Jay: The development of a plain writing style in seventeenth-century England was mainly due to an increase in the literacy rate  To reach moderately educated readers, writers simplified their style
Chandra: No, the pivotal factor was the increasing interest in science among the most highly educated people; a complex, artificial style, however beautiful, interfered with the presentation of scientific facts
whether there was an increase in the percentage of people who were able to read in England during the seventeenth century