Every one a witness

by A.F. Scott

Book Overview

Commentaries of an Era. Preface by Sir John Wolfenden. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0727401017
• ISBN13: 9780727401014
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: White Lion
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Past realities

Editor Scott has compiled an anthology of original documents of the era (roughly 1600 to 1720). The pieces are drawn from journals, royal proclamations, news sheets, literary works, pamphlets and every other conceivable source. They illustrate the daily life of English speakers, in Britain and America, high and low. They are short, running from a few lines to a full page. Spelling and orthography has been modernized, otherwise the language has been left alone. A couple of examples: From "London": OUR STREETS Our streets are filled with Blue Boars, Black Swans, and Red Lions not to mention Flying Pigs and Hogs in Armour, with many other creatures more extraordinary than any in the deserts of Africa. Joseph Addison, The Spectator, 1711 From "the arts": ORDINANCE PASSED BY PARLIAMENT, 1642 Whereas public sports do not well agree with public calamities, nor public stage-plays with the seasons of humiliation ... It is therefore thought fit and ordained by the Lords and Commons in this Parliament assembled that while these sad causes and set times of humiliation continue, public stage-plays shall cease, and be forborne. From "Law and crime": LAST STAR CHAMBER DAY 28 Februar 1603. The last Star Chamber Day one Darling, a youth of Merton College (that pretended heretofore to be dispossessed of a devil by Darrel), was censured to be whipped and lose his ears, for libelling against the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford and diverse of the Council. He had part of his punishment the last week in Cheapside; the rest is or shall be performed at Oxford. John Chamberlain, Letters, 1597 - 1626 Content headings: Royalty London Towns, gardens and buildings Family life Food Dress Furnishings Education The Arts Literature Music Painting Sports and pastimes Health Work and wages Trade and money Religion Science Travel Law and crime Witchcraft News Famous people Historic events Warfare England and the sea Colonies Biographies of the authors (when known) of the selections are included, as well as a bibliography and index. I expect this would be useful in writing "historical fiction", now more in vogue than ever. It might be a good reader for non-native speakers of English who want some short and diverting passages from this era to practice on, before they launch into longer and more demanding stuff. Also usable for schoolkids who have been instructed by their sometimes clueless pedagogues to use "primary sources" in their "research papers". And maybe just anybody interested in concrete history. The author published similar works drawn from other periods, as well as books on literary theory and poetry appreciation.