Writers of the time included John Milton, political
philosopher James Harrington, poet Edmund Waller, Thomas Fuller,
poet Abraham Cowley, and biographer Issak Walton. John Aubrey
wrote anecdotes about famous men. Jeremy Taylor, chaplain to
Charles I, wrote on theology. People still read French romances
translated into English. Dancing was still popular. Coffee houses
came into prominence as places of social discourse. The first
coffee house was established in London in 1652; ten years later,
there were 82 coffee houses in the City. There were elegant
pleasure gardens, with a fee for access. They were used for
promenades and picnics. Ladies and their gallants rendezvoused
there. Cromwell introduced the habit of port drinking to England.
In 1657, one general Post Offices was established with one
Postmaster General for all of England. No other person could have
the horsing of the through-posts. It cost 2d. for a letter to or
from 80 miles of London and 3d. for one outside 80 miles of
London.
There was continual problem with Catholics. Where Papists or
others had caused rebellion and insurrection and plundered,
robbed, pillaged, murdered and raped, mayor, Justices and capital
burgesses of such towns were given the power in 1642 to call,
assemble, train, and arm soldiers for defense. The Committee of
the Militia of London was given authority in 1647 to search all
houses and places for Papists and to search for and seize any
arms, ammunition, and war materials in custody of such persons.
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