Description

Elizabethan England offers a panoramic, first-hand survey of the realm under Elizabeth I, from topography and parish governance to markets, diets, apparel, sports, and social ranks. In the humanist chorographical mode and in plain yet capacious prose, Harrison blends lists and anecdote to register enclosures, urban growth, and new wealth. First written as the "Description of England" for Holinshed's Chronicles (1577; rev. 1587), it remains a foundational ethnography of late Tudor life. A committed Church of England clergyman and long-serving rector in Essex, Harrison writes as a reforming pastor attentive to local textures. Parish accounts, subsidy lists, and the testimony of "credible reporters" supplied his data; his antiquarian bent reconciled such materials with classical learning. Collaboration on Holinshed's project shaped his vision of a composite kingdom emerging from Reformation and consolidating royal governance. Readers seeking a lucid primary source on social relations, material culture, and institutions under Elizabeth I will find this essential. It suits historians, literary scholars, and students alike, rewarding close study with vivid detail and a reflective method that invites comparison with later chorographers and modern social history.

Quickie Classics summarizes timeless works with precision, preserving the author's voice and keeping the prose clear, fast, and readable—distilled, never diluted. Enriched Edition extras: Introduction · Synopsis · Historical Context · Brief Analysis · 4 Reflection Q&As · Editorial Footnotes.