9.The country gentlemen，now a polished and an important class，were，at the time of the Revolution，rough and poorly educated.Their lands yielded rents equal to about one-fourth of those now paid.Seldom leaving their native county even for London，they spent their days in field-sports or in attending the neighbouring markets.Drunkenness was a common and fashionable vice，and continued to be so more or less until the beginning of the present century.
a Coffee-houses.-These were at first houses or shops for the sale of prepared coffee.The first in England was established in 1652，in Oxford，by a Jew named Jacobs.
b John Dryden.-The chief poet of the time；author of “Absalom and Achitophel，”“The Hind and Panther，”“Annus Mirabilis”（1666），and many plays.
10.The country clergy stood low in the social scale.In most mansions there was a chaplain，or，as he was often called，a Levite，who，receiving his board and？10a-year，was no better than an upper servant.His wife was often taken from the kitchen of his patron.Even if he got a parish he lived and worked like a peasant：his sons were ploughmen，and his daughters went to service.
11.Of the labouring classes we know little.Four-fifths of them were employed in agriculture.In Devon，Suffolk，and Essex the highest wages were paid，averaging five shillings a-week without food.Those engaged in manufactures earned about six shillings a-week.The poor-rate was the heaviest tax，for the paupers amounted to no less than one-fifth of the community.
12.The Ca valier and the Roundhead
presented a striking contrast in their dress and habits.Bright colours，profuse ornament，and graceful style marked the costume of the Cavalier.His richly-laced cloak，over which lay an embroidered collar，hisbroad-leafed hat of beaver with its white and flowing plume，his silken doublet，and his flowing locks，made up a figure the most picturesque ofany period in our history.The Puritan or Roundhead wore a cloak of sad-colouredbrown or black，a plain collar of linen laidCAVALIER AND ROUNDHEAD.
carelessly down on the plaited cloth，and a hat with a high steeple-shaped crown over his closely clipt or lank straight hair.
13.The roads were so bad that travelling was very difficult.Rich men travelled in their own coaches，but they were obliged often to have six horses to pull them through the mud.The inns were good and comfortable.Highwaymen，well armed and mounted on fine horses，infested all the great roads；and it is said that many of the innkeepers were paid by them to give information about those travellers who were worth attacking.
14.There was nothing at all equal to our modern newspaper.The only paper allowed was The London Gazette，a two-paged sheet of very meagre contents，and issued twice a-week.An important feature of social life during this age was The Newsletter.This was an epistle，despatched to the country generally once a-week，giving all the chat of the coffee-houses and the news of the capital.Several families subscribed to pay some Londoner，who gave them the scraps of news gathered during his rambles.
15.There were few printing-presses in the country except in London and at the Universities.The only press north of the Trent was at York.Books were therefore scarce and dear，and very few were to be found in the best country houses.In London the booksellers‘shops were thronged with readers.The favourite and fashionable study of the later Stewart days was chemistry.
Charles the Second had a laboratory in his palace at Whitehall.It was soon discovered that chemistry might be turned to the improvement of agriculture.Experiments were made on various soils，new fruits and vegetables were grown in the gardens，and farmers began to think that perhaps after all there might be some profit in the study of science.
中文阅读
1.尽管在前几个时期，英国的面貌变化得像岁月轮转那样快，但是斯图亚特王朝统治之后英国的变化，可能是所有时代中最显著的。如今能看到绿色草地和黄色玉米田，白色果园里春天花开、金秋硕果累累，闲适农家被绿树掩映，而在当时这些地方除了树林、荆豆或沼泽外一无所有。
2.古老的树林里，大群大群的鹿、几头野牛在徜徉，而在遭到农民于英国内战中的猎杀之前，还有一些野猪长期留用于宫廷狩猎。獾、野猫、鹰、巨鸨等动物，甚至在英格兰东部和西部的低地里也很常见。绵羊和牛要比现在的小得多。如今享誉世界的英国马匹，当时仅以每匹50先令的价格出售。用于制作马鞍的西班牙小马和用于制作马具的弗兰德斯灰色母马，都是最珍贵的良种。
3.我们的矿产资源开发仍然极度贫乏。康沃尔产锡，威尔士产铜，但是产量上都远低于目前的水平。如今作为主要出口商品的盐，当时提炼得还非常差，以至于医生们谴责它是许多皮肤病和肺病的罪魁祸首。铁制造业由于在熔炉中用废木料冶铁而陷入停滞。熔炼工还不会用煤炼铁，因为煤仍然只是家庭使用的燃料，仅在煤产量丰富的地区才烧煤，而伦敦用的煤都是从海上运过来的。
4.17世纪快要结束的时候，英国人口大约为750万。北部各郡人口数量的增长，要大大超过南部人口的增长，其中原因或许可在这些郡于1603年各王室合并之后的快速发展中找到。
5.早前，北部地区不断受到边界强盗（称为“流寇”）的掠夺，无论是住宅还是牧群都受到他们的威胁。后来，这些掠夺者逐渐遭到追捕，人民的生命和财产变得安全了。煤层被人发现，工业乡镇开始增多，并且这些乡镇的人口很快便迅速增长。
6.除首都之外，布里斯托尔是英国最大的海港，诺里奇在斯图亚特王朝统治时期则是主要工业城镇。作为当代棉花贸易中心的曼彻斯特，当时仅有6000名居民，没有一部印刷机或一辆出租马车值得炫耀。如今成为巨大毛制品集散地的利兹，那时人口只有约7000人。利物浦港下属的海员，只有不到200人。
7.查理二世去世的时候，伦敦的人口为50万。一座古老的桥梁横跨在泰晤士河上。建造的所有房屋，上面几层都伸到了下面店铺的前方。伦敦市就是商人的家。那时候，他们还没有像现在那样，在工作之余离开会计室，前往郊区的别墅狂欢。
8.最早于克伦威尔时期就已出现的咖啡厅a是很好的休闲场所，白天的新闻和传言都可在那里讨论。走进一家咖啡厅，你可以看到衣冠楚楚的公子们戴着飘拂的假发，穿着镶边外套，缀有流苏的手套，浑身散发着香喷喷的气味。再走进另一家咖啡厅，你能看到一群饱学之士正听着约翰·德莱顿b的演讲。这里有适用于各个阶层的咖啡厅。
9.如今作为一个既体面又重要阶层的乡村绅士，在“光荣革命”时期还举止粗俗、缺乏教育。他们土地的租金，等于如今租户所支付的租金的1/4左右。他们很少离开自己土生土长的郡而出门，哪怕是去伦敦，而是靠野外运动或参观周边市场来打发时光。酗酒是既常见又流行的坏毛病，直到时代步入我们当前这个世纪，这种现象仍然在一定程度上持续。
10.国家的神职人员在社会各阶层中地位低下。在许多公宅里都有一个专用牧师，人们通常称之为“利未人”，每年收取10英磅的费用，待遇还没有一个管家好。他的配偶一般从主人的厨房里找。即便负责一个教区，他的生活和工作仍然像一个农民：他的儿子务农，他的女儿侍侯人。
11.至于劳动阶层，我们知之甚少。他们当中有4/5的人从事农业。德文、萨福克和艾塞克斯的劳动者工资最高，平均每周5先令但不管吃喝。那些从事于制造业的劳动者，每周大约赚取6先令。贫民救济税是最重的税，因为乞丐的数量多达社会人口的1/5。
12.保皇党和圆颅党在服饰和生活习惯上体现出了鲜明的对比。保皇党衣着的典型风格是颜色亮丽、饰品众多、样式考究。他的外套上有多层镶边，上面加一道绣花领，宽边狸皮帽上嵌有平滑的白色羽毛，紧身上衣是丝制的，长发柔顺光滑。在我国历史上的任何时期，这种形象都能构成一幅优美至极的图画。清教徒或圆颅党人身披暗褐色或黑色的斗篷，简单的麻布衣领随意地配在满是皱褶的衣服上，带有尖塔状高顶的帽子紧紧贴在细长的直发上。
13.路况很差，使得出行非常困难。有钱人乘坐私家马车外出，但往往只能用六匹马拉着他们穿过泥泞。小旅馆好客而舒适。全副武装的拦路劫匪爬上良马，在所a 咖啡厅：这些地方最初是用来销售即用咖啡的住宅或商店。英国最早的咖啡厅是1652年在牛津由一个名叫雅各布斯的犹太人设立的。
