoken of in a letter written by the earl of Leicester, during one of queen Elizabeth's progresses in 1575, probably in reference to her own house at Grafton, in Northamptonshire: "At her first coming, being a marvelous hott day, not one drop of good drink for her; but we were fain to send to London with bottels, to Kenelworth, to divers other places where ale was. Her own here was such as there was no man able to drink it: and yet was it laid in about three days before her majesty came. Hit did put her very farr out of temper, and almost all the company beside so: for none of us all was able to drink, either bere or ale here. Synce, by chance, we have found drynk for her lykyng, and she is well agayn: : but I feared greatly, two or three dayes, some sickness to have fallen by reason of this drynk.'

Mead, and various mixed liquors, such as clary and hippocrass, made from wine and spices, were much