Portraits of the English, Volume VI: Country Lives

This volume contains selections from Heads of the People, a two-volume set (published in 1840) that portrays "the many faces of the English with their faults as well as their virtues." Detailed essays introduce the reader to an old squire, a young squire, an English peasant, a farmer's daughter, and a farmer. These character sketches, that reflect the values of their times, along with glimpses of daily life (including vivid descriptions of everything from attire to carriages) , are presented in an entertaining narrative style that keeps the pages turning. The chapters reproduced in this volume provide a fascinating view of the changes taking place in society at this time. Most of the English population still consisted of country-dwellers, rather than town-dwellers, at the time these chapters were written. Charming period illustrations enhance the text.