Elizabethan England : from "A Description of England, by William
Harrison (in Holinshed's Chronicles)." Edited by Loth rop Withing- ton. With Introduction by F. J. Furnivall, LL.D. (Walter Scott.) —Mr. Withington has compiled an interesting little volume. It was a happy thought of Dr. Farnivall to condense Harrison's narrative from blushed for the New Shakspere Society ; and now Mr. Withington has not only abridged it still further, but has disjointed and then rejointed Harrison's text to fit it for popular service. His contribution to Holinshed, he writes, "is not only the most important, but the most perfect portion of the work ; and it evidently derives its perfect character from being a labour of love, and not written to order." Harrison writes with great intelligence, and gives the reader information to be gained from no other source. The chapters treating "Of Gardens and Orchards," "Of our Apparel and Attire," "Of the Manner of Building and Furniture of our House," and "Of our English Dogs and their Qualities," show the raciness of his style and present a striking picture of Elizabethan England. With regard to the con- dition of town and country, his note throughout is one of progress as he compares past days with those in which he lived. At the same time, the semi-barbarism of that wonderful age is shown in the laws against criminals, some of which were not abrogated until comparatively recent days. In the chapter "Of our English Dogs and their Qualities," Harrison tells the story of a mastiff that belonged to him :—" I had one myself once that would not suffer any man to bring in his weapon further than my gate : neither those that were in my house to be touched in his presence. Or if I had beaten any of my children, he would gently have essayed to catch the rod in his teeth and take it out of my hand, or else pluck down their clothes to save them from the stripes ; which in my opinion is not unworthy to be noted." The book deserves a large circulation, for Harrison tells nothing in his pithily written chapters that is "unworthy to be noted."
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