I have remarked before on the excellence of James Shapiro's book "1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare". Not the least of its delights is the proof, if proof were ever needed, that 'what goes around, comes around'.
1599 was a year of 'alarums and excursions'. There were troubles in Ireland (so no change there, then!) and Elizabeth's troublesome on/off favourite, Lord Essex, was eventually dispatched over the Irish Sea to deal with it. Unfortunately many in court circles suspected he might come back with that same army and seize power. However, it was the Spanish and their (second) huge armada who were supposed to pose the main threat, and fear, rumour, political in-fighting, false intelligence reports and what we would call 'spin', all came together to produce a zeitgeist not too dissimilar to our own travails in the 'War on Terror'. Here are some quotes to give you the flavour:
"William Resould reported to Cecil that the Spanish planned to replace Elizabeth with an English Catholic, and though he wasn't prepared to name names, he wrote that 'there is some great personage' in England prepared to claim the throne" Sounds just like the sort of 'dodgy snout' reports the police and MI5 receive to today. Another letter to Cecil reported on the state of public morale, their equivalent, I guess, of New Labour's beloved opinion polls, "I thought it my duty to advertise you of the strange rumours and abundance of news spread abroad in the city, and so flying into the country, as there cannot be laid a more dangerous plot to amaze and discourage our people, and to advance the strength and mighty power of the Spaniard, working doubts in the better sort, fear in the poorer sort, and a great distraction in all, in performance of their service, to no small encouragement of our enemies abroad, and of bad subjects at home ...", or 'the enemy within', as we call it today.
"As [defence] forces began to crowd London and its suburbs great precautions were taken in the jittery capital. On Sunday, 5 August, by royal command, Stow writes, 'chains were drawn athwart the streets and lanes of the city [the precursors of our modern-day concrete bollards], and lanterns with lights, of candles (eight in the pound) hanged out at every man's door, there to burn all the night, and so from night to night, upon pain of death, and great watches kept in the streets'.
I cannot adequately describe to you the delight and pleasure I am getting from this book. Shapiro, with his myriad sources and pellucid prose seems able to transport one effortlessly into court, country, city or playhouse. The 'Good News' is that I haven't finished it yet, the 'Bad News' is that soon I will!
I did like some of the little discussions, such as the demonstration of how WS polished a good sonnet into a very fine one.
Posted by: dearieme | Thursday, 17 August 2006 at 17:06