Leisure time in early modern England was a controversial subject. It spanned moral, political, and religious debates. Ipswich town preacher Samuel Ward (the town’s chief divine from 1605 to 1640) was a godly Protestant. His sermon against drunkards from 1622 was subsequently published and proved popular, going through four editions in five years. Ward’s sermon is accompanied by a vivid woodcut.<br /> <br /> The image contrasts ‘old’ England - characterised by upright ‘knights’ (represented by spur and stirrup), the bible, and the mace - with ‘now’: a period seemingly corrupted by gaudy fashions (represented by the ribbons on the leg), carding, dicing, drinking, and smoking. Middling individuals regulated such recreational activities, often in the roles or status of the magistrate or local officeholder, or by leading by example. Equally, some instituted festivities that emphasised training for defense of the realm alongside exercise, fun, and games.
Woe to drunkards, by Samuel Ward (Sermon), 1622

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Woe to drunkards, by Samuel Ward

Woe to drunkards, by Samuel Ward (Sermon), 1622

Leisure time in early modern England was a controversial subject. It spanned moral, political, and religious debates. Ipswich town preacher Samuel Ward (the town’s chief divine from 1605 to 1640) was a godly Protestant. His sermon against drunkards from 1622 was subsequently published and proved popular, going through four editions in five years. Ward’s sermon is accompanied by a vivid woodcut.

The image contrasts ‘old’ England - characterised by upright ‘knights’ (represented by spur and stirrup), the bible, and the mace - with ‘now’: a period seemingly corrupted by gaudy fashions (represented by the ribbons on the leg), carding, dicing, drinking, and smoking. Middling individuals regulated such recreational activities, often in the roles or status of the magistrate or local officeholder, or by leading by example. Equally, some instituted festivities that emphasised training for defense of the realm alongside exercise, fun, and games.

Object Type Sermon
Year 1622
Material Print
Discovered London
Keywords worshipping; reading; displaying; performance; Protestant; piety; reputation; morality; drinking; visual culture; memory, print
Image Credit Samuel Ward, Woe to drunkards (London, 1622). Internet Archive.

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