Art. 6.-AN ELIZABETHAN GENTLEWOMAN.

The Journal of Lady Mildmay, circa 1570-1617 (unpublished).

MUCH has been learned of the manners and customs of the last two centuries by the publication of letters, journals and memoirs; but our knowledge of the ordinary life of our ancestors, previous to the Hanoverian period, is gained chiefly from those books which deal with social and domestic life generally. There remain but few personal records of an earlier time to give us those side-lights which illuminate the dry pages of history, and, by revealing the human element in every age, help us to a more sympathetic understanding of the motives and actions of those who lived in bygone times. The journal of a gentle lady of the sixteenth century, written in her old age and giving a complete picture of her life as child and wife, may therefore be of interest; and from it may be gathered how great is the contrast between the ordinary country life of Englishwomen to-day, interspersed with visits to town and abroad, and that of a lady of high position three hundred years ago. The story is preserved in a thick black volume filled with writing, so neat that it seems to spell refinement, even before one reads the pages which so vividly depict the life of Grace Sherrington, first as a child in her father's house, and afterwards as the bride and wife of Sir Anthony Mildmay.

Grace was born about the year 1552 and was the second of the three daughters and co-heiresses of Sir Henry Sherrington, of Laycock Abbey in Wiltshire. Her childhood was spent at Laycock, where she and her sisters were brought up by careful parents and a much-loved governess; the latter, Mrs Hamblyn, being a poor relation who lived with the Sherringtons and helped them in return for the home they gave her, as was frequently the custom at that time. Good and kind as we may believe Grace's parents to have been, her upbringing was stern and hard, according to the rude fashion of the day, which did not spare the rod. To inculcate virtuous precepts, her mother used to beat her severely, and 'never so much as for lying,' the first lesson

thus impressed upon her being 'to speak the truth and shame the devil.' Grace's own account of her early training is in these words:

'I had experience of a gentlewoman (niece unto my father) and brought up by my mother from childhood, whom afterwards she trusted to be governess over her own children. She proved very wyse, religious and chaste, all good virtues that might be in a woman very constantly settled in her, for from her youth she made good use of all things that ever she did see or hear, and observed all companys that ever she came in, good or bad, so that she could give a right censure and true judgment of most things and give wyse counsell upon any occasion. And she could apprehend and contrive any matter whatsoever propounded unto her, most judiciously, and sett her mynde down in wryting, either by letters indited or otherwise, as well as most men could have done. She had, also, good knowledge in phisick and surgerie. She was of an excellent quicke spiritt and plesently conceited; her mirth was very savoury and full of wit; and in her sadnesse she uttered forth nothing but wisdom and gravitie. She scoffed at all dalliance, idle talk, and wanton behaviour appertayning thereto, with a touch of conceit to the heed thereof. She counselled us when we were alone so to behave ourselves as yf all the worlde did looke upon us, and to doe nothing in secret whereof our conscience might accuse us, and by any means to avoyd the company of serving men, or any of lyke disposition, whose ribald talk and ydle gestures and evill suggestions were dangerous for our chaste ears and eyes to hear and behold. And further, she advised us to deal truly and faithfully in all things, both in small matters and in greate, to beware of all lyes and oathes and reporting of newes; to heare much and to speake little, seeming to be ignorant in some things rather than to boast of knowledge that we have not, and thereby give occasion to be laughed att.

'I delighted soe much in her companye that I would sit with her all daye in her chamber, and by my goodwill would never goe from her, embracing allwaies her rebukes and reproofs. And when she did see me ydly disposed she would sett me to cypher with my pen, and to cast up and prove great sums and accompts, and sometimes set me to wryte a supposed letter to this or that body concerning such and such things, and other tymes let me read in Dr Turner's Herball

I William Turner (ob. 1568), Dean of Wells, 'was the first Englishman who studied plants scientifically; and his Herbal" marks the start of the

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& Bartholomew Vigoe,* and other times sett me to sing psalmes, and othertimes sett me to some curious work; for she was an excellent workwoman in all kinds of needlework, and most curiously she would perform it.

'She gave me warning of a gentlewoman full of words and questions and of an undermyning disposition, a busybody and a medler in matters which concerned her not, neither regarding what hurt or trouble might redound to many thereby, nor how my reputation might be brought in question by conversing with her, for she sought much into my companye. And surely this counsell which she gave me was very sweet and good to be observed, for in myne owne experience I have found the danger very great. Alsoe there was a man and woman, both marryed but not man and wyfe, of impudent behaviour one towards another, which when she behelde she asked me yf I did not think it a monstrous spectacle to behold, and wished me to make one stave and she would make another untill there were four or five verses made thereupon, which she performed herselfe very wittily and sharp against such licentious behaviour; and this she did for myne instruction to take heed of the lyke and to abhor and despise the same. Also, she advised me to avoyd such companye by all means possible, and to take heede of whom I received gifts, as a book wherein might be some fine words whereby I might betray myself unawares, or gloves or apples or such like, for that wicked companions would ever presente treacherous attempts; which afterwards I found to be true in some sort and remembered her counsell in all these things, and more than I can here recite, which she thought profitable for me to remember to be instructed in, whereby she sent me furnished into the world.

'Alsoe my father could not abyde to see a woman light or unstable in her carriage, to hold her head one way, her hands another, and her feete a third way, her eyes tossing about in

science of botany in England' (D. N. B.). His 'Newe Herball' was published in 1551. The second part appeared in 1562, and the third, with a new edition of the other two, in 1568.

* The work thus loosely designated appears to be 'The most excellent workes of chirurgerye made and set forth by maister J. Vigon [John of Vigo]... translated into English [by Bartholomew Traheron],' which was published in 1543 and in several later editions. The original, in Latin, appeared at Rome in 1517. John of Vigo was evidently a popular writer. His works were translated into French, Italian, and Spanish, as well as into English. A book of recipes culled from him was published in English in 1540 and went through several editions. Bartholomew Traheron, besides translating John of Vigo, wrote tracts on divinity and a 'Warning to England' to abjure Popery, à propos of the capture of Calais in 1558,

every place and her features disfigured by an evill countenance; but he lyked a woman well graced, with a constant and settled countenance, and a good behaviour throughout all her parts, which presenteth unto all men a good hope of stablished mynde and a virtuous disposition to be in her. I have seen him with his owne hands (for example's sake) scourge a young man, naked from his girdle upwards, with fresh rods, for making but a showe and countenance of a saucie and unreverent behaviour towards us his children, and put him from his service.

'Yf all fathers and mothers were so provident and careful and governors and governesses put in trust by them were so diligent and faithfull in performing theyre trust, so many parents should not be discomfited as they are in theyr age by the wickedness and misfortunes of theyr children, which is too ordinary and lamentable to consider.'

When Grace was not quite fifteen, a marriage was arranged for her with Anthony, son of Sir Walter Mildmay, of Apethorpe in Northamptonshire. The bridegroom was not an ardent lover, for, when the alliance was proposed, he

'being then more willinge to travile to get experience of the world, than to marry so soone, was unwillinge to give eare thereunto. But his father told him, yf he did not marry me, he should never bring any other woman into his house. Upon which importunitie of his father he was content and entered into communication what joynter he would make me, and what allowance he would give for our maintenance in his owne tyme; his father promising with tears, to give him all that he had.'

Grace had no doubt been brought up to the idea that it was her duty to acquiesce without demur in her parents' choice, but she also had her own thoughts on the subject, and when quite a young girl had composed for herself this prayer:

'Oh Lord, if ever I marry, send me a man after Thine owne hearte; if it be Thy will, oh Lord, cut not off my generation, but that I may have children and that they may be Thy children; and grant me, oh Lord, that I and my husband and my children may be in Thee and Thou in us.'

In the journal is this entry relating to her wedding-day: 'My father-in-law gave me this posie in my wedding ring, Maneat inviolata fides, which in the very instant of my

marryage I received most religiously with a full resolution by the Grace of God to performe the same unto the ende of my lyfe.'

The Mildmay household, into which Grace was now introduced, was sternly Puritan. Sir Walter had been connected with the Court from early life and was a prominent man in public affairs during Queen Elizabeth's reign, at one time holding office as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Puritanism of his day was a religious rather than a political sentiment, being founded on aspirations after a simpler spiritual life and a consequent hatred of Rome. Subsequently, differences within the English Church were to lead to the bitter sectarian and political divisions of the seventeenth century; but, at the time which we are considering, the broad issue was Puritanism against Popery. The fear of a Spanish invasion, which might be followed by a Catholic reaction, loomed ahead and welded men together against a common foe; and it was not until these fears were dissipated by the death of Mary (1587) and the defeat of the Armada (1588) that the sectarian spirit broke the bonds of political control and produced those misunderstandings which even to-day exist, though one may hope they have lost some of their bitterness.

This intolerant hatred of Popery influenced Sir Walter's whole life and probably made him entirely callous to the pathos of the Fotheringhay tragedy, where he was one of the judges at the trial of the Scottish queen and present at her execution. In spite of holding views that were hard, narrow, and unbending, the real man seems to have been far better than his creed. He inspired his young daughter-in-law with great affection; and the journal contains a long entry of 'Myne owne observations of Sir Walter Mildmay,' from which we learn that in all public matters he was 'faithfull, equall and just' and carried out affairs of State 'without encroaching to himselfe vayne ostentation and glory of the world and without enriching of his own estate by the Queen's rents, lands or treasures.' In manner grave and dignified, he was also eloquent of speech, to which was added the charm of a melodious voice. At home he was