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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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00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:25,160
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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00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:04,840
you've not been robbed
of all you possess,

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00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,120
it's time to explore
the unique sights of London.

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00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:18,800
There are numerous
must-see attractions

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00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:21,400
on any wealthy tourist's itinerary.

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00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,880
Firstly, the Tower of London.

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00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:25,920
Here you can hire a tour guide.

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00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:27,560
You'll see Henry VIII's armour,

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00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,680
the Royal Mint,
a menagerie of exotic animals

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00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:33,240
and the dungeons
where Catholics are tortured.

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00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:37,920
But tourism doesn't come cheap.

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00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:41,320
If you want to do the full Tower
experience in Elizabeth's reign,

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00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,400
it will cost you the equivalent
of 12 weeks' wages

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00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:45,240
for the average labourer.

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00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,320
You'll notice that London
is a favourite destination

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00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,360
for wealthy foreign tourists.

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00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:00,600
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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00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:08,000
He keeps a journal
of his experiences

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00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:12,440
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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00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:10,760
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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00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:21,920
The bridge is covered in buildings,

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00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:26,360
from wealthy merchants' houses
to shops and even public toilets.

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00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:31,040
It also has impressive gates
and fortifications

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designed to protect the city.

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00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:38,160
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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00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,760
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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00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,880
but it doesn't have to be
all hard work.

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00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:07,960
The Mermaid Tavern on Cheapside
is a favourite haunt
of William Shakespeare,

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00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:09,880
who is a friend of the landlord.

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00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:14,960
He and his fellow playwrights,
and their drinking partners,
are at the heart of this new London.

242
00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:37,600
If you like beer,
you've come to the right place.

243
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,360
For a ha'penny, you can have
a pint of good English beer,

244
00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:43,800
served in a wooden mazer,
or a shiny pewter tankard.

245
00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:46,760
The best quality is March beer,
or double beer,

246
00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:50,280
made with twice the quantity of malt
and thus twice as strong.

247
00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,720
But not everybody loves
English beer.

248
00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:57,560
The Venetian Allesandro Magno
describes it as "healthy
but sickening to taste"

249
00:17:57,560 --> 00:17:59,480
and "cloudy like horse's urine".

250
00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,880
As well as providing some
suspicious tasting beer,

251
00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,720
London's alehouses provide every
indulgence you can imagine -

252
00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:11,800
food, music, flirtation,
and much more besides.

253
00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:19,320
Many alehouses double up
as places of prostitution,

254
00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:24,120
with the landlord's wife,
or even his daughter, taking
the position of house harlot.

255
00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:26,720
These are the harsh
realities of Elizabethan life.

256
00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,920
The man has to work brewing ale
and serving the customers,

257
00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,480
so the women of the household
have to work too.

258
00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:37,840
Now you've explored the city,

259
00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:41,840
it's time to get down
to the business of setting up
and making some money.

260
00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:49,840
In 1599, the Swiss tourist
Thomas Platter remarks that,

261
00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:52,880
"London is not in England,
but England is in London."

262
00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:57,720
An observation about crowding in
echoed by almost every foreign
visitor to the City.

263
00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:00,160
London's not just
the most populous place,

264
00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:02,800
it's also the centre of government
and the centre of law,

265
00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:07,000
the centre of international
trade and, of course, of culture.

266
00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,200
It's also a place of wonder
and horror,

267
00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,320
of great wealth and abject poverty.

268
00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,640
Over the 45 years
of Elizabeth's reign,

269
00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:23,760
the city's population increases from
70,000 to an astonishing 200,000

270
00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:28,400
as multitudes flock to the capital
to seek their fortune.

271
00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:32,680
But London's pre-eminence
isn't just to be measured
in numbers of people.

272
00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:36,000
Even at the start of the period,
Londoners pay ten times as much tax

273
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,560
as residents of England's
second largest city, Norwich.

274
00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:44,440
As you walk the streets
of your new city,

275
00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:48,520
you'll see hawkers selling herbs,
linens and fine drinking glasses.

276
00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:55,240
You'll smell tempting hot sausages
and pies for sale.

277
00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:58,080
And you'll hear the hammering
of metalworkers,

278
00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:00,120
the shouts of criers giving news

279
00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:04,720
and the anguished pleas
for food and pity from Newgate
and Ludgate prisons.

280
00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,040
The real soul of London
is in the streets -

281
00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:14,480
the tiny alleys,
dark with overhanging houses.

282
00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,520
Ordinary people's homes
are the places for innovation,

283
00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:19,000
of manufacturing and commerce,

284
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,040
attracting people from all over
the country seeking their fortune.

285
00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:26,200
But this growth and dynamism
is not without its problems.

286
00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:35,800
Queen Elizabeth doesn't like London
encroaching on her land and palaces,

287
00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:38,960
and so she decrees that
no new building can take place

288
00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,560
outside the city walls.

289
00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,160
This early idea of a green-belt

290
00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:47,200
has a significant
impact on the landscape of the city.

291
00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:52,840
In London, space is at a premium.

292
00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,360
This plan shows you
how closely packed together

293
00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:59,240
all the houses are and gives you
a sense of how cramped life is.

294
00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:01,560
It also shows you all the latrines.

295
00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:05,480
Actually this bit of London isn't
too badly served for such facilities

296
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,360
due to the proximity
of the River Fleet.

297
00:21:08,360 --> 00:21:10,680
Even so, you might have to
cross your legs

298
00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:14,240
as it shows just 10 loos
for the 30 properties on the map,

299
00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:17,040
let alone all the hundreds
of other houses nearby.

300
00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,320
For those who come to live
in the city, life is crowded,

301
00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:27,000
cramped, unhygienic
and little more than a struggle.

302
00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:31,800
Tensions are increased by having to
live so close to your neighbours.

303
00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:42,680
The lack of space means
houses are rising fast,

304
00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:47,400
sometimes up to seven storeys high,
all supported by nothing
but timber beams.

305
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:54,240
As you make money in the city,
you might choose to buy one of
these new townhouses,

306
00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,440
as opposed to lodging
in the cramped conditions.

307
00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:02,840
The rapid growth of London
also means that sanitation suffers.

308
00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:06,840
Without flushing toilets
or effective drains,

309
00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:10,640
the smell of Elizabethan London is
going to take some getting used to.

310
00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:20,800
Strange though it may seem, to most
Londoners, the smell of sewage
is the smell of progress,

311
00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,400
because it's also the smell
of lots of people.

312
00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,760
Although the sanitation
might leave a little to be desired,

313
00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:30,600
the city is where you can better
yourself and improve your lot.

314
00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:34,640
London attracts everyone
hoping to make a fortune
or a name for themselves.

315
00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:39,200
Once you've made it in London,

316
00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:43,240
you can flaunt your new wealth
through your choice of transport.

317
00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,800
When visiting London,
the River Thames will be
your constant companion.

318
00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:51,720
It's the lifeblood of the city

319
00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,720
and for many wealthier Londoners, it
is by far the best way to get about.

320
00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,640
This is one of the reasons why there
are so many boats on the river,

321
00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:04,240
from the practical barges carrying
everything from dung to wine,
and the Queen's glass-sided barge,

322
00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:07,360
to thousands of wherries,
as waterborne taxis are known.

323
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:11,440
These river taxis
operate in all weathers.

324
00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:13,680
It will cost you a penny
to cross from the city

325
00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:15,960
to the many entertainments
of Southwark

326
00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:17,680
on the south bank of the river.

327
00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:26,680
The wherries are quick,
and the best way to avoid
the dirty crowded streets,

328
00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:30,120
as well as to show you're a
self-respecting person of substance.

329
00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:39,680
The River Thames also provides
the city with its port

330
00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:43,320
and it's this that makes London such
a centre of international trade,

331
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:46,160
new ideas and opportunities
to make money.

332
00:23:55,480 --> 00:24:00,800
London's striving metropolitan elite
are only too pleased to spend
their new-found wealth.

333
00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:04,080
And it's London's bustling port
that satisfies the demand

334
00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:06,720
for novelties as well as
basic commodities.

335
00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:12,480
Luxury items such as sugar,
exotic spices, carpets,
cakes of soap and even marmalade,

336
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,520
are imported from Europe,
the Far East and the New World.

337
00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:18,760
If it's the finer things in life
you're after,

338
00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,080
then London is definitely
the place to be.

339
00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:26,560
The constant movement of people
and cargoes in and out of the city

340
00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:31,440
makes it a conduit for the most
terrifying thing you'll encounter
in Elizabethan England -

341
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,080
the plague.

342
00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:41,480
When planning your visit,
you really must avoid 1563.

343
00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:46,280
In that one year alone, over 17,000
Londoners die of bubonic plague.

344
00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:48,920
But let's say you do visit
during an epidemic,

345
00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:53,480
are there any precautions
you can take to avoid catching
this dreaded disease?

346
00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:58,080
You can never predict
where it might strike,

347
00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:01,200
outbreaks occur all over the country
at different times.

348
00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,360
But bear in mind that it is carried
by rat fleas

349
00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:07,160
and they don't travel very fast.

350
00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:12,640
If you hear that the plague
is in town, leave immediately.

351
00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:19,000
Poor areas are more severely
affected than rich ones,
so avoid slums.

352
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,240
Plague can also be spread
through infected garments,

353
00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:24,040
so don't borrow or wear
someone else's clothing.

354
00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:27,560
And finally, bear in mind that
plague can be spread in the breath.

355
00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,760
Don't get over familiar
with strangers and keep the kissing
to a minimum.

356
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,840
So what should you do if you feel
painful buboes on your groin
and armpits,

357
00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:41,280
and find yourself suffering from
a rapid pulse, fever and headache?

358
00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:42,520
Medicine won't help you.

359
00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:44,480
There are supposed cures for plague,

360
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,840
but none of them will do you
the slightest bit of good.

361
00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:49,240
A physician
won't even come near you.

362
00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:53,520
I'm afraid in such circumstances,
the outlook is bleak.

363
00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:55,120
There is nothing you can do.

364
00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:01,400
If you are unlucky enough
to catch plague,

365
00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:06,320
the ordinances enacted in 1578
mean you're subject to strict
control measures.

366
00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,720
You can't buy your way
out of this one.

367
00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,840
You'll be boarded
up for a minimum of six weeks -

368
00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:18,280
you, your family and servants,
sick and healthy all in it together.

369
00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:26,200
There are some harrowing stories
about plague victims.

370
00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:30,080
One that I find particularly moving
is that of Thomas Smallbone.

371
00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:34,600
He and his wife, his mother-in-law
and his children all catch
plague in the autumn.

372
00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,320
One by one, the adults die

373
00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:40,120
and then one by one,
all the children die.

374
00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:44,080
At the end, after eight months
incarcerated in the house,

375
00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:45,720
only the servants survive.

376
00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:54,240
No matter how rich,
ambitious or knowledgeable you are,

377
00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,600
nothing can save you
from this pestilence.

378
00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,920
As well as horrific
events like plague,

379
00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:08,560
Elizabethan England also sees
several positive changes that

380
00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:11,920
make a real difference to the lives
of the middling sort of people.

381
00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:15,200
Without a doubt, the most
far-reaching of all of these

382
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:18,800
is the publication of increasing
numbers of books in English.

383
00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,080
Over the course
of the 16th century,

384
00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:28,640
the proportion of books published
in English increases rapidly.

385
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:31,800
This in turn encourages
many ordinary people to read.

386
00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:38,160
For prosperous townsmen,
this is a major revelation.

387
00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:42,960
Suddenly, they too can acquire
knowledge and explore their world
through literature.

388
00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,080
Books are soon published
on a wide range of subjects,

389
00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:52,160
everything from cookery to medicine
and even how to fire a cannon.

390
00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:58,840
But it's the Bible, in English,
which is the real bestseller
of the age.

391
00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,920
For the first time, people can read
the word of God in their own homes

392
00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,560
and consider its meanings
for themselves.

393
00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:07,800
It becomes the ultimate
self-help book.

394
00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,680
To read is to better yourself
and move up the social ladder.

395
00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,240
But as you can already read,
you're at a major advantage.

396
00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:23,800
Literacy can be your ticket
to greatness in Elizabethan England.

397
00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:31,760
At the start of the 16th century,
only one in ten men
can read and write,

398
00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:35,840
but by the end of Elizabeth's reign,
that has increased to one in four.

399
00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:39,720
Even more strikingly, the proportion
of women who can read and write

400
00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:42,440
increases from 1% to 10%.

401
00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:44,680
That's a ten-fold increase.

402
00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:48,800
It marks a revolution. From now on,
men aren't the only readers.

403
00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,400
Women can read too,
and they can publish.

404
00:28:56,560 --> 00:29:01,800
One woman who fully embraces
this new intellectual opportunity
is Aemilia Lanyer.

405
00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,240
In what is very much
a man's world,

406
00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:08,120
she challenges the status quo.

407
00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:12,640
You'll definitely want to
get to know Aemilia.

408
00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:16,000
She's witty, educated
and has a lot to say for herself.

409
00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:20,520
In one of her most famous poems,

410
00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:26,360
she shifts the blame for man's fall
from grace in the Garden of Eden
from Eve to Adam.

411
00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:58,400
Aemilia Lanyer is one of
the standard-bearers

412
00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:00,720
of this revolution
in women's literature.

413
00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:04,600
Her work demonstrates that women too
are capable of original ideas

414
00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:08,640
and inspires others
to set out on the long road
to intellectual equality.

415
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:23,120
Ironically, although
you are qualified to join
this literate society,

416
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:27,800
the chances are you'll have
very great difficulty
reading anyone's handwriting.

417
00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:30,440
This isn't because people
can't write properly,

418
00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:33,720
it's because there are many
different types of script in use.

419
00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:41,920
Most people learn to read using
a typeface called 'black letter'.

420
00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:47,200
To your eyes, black letter
will look almost Gothic,

421
00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,400
with numerous unfamiliar characters.

422
00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:58,920
You'll probably find printed italic
script much easier to understand.

423
00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:04,120
It's called italic
because of its Italian origin.

424
00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:06,240
All modern
typefaces are based upon it.

425
00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:11,040
Many books are published using
both italic and black letter.

426
00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,680
But just to confuse matters further,

427
00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:17,720
there's another script
called Secretary Hand,

428
00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:20,080
a style of writing
which is never printed.

429
00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,280
The upshot of all this is, if you're
lucky enough to come across

430
00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:30,520
the original manuscript
of a Shakespeare play,

431
00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:32,960
in all likelihood,
you won't be able to read a word.

432
00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,720
You'll find the printed versions
much easier.

433
00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:50,800
Numbers can also be
a little bit tricky

434
00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:54,080
as both Arabic and Roman numerals
are in common use.

435
00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:56,760
Increasingly, you'll see
Arabic numerals used

436
00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:59,520
because 1588 -
one five eight eight -

437
00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:05,000
is much easier to write
than MDLXXXVIII.

438
00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:10,360
Some educated
men like William Cecil,

439
00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:14,680
the Queen's chief advisor, simply
can't think in Arabic numerals.

440
00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:17,840
He converts dates
and figures into Roman numerals

441
00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:22,280
and then back again
when formulating government policy.

442
00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:26,440
You'll find numbers
and counting much easier

443
00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:28,720
than even the most highly educated
men in the land.

444
00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:41,560
The publishing of books in English
has a major impact on literacy,

445
00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:44,240
but for the ambitious and brightest,

446
00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:48,480
there's another, more formal,
route to education - school.

447
00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:56,160
Traditionally, a formal education is
only open to the wealthy few.

448
00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:58,560
But increasingly, new grammar
schools -

449
00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:01,520
that is, schools that teach boys to
read and write in Latin -

450
00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:03,600
are springing up across the country.

451
00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:08,760
Just like the one
here in Stratford-upon-Avon.

452
00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:15,840
As every responsible father knows,
not to teach your son to read

453
00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:19,440
and write is to disempower him
in this fast-changing world.

454
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,760
By sending his son here to Stratford
Grammar School, John Shakespeare

455
00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:28,080
ensures that his son William isn't
just restricted to a provincial
trade, he's set up for life.

456
00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:33,720
If you decide to drop in and visit
a grammar school,

457
00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:36,600
you had better prepare
for a long day.

458
00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:38,680
Lessons start at six or
seven in the morning

459
00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,160
and will normally
carry on for at least ten hours,

460
00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:44,000
although you might not stop
until eight in the evening.

461
00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:46,800
Teaching is generally in Latin
and by rote,

462
00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:50,480
with a school master dictating
classical works from the front.

463
00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:55,960
Discipline is brutal - so much so,
that you'll be profoundly shocked.

464
00:33:55,960 --> 00:34:01,040
Here at Stratford in the 1560s,
the master John Brownsword

465
00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:04,960
teaches all the Roman greats,
including Ovid, Cicero

466
00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:08,560
and Virgil, as well as some Greek.

467
00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:14,040
Ben Jonson later writes that
Shakespeare has "small Latin and
less Greek",

468
00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:17,280
trying to belittle his level
of learning.

469
00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,320
But just think about that.
It's truly remarkable that

470
00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:24,400
a provincially educated son of a
glove maker has any Greek at all.

471
00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:29,240
All across England, boys
like William Shakespeare are being

472
00:34:29,240 --> 00:34:32,320
prepared for an increasingly
literate society.

473
00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,720
From now on, literacy is the key
to social mobility.

474
00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:51,400
With an education, you can take
advantage

475
00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:55,200
of all the new opportunities that
Elizabethan England provides.

476
00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:00,920
Because above all else,
this is a time of exploration,

477
00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:03,960
discovery and scientific revolution.

478
00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,400
But you need to understand how this
brave new world operates.

479
00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:20,040
And the first thing to bear in mind
is just how intertwined religion is

480
00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:26,040
with what YOU would consider
established scientific fact.

481
00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:29,880
One word you won't hear very often
is science. Instead,

482
00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:33,240
you'll come across the notion of
Natural Philosophy, a catch-all term

483
00:35:33,240 --> 00:35:36,080
that covers everything
from mathematics to geography.

484
00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:39,120
It also includes some very
unscientific things

485
00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:43,160
such as the interpretation
of dreams, astrology and the occult.

486
00:35:45,240 --> 00:35:48,680
One man who exemplifies this
blurring of science and religion

487
00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:53,520
is Dr John Dee, a famous astrologer
and advisor of Queen Elizabeth.

488
00:35:56,960 --> 00:35:59,240
With a favourable introduction,

489
00:35:59,240 --> 00:36:02,440
he can open your eyes to the
world of Elizabethan science.

490
00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:09,400
If you meet Dee in 1582, you can
watch as he and his friend

491
00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:14,040
Edward Kelley try and study angels
through a series of seances.

492
00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:21,080
During their experience, an angel
called Madimi instructs them

493
00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:24,640
to share everything -
including their wives.

494
00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:28,280
Shocked, they ask Madimi
if she means carnal knowledge,

495
00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,520
and the angel confirms
this is the case.

496
00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:34,960
They duly comply and make love to
each other's wives.

497
00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:41,280
These men aren't charlatans
or deviants,

498
00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:44,720
they simply operate in a world where
there are no scientific boundaries.

499
00:36:44,720 --> 00:36:46,760
As God created everything,

500
00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:49,600
every scientific discovery is
a religious act.

501
00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:52,840
In this world, religion
and science are the same thing.

502
00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:57,560
It's probably a good idea
to make your excuses

503
00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:00,400
if John Dee invites you
and your husband to a seance.

504
00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:12,160
According to the great polymath
and philosopher Francis Bacon,

505
00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:14,600
there are three things that set
the Elizabethan Age

506
00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:17,400
apart from the medieval one -

507
00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:21,440
gunpowder, printing and the compass.

508
00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:26,760
For centuries, it was believed that

509
00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:31,160
the wisdom of ancient writers like
Aristotle, Ptolemy and Pythagoras

510
00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:34,160
provided an unquestionable basis
for all human knowledge.

511
00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:37,560
Any new thinkers who could see
further could do so simply

512
00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:41,200
because they were "dwarves standing
on the shoulders of giants".

513
00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:52,040
But when in 1492, Columbus
discovered the Americas,

514
00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:54,200
he proved the great minds of the
ancient world

515
00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:58,480
did not know everything. That
discovery cannot be overestimated.

516
00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:02,640
In Elizabeth's reign, the leading
scientists and geographers,

517
00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:04,720
men like Francis Bacon,

518
00:38:04,720 --> 00:38:07,320
are themselves giants, standing on
the shoulders of giants.

519
00:38:09,440 --> 00:38:13,720
In Elizabeth's England, advances in
scientific knowledge go hand in hand

520
00:38:13,720 --> 00:38:18,160
with exploration - building on what
Columbus started 50 years before.

521
00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:26,760
But what drives this appetite
for discovery? In short - money.

522
00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:45,520
The world really is your oyster,
and one of the key figures

523
00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:49,240
in opening that oyster is
the adventurer John Hawkins.

524
00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:56,320
In the 1550s, he embarks on a
revolutionary moneymaking venture.

525
00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:02,280
He begins selling slaves from Africa

526
00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:04,840
to the Spanish colonies
in the Caribbean.

527
00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:10,120
His voyage is such a success that
Queen Elizabeth herself

528
00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:12,160
invests in his next expedition.

529
00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:20,200
I expect you will feel more than
just a little uncomfortable

530
00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:24,280
being part of what seems to us
a completely immoral business.

531
00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:28,040
But this immorality is not
an issue for ambitious Englishmen

532
00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:30,000
eager to exploit this new world.

533
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:36,600
Perhaps the most famous adventurer
of them all is Sir Francis Drake.

534
00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:40,760
He is the very embodiment
of an Elizabethan self-made man.

535
00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:43,720
From humble beginnings in Devon,
he rises to become

536
00:39:43,720 --> 00:39:47,120
one of the richest and most
celebrated men in the kingdom.

537
00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:54,120
In 1577, he sets out in command of
a fleet of five ships with 200 men.

538
00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:57,960
Three years later, having sailed
round the world, he returns

539
00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:01,520
with just one ship and 56 men,
but a mountain of treasure.

540
00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:13,000
Drake is a man whom you'll
definitely want to meet.

541
00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:16,680
He is a privateer,
a state-sanctioned pirate.

542
00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:20,600
On his voyage around the world,
he extends English knowledge

543
00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:23,360
of the Pacific Ocean and beyond.

544
00:40:23,360 --> 00:40:26,600
He also plunders as much as he can.

545
00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:30,520
No-one knows exactly how much
he brings back from the ships
and ports he attacks.

546
00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:33,760
But the Spanish,
from whom he steals most of it,

547
00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:36,280
estimate his loot as
worth £600,000 -

548
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:40,320
roughly twice the
English government's annual revenue.

549
00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:45,840
This lowly provincial buys himself

550
00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:49,880
a place at the top of Elizabethan
society with stolen Spanish gold.

551
00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:56,240
You can visit Drake's famous
flagship,

552
00:40:56,240 --> 00:40:58,200
the Golden Hinde, at Greenwich.

553
00:41:01,240 --> 00:41:04,480
It's common to break
a piece off as a souvenir,

554
00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:07,960
so visit by 1618, as after this date
only the keel will be left.

555
00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:14,920
Men like Drake use the compass
and other new technologies

556
00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:17,320
to navigate their way around the
world,

557
00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:21,720
but it's gunpowder and cannon that
allow them to make their fortunes.

558
00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:26,280
Superior firepower means that they
can attack indigenous peoples
with impunity

559
00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:29,600
and plunder the ships and outposts
of their Spanish rivals.

560
00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:37,080
Drake's Golden Hinde
is armed with 18 cannon.

561
00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:40,680
14 of these are capable of sending
an iron cannonball,

562
00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:42,600
weighing some four pounds,

563
00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:46,040
into the packed decks and sails of
his enemy's ships.

564
00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:54,320
The majority of English vessels
are smaller, lower, more stable

565
00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:57,120
and more manoeuvrable than the big
Spanish galleons.

566
00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:04,680
So, although fewer guns will defend
you, an English ship

567
00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:07,960
is probably your best bet when it
comes to travelling the world.

568
00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:15,800
Drake and his English contemporaries
soon begin to challenge

569
00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:18,400
the Spanish for mastery
of the world's oceans.

570
00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:29,040
If you are serious about voyaging
into the great unknown with

571
00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:32,760
Francis Drake or John Hawkins, there
are a few things to bear in mind.

572
00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:39,720
Life aboard an ocean-going ship
is unbelievably hard.

573
00:42:39,720 --> 00:42:42,800
As a crew member, you won't have any
private space,

574
00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:44,280
the food is atrocious

575
00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:47,240
and it's likely you'll get scurvy on
a long voyage.

576
00:42:47,240 --> 00:42:50,440
That means you'll probably lose some
teeth, your gums will start to rot,

577
00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:52,920
and your breath will stink.

578
00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:55,040
There are no washing facilities

579
00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:57,280
so the smell of your body will
soon overpower

580
00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:00,760
even that of your reeking breath.
You can't shave either,

581
00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:04,920
so your beard will start to grow
and insects will grow in your beard.

582
00:43:04,920 --> 00:43:07,200
In fact, your whole body will be
covered in lice and fleas.

583
00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:12,720
And unfortunately, if you do seek
out adventure, you probably won't

584
00:43:12,720 --> 00:43:16,520
live very long - 82% of mariners
are under 30,

585
00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:18,640
because mortality rates are so high.

586
00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:26,920
After his rampaging
voyage around the globe

587
00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:31,560
and success against the Spanish,
Drake returns to England a hero.

588
00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:35,600
You, too, can bask in his reflected
glory, as all Englishmen do.

589
00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:40,320
Drake shares his fortune
with the Crown

590
00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:44,160
and, begrudgingly, Queen Elizabeth
knights him.

591
00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:47,800
This lowly provincial becomes one
of the most famous men of the age.

592
00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:04,440
Through sheer determination
and reckless courage,

593
00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:06,480
Drake manages to steal

594
00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:10,320
and fight his way into the upper
echelons of Elizabethan society.

595
00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:13,040
His knighthood is
recognition by the Queen

596
00:44:13,040 --> 00:44:17,040
and the establishment that men like
him are the key to England's future.

597
00:44:24,600 --> 00:44:28,880
But alongside the great advances
in science, knowledge and trade,

598
00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:33,720
exploration also awakens a darker
side of human nature.

599
00:44:33,720 --> 00:44:36,000
You may be shocked by the racism

600
00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:38,560
and the prejudice
of your fellow Englishmen.

601
00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:44,880
Before the slaving expeditions
of the 1560s, there are only

602
00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:47,440
a handful of black men
and women in England.

603
00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:51,200
By 1596 however, their numbers have
risen to such an extent

604
00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:54,680
that the Queen orders the
deportation of as many as possible,

605
00:44:54,680 --> 00:44:58,320
on the grounds that there are too
many unemployed people in the
country.

606
00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:02,600
Those that remain experience a
rising tide of racism - as attitudes

607
00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:06,040
that were once based on curiosity
and ignorance turn hostile.

608
00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:12,080
In Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus,

609
00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:15,800
a black character is described
as delighting in rape and murder.

610
00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:18,440
And in Reginald Scott's Discovery Of
Witchcraft,

611
00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:21,680
it's even claimed that
the devil himself has black skin.

612
00:45:24,920 --> 00:45:28,000
The majority of black men and women
are to be found serving in the

613
00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:32,480
houses of the powerful and in ports,
especially London and Plymouth.

614
00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:35,720
Perhaps the most shocking
aspect of Elizabethan racism

615
00:45:35,720 --> 00:45:38,800
is the treatment of black
women in these towns

616
00:45:38,800 --> 00:45:41,160
as evidenced in the baptismal
registers.

617
00:45:56,680 --> 00:45:58,440
Such records suggest that rich men

618
00:45:58,440 --> 00:46:01,920
are lending out their black female
servants to friends and neighbours

619
00:46:01,920 --> 00:46:04,080
for sexual novelty and
experimentation.

620
00:46:08,280 --> 00:46:11,640
You might be appalled by the actions
of those around you,

621
00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:14,200
but your moral outrage will
baffle Elizabethans.

622
00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:26,600
Having travelled the globe, English
explorers and adventurers

623
00:46:26,600 --> 00:46:29,720
bring back a mass of new
discoveries that help transform

624
00:46:29,720 --> 00:46:32,600
the understanding
of the natural world.

625
00:46:33,640 --> 00:46:35,840
Explorers from all over Europe,

626
00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:39,000
including Englishmen such
as Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh,

627
00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:41,400
bring back plants and animals
from the New World

628
00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:43,360
with which you'll be very familiar -

629
00:46:43,360 --> 00:46:46,000
the potato, the tomato, tobacco and
the turkey.

630
00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:47,920
These discoveries cause great
excitement

631
00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:49,440
for they support the idea that

632
00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:53,280
when God created world, he created
cures for all of mankind's diseases.

633
00:46:55,720 --> 00:46:59,320
The result is an expansion in physic
gardens, which are stocked

634
00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:03,200
with every botanical
specimen that might prove useful.

635
00:47:04,680 --> 00:47:08,160
You might want to discuss these new
discoveries with John Gerard,

636
00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:10,120
the leading herbalist of the age.

637
00:47:12,800 --> 00:47:16,080
Gerard compiles the most
comprehensive catalogue of plants

638
00:47:16,080 --> 00:47:20,480
yet undertaken, and the science
of botany takes a huge leap forward.

639
00:47:28,920 --> 00:47:31,080
John Gerard is keen to
explore the medicinal

640
00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:34,520
and nutritional properties of every
plant he can find.

641
00:47:34,520 --> 00:47:38,080
Of the newly discovered tomato
he writes, "They yield very little

642
00:47:38,080 --> 00:47:41,360
"nourishment to the body, and are
only cultivated for their colour."

643
00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:45,520
Prosperous Elizabethans put tomatoes
and potatoes on the banquet table,

644
00:47:45,520 --> 00:47:48,360
not to eat but for exotic
decoration.

645
00:47:48,360 --> 00:47:51,400
In short, the tomato is
a status symbol.

646
00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:22,160
Another exotic novelty you'll
know well is tobacco.

647
00:48:22,160 --> 00:48:25,080
If you're a smoker,
you'll need to visit after 1573

648
00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:27,080
when it first becomes available.

649
00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:33,240
However, a quarter ounce will cost
you ten pence in a tavern -

650
00:48:33,240 --> 00:48:35,840
a huge sum of money,
reflecting its exotic nature.

651
00:48:39,960 --> 00:48:43,400
Smoking polarises opinion
in Elizabethan England -

652
00:48:43,400 --> 00:48:47,120
some people will assure you
that it has medicinal properties,

653
00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:49,400
but others aren't convinced.

654
00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:53,440
The Swiss traveller Thomas Platter
notes that the English love
to smoke.

655
00:49:13,240 --> 00:49:16,120
As well as being
viewed as a dangerous vice

656
00:49:16,120 --> 00:49:19,560
and a health risk, smoking
has its social detractors, too.

657
00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:22,080
Many will tell you that tobacco
makes your breath

658
00:49:22,080 --> 00:49:23,760
smell like the "piss of a fox".

659
00:49:33,120 --> 00:49:35,600
For you, tobacco, potatoes

660
00:49:35,600 --> 00:49:39,920
and tomatoes are everyday items that
will barely get a second glance.

661
00:49:39,920 --> 00:49:43,160
But to those around you,
these are exotic novelties

662
00:49:43,160 --> 00:49:45,960
that prove there's a whole world
out there

663
00:49:45,960 --> 00:49:48,320
waiting to be discovered and
exploited.

664
00:49:51,720 --> 00:49:55,000
If you visit England at the start
of the Queen's reign

665
00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:58,360
and then again at the end, you'll
find a profoundly different place.

666
00:49:58,360 --> 00:50:00,920
Scientific and geographic
knowledge have been transformed

667
00:50:00,920 --> 00:50:05,440
beyond recognition, and everyday
life has undergone a revolution.

668
00:50:06,840 --> 00:50:08,120
As well as driving innovation

669
00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:11,960
and expanding knowledge
of the natural world, Elizabethan

670
00:50:11,960 --> 00:50:15,160
merchant-adventurers also set
England against powerful rivals.

671
00:50:17,440 --> 00:50:22,120
English attempts to muscle in on the
burgeoning empires of Catholic Spain

672
00:50:22,120 --> 00:50:25,560
and Portugal in the New World
are bound to lead to conflict.

673
00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:29,440
This is even more the case
after 1577, when Dr John Dee,

674
00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:32,240
he of the wife-swapping
angel seances,

675
00:50:32,240 --> 00:50:34,920
suggests the establishment
of a British Empire.

676
00:50:38,360 --> 00:50:41,600
Empire-building in the New World,
and the actions of men

677
00:50:41,600 --> 00:50:45,160
like Francis Drake set England
on a collision course with Spain.

678
00:50:47,920 --> 00:50:51,160
And as every English schoolboy
and schoolgirl knows,

679
00:50:51,160 --> 00:50:54,640
this is what leads to the launch
of the Spanish Armada,

680
00:50:54,640 --> 00:50:59,440
arguably the defining
event in Elizabeth's reign.

681
00:51:02,600 --> 00:51:07,000
In 1588, 122 Spanish ships
set sail with the intention

682
00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:10,000
of landing an army to
overthrow Elizabeth.

683
00:51:14,720 --> 00:51:16,200
On entering the Channel,

684
00:51:16,200 --> 00:51:18,800
they are intercepted by a larger
English fleet,

685
00:51:18,800 --> 00:51:20,800
commanded by Drake and Lord Howard.

686
00:51:25,080 --> 00:51:28,840
The English forces chase the Armada
up the Channel to Calais,

687
00:51:28,840 --> 00:51:32,560
where they send flaming fire ships
into the massed Spanish fleet.

688
00:51:32,560 --> 00:51:35,200
The Spanish panic and take flight.

689
00:51:39,280 --> 00:51:43,560
The British weather does the rest
and many of the Armada's ships are

690
00:51:43,560 --> 00:51:47,280
wrecked trying to sail home around
the Scottish and Irish coasts.

691
00:51:50,040 --> 00:51:52,440
In the aftermath of this famous
victory,

692
00:51:52,440 --> 00:51:55,080
the Tudor propaganda machine
seeks to exploit

693
00:51:55,080 --> 00:51:58,400
this seemingly divine affirmation of
Elizabeth's England.

694
00:52:03,280 --> 00:52:07,400
This iconic portrait of the Queen is
full of triumphant symbolism.

695
00:52:07,400 --> 00:52:10,920
Behind Elizabeth are two panels
depicting key events.

696
00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:14,480
On the left, the English fleet
attacks the arriving Armada,

697
00:52:14,480 --> 00:52:16,800
a scene bathed in glowing light.

698
00:52:16,800 --> 00:52:19,840
On the right, the Spanish fleet
is wrecked on rocks,

699
00:52:19,840 --> 00:52:22,200
enveloped by darkness.

700
00:52:22,200 --> 00:52:25,520
The English have no doubt as to
where God's favour lies.

701
00:52:25,520 --> 00:52:29,120
And looking to the future,
the Queen's hand lies on a globe,

702
00:52:29,120 --> 00:52:32,280
her fingers suggestively
pointing to the New World.

703
00:52:47,120 --> 00:52:49,840
The profound changes
of the Elizabethan era

704
00:52:49,840 --> 00:52:53,640
radically alter the lives of the new
metropolitan classes.

705
00:52:53,640 --> 00:52:58,160
Urbanisation, education and advances
in science and knowledge

706
00:52:58,160 --> 00:53:01,320
all feed into this notion of a
changing world.

707
00:53:08,840 --> 00:53:11,880
But there's one place you HAVE to go
to round off your visit.

708
00:53:14,360 --> 00:53:16,920
On the south bank of the Thames
at Southwark,

709
00:53:16,920 --> 00:53:20,680
you'll see something extraordinary
unfolding before your eyes.

710
00:53:23,720 --> 00:53:28,480
To many it's the pinnacle of
Elizabeth's England - the theatre.

711
00:53:32,560 --> 00:53:35,440
'To be, or not to be -
that is the question.'

712
00:53:35,440 --> 00:53:38,320
'Friends, Romans, countrymen...'

713
00:53:38,320 --> 00:53:40,760
'..To suffer the slings and arrows
of outrageous...'

714
00:53:40,760 --> 00:53:43,880
'Fair is foul and foul...'
'Lend me your ears...'

715
00:53:43,880 --> 00:53:46,240
'..To take arms against a sea
of troubles...'

716
00:53:46,240 --> 00:53:49,280
'..Through the fog and filthy
air...'

717
00:53:49,280 --> 00:53:53,000
If you visit the Globe Theatre
in 1599, you might just be lucky

718
00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:56,200
enough to see the work of the man
who has come to be regarded

719
00:53:56,200 --> 00:53:59,000
as the foremost
Elizabethan of them all -

720
00:53:59,000 --> 00:54:00,880
William Shakespeare.

721
00:54:00,880 --> 00:54:06,160
Like so many great men of the age,
he prospers through sheer hard work.

722
00:54:06,160 --> 00:54:09,480
For example, in that one year alone,
1599,

723
00:54:09,480 --> 00:54:12,280
he writes no fewer than four plays -

724
00:54:12,280 --> 00:54:16,280
Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like
It, and Hamlet.

725
00:54:20,320 --> 00:54:23,240
Here at the Globe, Shakespeare
provides thought-provoking

726
00:54:23,240 --> 00:54:26,920
entertainment that reflects his own
society on stage.

727
00:54:29,600 --> 00:54:33,160
A third of all Londoners watches
a play every month.

728
00:54:33,160 --> 00:54:36,520
You'll certainly want to join these
urban theatre-goers.

729
00:54:40,280 --> 00:54:43,920
When you arrive, you'll be one
of a 2,000-strong audience

730
00:54:43,920 --> 00:54:47,200
waiting with anticipation
for the entertainment to begin.

731
00:54:48,600 --> 00:54:52,880
Be on guard against pickpockets
in the bustling audience -

732
00:54:52,880 --> 00:54:56,000
you wouldn't want to lose
some of your hard-earned cash.

733
00:54:59,160 --> 00:55:02,320
Watching Shakespeare's
masterpieces is a unique

734
00:55:02,320 --> 00:55:04,400
and unforgettable experience.

735
00:55:04,400 --> 00:55:08,160
You'll hear his plays performed
by actors he knows - the very people

736
00:55:08,160 --> 00:55:09,880
for whom he has written the parts.

737
00:55:11,560 --> 00:55:15,160
'Is this a dagger
which I see before me?'

738
00:55:15,160 --> 00:55:17,840
'When shall we three meet again?'

739
00:55:17,840 --> 00:55:22,520
'We few, we happy few,
we band of brothers,

740
00:55:22,520 --> 00:55:27,600
'for he today that sheds his blood
with me shall be my brother...'

741
00:55:27,600 --> 00:55:31,840
Ben Jonson is in no doubt about his
friend's talent and legacy.

742
00:55:42,800 --> 00:55:45,680
Shakespeare is not just
an entertainer, of course.

743
00:55:45,680 --> 00:55:48,280
In his plays, he holds up a mirror
to reality,

744
00:55:48,280 --> 00:55:51,240
reflecting a rapidly changing
society.

745
00:55:51,240 --> 00:55:55,200
In so doing, he becomes a spokesman
for the emerging middle class,

746
00:55:55,200 --> 00:55:57,360
a group that transforms the nation.

747
00:55:57,360 --> 00:56:00,800
You could say he rides
the crest of a cultural wave,

748
00:56:00,800 --> 00:56:03,720
one which is still
breaking on the shores of the world.

749
00:56:09,240 --> 00:56:12,280
You've journeyed through the many
different realities

750
00:56:12,280 --> 00:56:14,080
that make up Elizabeth's England -

751
00:56:14,080 --> 00:56:17,560
from the abject lives of the poor,

752
00:56:17,560 --> 00:56:20,600
to the sumptuous homes of the rich

753
00:56:20,600 --> 00:56:24,280
and the exciting world
of the emergent middle-classes.

754
00:56:24,280 --> 00:56:27,520
But witnessing the past
is one thing,

755
00:56:27,520 --> 00:56:29,320
understanding it is quite another.

756
00:56:32,200 --> 00:56:35,880
Your familiarity with it
will come and go like a tide.

757
00:56:39,680 --> 00:56:43,400
You may recognise the greetings,
shouts and insults in the street,

758
00:56:43,400 --> 00:56:46,680
and understand people's feelings,
tears and laughter.

759
00:56:46,680 --> 00:56:50,160
But when you hear the baying crowd
at the hanging of a young woman,

760
00:56:50,160 --> 00:56:53,800
or see the hatred in people's faces
at the arrest of a Catholic priest,

761
00:56:53,800 --> 00:56:57,360
or witness the pitiful bears in
their cramped cages at Southwark,

762
00:56:57,360 --> 00:57:00,920
then it will seem as if the tide
of familiarity has receded.

763
00:57:02,680 --> 00:57:07,200
For the men and women of Elizabeth's
reign, this isn't a golden age,

764
00:57:07,200 --> 00:57:10,280
it is simply the world they inhabit,
with all its challenges.

765
00:57:12,200 --> 00:57:14,960
They don't know that the Spanish
invasion will fail,

766
00:57:14,960 --> 00:57:17,680
and that there is no cure
for the plague.

767
00:57:19,120 --> 00:57:23,520
And the majority of people outside
London haven't even heard
the name William Shakespeare.

768
00:57:24,800 --> 00:57:26,840
The uncertainty of life,

769
00:57:26,840 --> 00:57:30,480
and the even greater uncertainty
of the future, mean their lives

770
00:57:30,480 --> 00:57:35,200
are full of wonder and terror,
pleasure and pain, tears and

771
00:57:35,200 --> 00:57:39,200
laughter - everything that we all
experience, whatever age we live in.

772
00:57:42,480 --> 00:57:47,760
But what really sets Elizabethan
England apart is the idea of change.

773
00:57:47,760 --> 00:57:50,800
People can see the ruined
monasteries for themselves,

774
00:57:50,800 --> 00:57:53,400
they can see the ruined
castles for themselves,

775
00:57:53,400 --> 00:57:56,680
they know that an Englishman has
circumnavigated the globe.

776
00:57:56,680 --> 00:57:59,960
They can see that change is
possible, and once they realise that

777
00:57:59,960 --> 00:58:04,800
change is possible, they know that
change for the better is possible.

778
00:58:04,800 --> 00:58:09,120
This is perhaps the most important
idea that mankind has ever had,

779
00:58:09,120 --> 00:58:11,880
and it is the lasting
legacy of the Elizabethan Age.

780
00:58:32,240 --> 00:58:35,280
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