An Admirable English Custom

In 1499, Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus visited London and Oxford. After staying at one country house, he wrote to a Parisian friend urging him (not entirely seriously) to join him. The English girls were so pretty, he said, and their custom of kissing their guests on almost every occasion was so delightful, that he was tempted to stay for ever.

59 words

Read the whole story

Return to the Index

Tags

Tudor Era (35) Desiderius Erasmus (1) Extracts from Mediaeval Literature (26) Extracts from Literature (459) History (777)

Related Posts

for An Admirable English Custom

Tudor Era

What to Do With a Glove Full of Angels

Henry VIII and his mistress Anne Boleyn were disappointed once again in their hopes of catching Thomas More with his fingers in the till.

by William Roper ?1496-1578

Tudor Era

Fly on the Wall

Henry VII made sure that he had eyes and ears wherever they were needed to put an end to thirty years of political conspiracy.

by Sir Francis Bacon 1561-1626

Tudor Era

Full Merrily

On July 5th, 1535, the night before he was to be executed by order of King Henry VIII, it seemed that Sir Thomas More was the only man in the Tower of London who was happy.

by William Roper ?1496-1578

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots

Henry VII’s great-granddaughter Mary never grasped that even royalty must win the people’s respect.