G.M Trevelyan - SHE - Chapter IX
[alert-success] RESTORATION ENGLAND
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[alert-primary] CHARLES II & HIS RESTORATION [/alert-primary]
[alert-primary] CHARLES II & HIS RESTORATION [/alert-primary]
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Introduction
The period called Restoration England comprises the reign of Charles II
from 1660 to 1685, the reign of James II, from 1685 to 1688,
the period of the Revolution, (1688- 1689) and the reign of William III from 1689
to 1702.
Religion, Politics and Class
The restoration of 1660 restored Charles II to the throne of England.
With him, the Parliament, the Law, the Church, the old systems of Government were
restored. Politically, he restored Parliament and Law in
place of military dictatorship. Religiously, he restored Bishops and Prayer
Book, the Anglican attitude, in place of Puritanism. Socially he restored the
nobles and the gentry as the leaders of the local and national life. The
importance of the noble and the squire, of the gentleman and his lady, was much
more completely 'restored' than the power of the King.
After the restoration, the
members of the land-owning class followed Anglicanism. Anglicanism became the
religion of the upper class England. The Anglican worship united the upper class
community. The Roman Catholics in England were denied from all participation
from local and national government. Though the upper class were united by their
religious observance, politically it was divided into Whigs and Tories. The
Tories supported the King while the Whigs supported the Parliament. The Restoration
has turned the attention of the people from the ecclesiastical matters.
The Royal Society
Experimental science was
spreading fast in England. The Royal Society was founded under the patronage of
King Charles II and of his cousin Prince Rupert. The Royal Society investigated
the uses of science to innovate agriculture, industry, medicine, and engineering.
Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle were the early members of the Royal Society. The “History
of the Royal Society” was written by Sprat and later by Bishop of Rochester.
Restoration Theatre
After the patronage of Science, King Charles II patronized and revived
theatre. The revived theatres were different from that which was closed in the
previous era. The whole playhouse was roofed and the stage was artificially
lighted with candles. Footlights, drop curtains, painted scenery were used. Women’s
parts were played by female actress and not by well-trained boys. One of the
successful ‘Restoration drama’ was Wycherley’s “Country Wife”.
Censorship and Press
Censorship was severe during restoration period. The first Licensing Act
was passed in 1663 by the Cavalier Parliament to prevent the publication of
seditious and heretic works. Permission was granted to publish Paradise Lost,
Paradise Regained and Pilgrim’s Progress. In 1696 the Licensing Act
ceased to function.
Libraries and Studies
Private libraries were growing more common. In 1684 the first public
library in
London was established by Tenison in St. Martin’s Parish. Another library was
built by Rector of St. Martin's in the Fields, afterwards by Archbishop of Canterbury.
The church of the Restoration made great contributions to learning. Richard Bentley,
Professor of Divinity and Master of Trinity, Cambridge was one of the important
English scholars of this time. A fair proportion of the people, even in remote
villages, could read and write.
Quakers
Meanwhile, the Quaker
community was spreading its influence. It was founded by Geroge Fox. The
Quakers underwent persecution and imprisonment because they did not accept Queen
Elizabeth’s Anglican Church. They were against institutional religion,
sacraments, priesthood, and dogma. They stressed in Christian qualities rather
than dogmas. The quakers were murdered by the Clarendon Code passed by the
king.
Decline of Small Squires
After the Restoration, the
small squires were losing their importance. War and taxation hurried the
change. The capital in the hands of the land owners caused agricultural revolution.
The rents were rising, after the Restoration period. National policies promoted
increased production for the domestic and foreign markets. The corn laws
protected the bounties. The Navigation Act was passed in 1651 was aimed to set
right the trade policies.
Labour and Wages
In the course of the
seventeenth century, there were significant industrial and agricultural
progress. The wages in agriculture and industry were regulated by Justices of
the Peace. They fix wages and prices. The diet was bread, beer and usually meat.
Vegetables and fruit played a minor role. Gregory King calculated that half of
the population ate meat daily. Game Laws were restored during this period which
revived hunting. Other popular sports were wrestling, sword fighting, bull and
bear baiting.
The State of London
The growth of London
continued after the Restoration period. Tenth of the five and a half million of
the country’s population inhabits London. Bristol and Norwich were next in size.
Whitby, Yarmouth, and Harwich had flourishing shipbuilding yards.
The Plague and Great Fire
The force of England was tested
by the Plague of 1665 and the Fire of 1666. The famous plague the Black Death
of the thirteenth century, now called as ‘the Plague’ destroyed the country. The
Great Fire (1666) raged for five days and destroyed the city of London between
the Tower and the Temple. It killed one fifth of the population. Eighty-nine
churches, including the Gothic Cathedral was burnt. The mediaeval and Tudor
City traces were destroyed in flames.
The Reconstructed London
The destruction was a blessing
in disguise. The merchants started to rebuild the city that astonished the
world. They rebuilt it with bricks instead of wood. The heart of the city was
renovated and reconstructed. The rebuilding of St. Paul was noteworthy as it
was built with white stone of Portland. This created the architectural history
of England.
Conclusion
The restoration of Charles
II brought great changes to England. It brought peace and order in many sectors
of the society. All spheres of life had quick progression. This impact of the
political and religious acts of the Restoration era were reflected in Golden
Age of Queen Anne.
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