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Werke von Phillip Stubbes

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England

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This is an example of popular literature from the late Tudor period. It is a relentless denunciation of sin from an orthodox protestant christian writer who avoids theological issues by targeting Elizabethan society and behaviour. He sees abuses of a good christian life everywhere and in this long tract rants against them all: pride, covetousness, drunkenness, promiscuity, gluttony, swearing, usury, games and pastimes, the fashion industry, whoredom, gardens, football, bear baiting, profaners of the sabbath…………. he leaves no stone unturned. It was published in four additions between 1583 - 1595 with revisions by the author. Its popularity may have been the delight people took in reading about all that sin, but its interest today its its descriptions of many aspects of Elizabethan life.

Very little is known about the author himself apart from his publications. It would seem that he had a university education enabling him to write some fierce anti catholic tracts. He claims to have travelled around England collecting information and observing the lives of the people he meets, but there is little hard evidence of this from the ‘Abuses’. He obviously wants to put the world to rights as he sees it from his narrow and some might say puritan outlook. There is a distinct lack of intended humour or satire, but his condemnation of all activities not immediately associated with the celebration of the life of christ, would give some amusement to many readers and then there is the sex…………he sees promiscuity everywhere.

The book takes the form of a conversation between two speakers. A master Philoponus who claims to have travelled widely around the country and his friend and eager pupil Spudeus and they chat to pass the time while travelling. Philoponus starts by saying;

“God has granted the people of England with all the advantages and the knowledge of truth to the best in the world (protestants) - yet there is not a people more corrupt, wicked or perverse, living on the face of the earth. “

He then launches into a long speech about the sin of pride that he claims is “the mother and nurse of all mischief”. Following this there is an extraordinary section on clothing, which takes up more than a third of the book. Spudeus asks: how is Pride of apparel committed and Philoponus replies that “by wearing of apparell more georgeous, sumptuous and precious than our state, calling, or condition of life requireth. Philoponous then describes articles of clothing of both men and women literally from their heads to their boots. There then follows sections on whoredom, drunkenness, covetousness, gluttony, etc and the book falls into more of a pattern and some readers might find it more of a rut as after a diatribe from Philoponus, Spudeus will asks him to give examples and punishments contained in the bible. Much of Philoponus’ authority comes from the bible, however Spudeus begins to question this when the more harmless village activities are castigated. Philoponus increasingly comes across as a narrow opinionated man who gives his own interpretations/spin of incidents in the bible to bolster his invective an example is Philoponus comments on dancing:

And seeing mans nature is too prone of it self to sinne, it hath no need
of allurementes and enticementes to sinne, (as Dauncing is) but
rather of restraintes and inhibitions to stay him from the same,which are not there to be found. For what clipping, what culling,
what kissing and bussing, what smouching & slabbering one of
another? what filthy groping & vnclean handling is not practised
euery where in these dauncings?

Spudeus argues that there are many instances from the bible of people enjoying themselves and celebrating by dancing, but Philoponus counters by giving plenty of examples which he says proves that all these incidents were in celebration of God or were denigrated by the authority of the text.
The church and the government and of course the monarchy escape most of the criticism. There is some social comment to the effect that the pride and covetousness of many wealthy people has led to destitution amongst the poor and some striking examples are supplied. The book is more concerned with the behaviour of people from all walks of life demonstrating that their ungodliness has led them into suffering. There is much repetition of this point and the book can get very predictable which means ploughing through much dross to get to the descriptions of Elizabethan life that will interest modern readers. Here is a list of the topics covered:

Pride - the principal abuse in England and how manifold it is.
A Particular Description of Apparell in England by Degrees.
A description of the hattes of England.
Of great Ruffes in Englland.
Of Costly shirts in England.
English doublets
Costly Hosen in England
Costly nether stockins in England
Corked shooes in England
Coates and Jerkins in England.
Cloakes in England.
Boothose in England
Rapiers, Daggers Swords gilte in Englande.
A particular description of the abuses of womens apparell
Collouring of womens faces in England.
Attiring of womens heades in England.
French Hoodes in England
Doublets for women in England.
Womens Gownes in England.
Netherstockes of women in England p167

Muske Civet and sweet powder in England
Scarffes and Maskes in England
The meane arrire of both heathen and other women in olde time.
Punishments of pride in all ages.
The dayly exercises of the women of England.
Gardens in England

The horrible vice of whoredome in England.
Examples of Whoredom punished in all ages
Gluttonie and excesse in England.
Drunkeness in England
Covetousnesse in England.
Great Usurie in England.
Great swearing in England
The manner of sanctifying the sabbath

Stage-players and Enterludes, withtheir wickedness.
Lordes of Misrule in England.
The maner of Mai Games in England.
The maner of Church ales in England.
The maner of keeping of Wakesses and Feastes in Englad
Of Musicke in England: and how it allureth to vanity
Cards, Dice, tables Tennise, Boules and other exercises.
Bear Baiting and other exercises used.
A fearfull example of God his judgement upon the Prophaners of the Sabbath
Cockfighting upon the Sabbath day
Hawking and hunting upon the Sabbath day
Markets, Faires, Courtes and leetes upon the Sabbath
Playing football upon the Sabbath and other days.
Reading of Wicked books

Much of this information provided by Stubbs has been plagiarised by subsequent writers on Elizabethan society and much of it would have been plagiarised by Stubbs himself when he wrote the Abuses. It is a good example of ‘complaint literature’ and of popular literature with an aim of edification. I read a thesis by Margaret Jane Kidnie entitled “A Critical Edition of Philip Stubbes’s Anatomie of Abuses” which contains an annotated version of the original document. 4 stars for the thesis and 3 stars for Stubbs.
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baswood | Oct 23, 2018 |

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Werke
7
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21
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#570,576
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1
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5