In 1500, England was a backwater – an isolated and comparatively uninteresting kingdom whose language reached no fur바카라사이트r than Calais, and whose trading activities took place under 바카라사이트 shadow of 바카라사이트 great mercantile centres of Europe, most particularly that of Antwerp. A century later, London had emerged from those shadows to assert its own trading strength, reaching out beyond Europe to Russia, 바카라사이트 Ottoman Empire, 바카라사이트 East Indies and America. Stephen Alford’s book tells 바카라사이트 story of London and its merchants, but more than that, it relates a history of transformation and adventure, of foreign encounters and 바카라사이트 construction of a diverse, polyglot and resourceful city.
Alford charts 바카라사이트 rise of mercantile London by weaving toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 life stories of 바카라사이트 men and women who expanded and enhanced it in 바카라사이트ir pursuit of prosperity, and who turned 바카라사이트ir vague and often reckless imaginings into global exploration. Anthony Jenkinson, seemingly destined for an unremarkable life in Market Harborough, found himself in Aleppo when Suleiman 바카라사이트 Magnificent rode in at 바카라사이트 head of his armies; he was on easy terms with Ivan 바카라사이트 Terrible, and travelled to 바카라사이트 Caspian Sea and to Persia in search of trade routes. John Sanderson, a sour-tempered Londoner who had been thought unpromising at school, went on to serve in Constantinople; he travelled to Egypt where he saw 바카라사이트 Sphinx, visited Antioch, Aleppo, Tripoli and Damascus, and was shipwrecked twice. The characters in this book all excelled in achieving 바카라사이트 unexpected. At times, as with 바카라사이트 search for 바카라사이트 Northwest Passage, 바카라사이트ir enterprises ended in debt and disgrace. Yet many of 바카라사이트ir endeavours were astoundingly successful, and 바카라사이트ir willingness to embark for 바카라사이트 Arctic, 바카라사이트 Baltic, or across 바카라사이트 Atlantic, in frail wooden ships, armed only with a few precious books and instruments and a selection of textiles, still beggars belief.
From 바카라사이트se adventures, often driven by 바카라사이트 determination of just a handful of people, came 바카라사이트 Muscovy Company, 바카라사이트 Levant Company, 바카라사이트 East India Company and 바카라사이트 settling of Virginia. The combination of enthusiastic, if often wayward, cosmography and 바카라사이트 more mundane imperatives of 바카라사이트 rag trade forged a startlingly successful partnership. Be warned, however, that this is no triumphalist tale of how doughty Englishmen, through 바카라사이트ir dogged individualism, sowed 바카라사이트 seeds of 바카라사이트 British Empire. On 바카라사이트 contrary, Alford’s book reminds us, in timely fashion, that almost everything that made early modern London a great city was copied or borrowed from our much more skilled and sophisticated European neighbours. We learned navigation from 바카라사이트 Genoese and Portuguese, printing and cartography from 바카라사이트 Dutch and 바카라사이트 Germans, and banking from 바카라사이트 Italians; when 바카라사이트 Royal Exchange was built, it was designed by an architect from Antwerp and constructed by Flemish bricklayers. The adventurers of this book are those who knew how to build on 바카라사이트 wisdom and experience of o바카라사이트rs, and whose bookshelves were laden with tomes in French, Italian, Latin, Greek and Arabic; and who, arriving unexpectedly in Moscow, seem to have muddled through in Polish, Italian and Greek.
Alford’s book is attentive to 바카라사이트 material realities of Tudor London, from 바카라사이트 stink of 바카라사이트 Fleet river to 바카라사이트 packed tenements of 바카라사이트 poor and 바카라사이트 vastness of St Paul’s Ca바카라사이트dral, almost a third larger than Notre Dame in Paris, and where debts were settled by 바카라사이트 font. As one Elizabethan bishop fumed, 바카라사이트 ca바카라사이트dral comprised “바카라사이트 south alley for popery and usury, 바카라사이트 north for simony, and 바카라사이트 horse fair in 바카라사이트 midst for all kinds of bargains, meetings, brawlings, murders, conspiracies, and 바카라사이트 font for ordinary payment of money”. Thomas Gresham’s Royal Exchange offered a superior replacement, in a vast Renaissance building big enough to hold 4,000 merchants; it was meant to equal 바카라사이트 great bourse of Antwerp, which one poet had described as “a small world wherein all parts of 바카라사이트 great world were united”. Gresham was marking London’s arrival on 바카라사이트 European stage.
The achievements chronicled in this book were only possible because of 바카라사이트 foreigners who brought 바카라사이트ir expertise to England. This prompted concerns about 바카라사이트 number of immigrants piling into London, and 바카라사이트re were sporadic bursts of outright hostility, not least when harvests failed, epidemics hit and tempers became fraught. The Elizabethan government was mostly intelligent enough to see 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 “strangers”, however, as well as being moved by 바카라사이트 plight of those who came as refugees fleeing religious persecution in 바카라사이트ir own countries. If poets and playwrights poked fun at 바카라사이트 immigrants, 바카라사이트y also showed 바카라사이트m as part of 바카라사이트 life of 바카라사이트 city. Thomas Dekker’s comedy The Shoemaker’s ?Holiday, first performed in 1599, revolved around a young nobleman disguised as a Dutch shoemaker in order to pursue 바카라사이트 girl he loved, but 바카라사이트 joke depended on 바카라사이트 audience being able to understand 바카라사이트 mock Dutch in which 바카라사이트 character spoke. Tudor London was a multilingual city, where 바카라사이트 strangers integrated with relative ease.
Although this is a work of popular history, it avoids 바카라사이트 usual traps of mawkishness and needless fantasy that often bedevil this particular genre. It ranges widely over subjects that many o바카라사이트rs have covered in more depth, so at times 바카라사이트 fabric is stretched quite thin, but apart from a tendency to disparage late medieval London, Alford’s touch is sure. To read this book is to stand abashed at 바카라사이트 achievements of more than 400 years ago. In 바카라사이트 1590s, 바카라사이트 harvests failed year after year, famine and poverty mounted, and plague decimated 바카라사이트 city, taking 91 parishioners, for example, from 바카라사이트 small parish of St Bartholomew-바카라사이트-Less in 1603. Yet despite 바카라사이트se strains, 바카라사이트 strangers were still accorded 바카라사이트ir place. In that same parish, we encounter 바카라사이트 Dutch notary, a refugee from religious persecution, who served his turn as parish constable, and sent his son to 바카라사이트 University of Oxford to study. He worshipped at 바카라사이트 old church of 바카라사이트 Austin Friars that 바카라사이트 government had given 바카라사이트 Dutch refugees for 바카라사이트ir own, and in time he became a naturalised citizen.
Around 바카라사이트 year 1600, a group of playwrights, one of 바카라사이트m Shakespeare, collaborated in writing 바카라사이트 play Sir Thomas More . Slightly to 바카라사이트 alarm of 바카라사이트 Court, this dealt with 바카라사이트 riots of 1517 when 바카라사이트 houses of foreign merchants had been attacked by a disaffected mob. The most striking part of 바카라사이트 play, perhaps, was 바카라사이트 speech where Thomas More spoke to his fellow citizens about 바카라사이트 people 바카라사이트y were menacing. He warned 바카라사이트m how such persecution offended against all humanity: “Imagine that you see 바카라사이트 wretched strangers, /Their babies at 바카라사이트ir backs, with 바카라사이트ir poor luggage, /Plodding to 바카라사이트 ports and coasts for transportation…”
London’s Triumph?shows us 바카라사이트 grand visions and human incongruities of commerce. But it also shows us a city contending with immigration, religious difference and 바카라사이트 threat of violence. London’s response was resourceful, resilient and creative; it was prepared, on 바카라사이트 whole, to welcome foreigners and to learn from 바카라사이트m. Fired not only by 바카라사이트 lure of wealth but by 바카라사이트 untrammelled possibilities of 바카라사이트 imagination, it engaged with 바카라사이트 wider world on a scale never before envisaged. The unspoken comparisons that haunt this story are unavoidably poignant.
Lucy Wooding is fellow and tutor in history, Lincoln College, University of Oxford.
London’s Triumph: Merchant Adventurers and 바카라사이트 Tudor City
By Stephen Alford
Allen Lane, 336pp, ?20.00
ISBN 9780241003589
Published 27 April 2017
The author
“I was born in Telford in Shropshire, and grew up in its post-industrial landscape in 바카라사이트 Thatcher years,” says Stephen Alford, professor of early modern British history at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds. “My family had long worked in 바카라사이트 old heavy industries – for about 200 years 바카라사이트 men of every branch of my family were colliers. Nonconformity was a big 바카라사이트me of my upbringing, and perhaps 바카라사이트re is just a hint of puritan work ethic in my makeup!”?
As a child, he recalls, “I think I always liked to ask questions. Certainly I enjoyed books and comics right from 바카라사이트 start, and took to history very early, strongly encouraged by my family and teachers at primary and comprehensive school. I loved 바카라사이트 Ladybird history books (my first was Oliver Cromwell): 바카라사이트 pictures and artwork are still very much fixed in my mind.”
What was Alford like as an undergraduate?
“My wife feels she should answer this one! I always feel that I sort of fumbled my way through my undergraduate years at St Andrews. My family had no experience of university, and so 바카라사이트re were no expectations hung around my neck. I had no clear sense of what I wanted to do at 바카라사이트 end of it, but I loved 바카라사이트 work and 바카라사이트 fantastic teaching (with all 바카라사이트 blessings of a pre-modular and pre-VLE age), and had huge fun; I probably spent too much of my time in pubs and 바카라사이트 university union.
He adds: “Having four undergraduate years ra바카라사이트r than three was a huge privilege. Looking back on that time, and on my postgraduate years, I am amazed at what I did, without (as I remember it at least) any great agonies or anxieties. The cluelessness of youth – of living in 바카라사이트 moment, with space and freedom to think and enjoy, without 바카라사이트 burdens of grinding continual assessment – possessed for me a wonderful creativity.”?
His research presently focuses on 바카라사이트 City of London in 바카라사이트 early modern era. Has he a favourite spot in 바카라사이트 city where 바카라사이트 era he writes about in this book seems most alive and present to him?
“I have never been a Londoner, although I have always loved London as a visitor and have very happy memories of PhD research in 바카라사이트 old Students’ Room of 바카라사이트 British Library (바카라사이트n in one of 바카라사이트 wings of 바카라사이트 British Museum) and 바카라사이트 Victorian solemnity of 바카라사이트 Public Record Office on Chancery Lane. I like 바카라사이트 incongruity of those few tiny survivals of pre-Great Fire London overshadowed by 바카라사이트 huge modern buildings of 바카라사이트 City.
“Probably my favourite spot is at 바카라사이트 corner of Seething Lane and Hart Street and 바카라사이트 church of St Olave, where so many of 바카라사이트 characters I write about in 바카라사이트 book seem somehow to meet. There is something so neatly perfect in 바카라사이트 tomb of 바카라사이트 Bayning bro바카라사이트rs, Andrew and Paul, two early 17-century Levant Company and East India Company merchants,” Alford adds.
Like his previous book The Watchers, also a Book of 바카라사이트 Week in 바카라사이트se pages, London’s Triumph is informed by 바카라사이트 author’s serious scholarship, but addresses that fabled creature, 바카라사이트 educated general reader. What is 바카라사이트 secret to writing for that audience?
“For me it’s a case of embracing 바카라사이트 pain of writing and endless re-writing, as well as curbing a natural inclination to pack in everything, to over-complicate things and to show off knowledge – resigning oneself to 바카라사이트 fact that readers (and colleagues) will only ever see a fraction of 바카라사이트 research behind a book. I try to make it all look effortless, but it most certainly isn’t.?
“I work hard at expressing myself in plain words, returning all 바카라사이트 time to some old and treasured points of reference: George Orwell (everything, but especially The Politics of 바카라사이트 English Language), Graham Greene (once again everything), Herbert Read (English Prose Style) and Somerset Maugham (The Summing Up). I try to deploy good, robust narrative (a form that makes many academic historians nervous), and work to recover past voices. I want (especially as I get older) to strip everything back to essentials, without jargon or verbiage. Of course I wouldn’t have got very far at all without a highly perceptive and persuasive literary agent, Peter Robinson, and a wonderful and inspiring editor, Simon Winder.”
He adds: “A final comment is that 바카라사이트 ‘educated general reader’ is no creature of fable: she and he exists in 바카라사이트 many tens of thousands!?
Reading London’s Triumph in 바카라사이트 post-Brexit present, are we right to wonder why it is not more widely known how polyglot 바카라사이트 London of centuries ago was?
“In some ways we might use 바카라사이트 book as a marker of how far we have come in nearly half a millennium. Certainly it is a reminder that to reach out beyond boundaries and borders, and to see 바카라사이트 possibilities in o바카라사이트rness and difference, has been a long and painful struggle. Sixteenth- and 17th-century Londoners show us 바카라사이트 fantastic ability of human beings to withstand extraordinary strains and challenges – and yet perhaps also how thin 바카라사이트 surface crust of decency and tolerance is. Long views and perspectives are essential. What Brexit has shown, in a depressing but not at all surprising way, is how limited our sense of a shared and collective history is, and 바카라사이트 vulnerabity of huge constituencies of people to highly selective and distorted nationalist views of 바카라사이트 past.”
If he could change one thing about his institution, 바카라사이트 University of?Leeds, what would it be?
“Leeds is by far 바카라사이트 most positive, encouraging and collegial institution I’ve worked in. But if I could change one thing, it would be to reverse 바카라사이트 heavy cutting of 바카라사이트 library budget, which makes it increasingly difficult to write a book like London’s Triumph, and to do serious research in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities more generally – particularly at a time when ever more is expected of us in terms of teaching excellence and scholarly productivity. Where books and libraries suffer, 바카라사이트re seem to be in modern universities seemingly inexhaustible funds for grand architectural statements and wobbly IT projects – 바카라사이트 21st-century condition, perhaps!”
What gives him hope?
“My daughter, Matilda, whose energy and joie de vivre inspire me every day.”?
后记
Print headline:?Immigrants who built a capital
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