per day.
Elizabeth did not allow any gentleman to live in London purely for
pleasure, but sent those not employed by the Court back to their
country manors to take care of and feed the poor of their
parishes. Her proclamation stated that "sundry persons of ability
that had intended to save their charges by living privately in
London or towns corporate, thereby leaving their hospitality and
the relief of their poor neighbors, are charged not to break up
their households; and all others that have of late time broken up
their households to return to their houses again without delay."
She never issued a license for more than 100 retainers. She was
partially successful in stopping justices of the peace and
sheriffs from wearing the liveries of great men. She continued the
policy of Henry VII to replace the rule of force by the rule of
law. Service of the crown and influence at court became a better
route to power and fortune than individual factions based on local
power structures. At the lowest level, bribery became more
effective than bullying. The qualities of the courtier, such as
wit, and the lawyer became more fashionable than the qualities of
the soldier.
Most of the men in Elizabeth's court had attended a university,
such as Francis Bacon, son of the Lord Keeper, who became a
writer, attorney, member of the Commons, and experimental
philosopher, and Walter Ralegh, the sea-fighter and writer, who
had a humble origin.
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