“Yes. But those are the cold lands. Their habits are different from yours, and mine. For instance, in my country, everyone believes baths are dangerous for your health. My grandmother, Granny Jacoba, used to say, ‘A bath when you’re birthed and another when laid out’ll see thee through the Pearly Gates.’ ” “That’s very hard to believe.” “Some of your customs are very hard to believe. But it is true that I’ve had more baths in the short time I’ve been in your country than in as many years before. I admit freely I feel better for them.” He grinned. “I no longer believe baths are dangerous. So
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This is mostly nonsense. The Tudors washed. It is true that few people in the Tudor period were wealthy enough to immerse themselves in water and God knows the public baths had started to spread disease by the end of the late medieval and into the Early Modern period, but the English certainly WASHED.
