Hello everyone and welcome to the History of England episode 286, Sex and the Reformation

of Manners. I hope you all had a thoroughly good Christmas

everyone and are gearing up for a Hoolier New Year. As part of your preparations, you might

like to slip away under the mistletoe and listen to attitudes about sex in later medieval

and the early modern world. I might very quickly share my excitement if I may, but I am also

now a character in a published book how exciting is that? I'm not a dark lord saving the world

sadly, but I am the next best thing. A sheep. Thank you, children's author Sarah Jane

Horowitz. Your book Dark Lord Clementine has pride at play spent over here, and if anyone

is in the market for a children's book, I have posted a review on the website for you.

Last time we talked a bit about the Reformation of Manners and how they were affected by the

attempt to reform the habits and moral fiber of the nation. And I gave you all fair warning

that now at last is the time to talk about sex, baby, and examine the considerable effort

spent in regulating the sex lives of the English at the time. If you are very interested

in this topic, either seek medical help or go and ask for the help of Martin Ingram, Professor

Martin Ingram, who has written a very detailed and fascinating account of the topic in his

recent book, Carnal Knowledge. And he starts said book within anecdote, which I'm going

to do the same. Robert Stevens comes home one day and he found the wicked gate of his

home secured against him. Now Robert did not react well to finding the wicked gate of his

home secured against him, and he broke through it furiously and went into his house and found

John, his journeyman, upon his wife in the kitchen, and in a sudden fume furiously rammed

at said John. John legged it with his hose around his knees, but not fast enough. Robert

gave him such strokes that John defiled the place, and then getting out into the street

...