lready made w'th short sleeves shall not hereafter
wear the same, unless they cover their armes with linnen or otherwise;
and that hereafter no person whatsoever shall make any garment for
women, or any of their sex, w'th sleeves more than halfe an elle wide in
y'e widest place thereof, and so proportionable for bigger or smaller
persons; and for the p'r sent alleviation of immoderate great sleeves
and some other superfluities, w'ch may easily bee redressed w'th out
much pr udice, or y'e spoile of garments, as immoderate great briches,
knots of ribban, broad shoulder bands and rayles, silk lases, double
ruffes and caffes, &c."

But the court did not confine itself to prescribing the size of a lady's
sleeves, or the trimming she might wear on her dress: it passed other
timely laws to restrain the idle and vicious and preserve good order
throughout the community. It was ordered in 1632 "that y'e remainder
of Mr. (John) Allen's strong water, being estimated about two gallandes,
shall be deliuered into y'e hands of y'e Deacons of Dorchester for
the benefit of y'e poore there, for his selling of it dyvers tymes to
such as were drunke by it, knowing thereof."

In 1638 the court passed a curious law regulating the use of tobacco,
which runs as follows:

"The Court finding since y'e repealing of y'e former laws against
tobacco y'e law is more abused than before, it hath therefore ordered
that no man shall take any tobacco in y'e field except in his iourney,
or meale times, vpon pain of 12'd for every offence, nor shall take any
tobacco in (or near) any dwelling house, barne, Corn or Haye, as may be
likely to endanger y'e fireing thereof, vpon paine of 2's for every
offence, nor shall take any tobacco in any Inne or common victualling
house; except in a private room there; so as neither the master of the
same house nor any other gueste there shall take offence thereat; w'ch
if they doo, then such p son is forth w'th to forebeare, vpon paine of
2's 6'd for every offence."

One office created by the court of that early period it might not be a
bad idea for the authorities of the present day to revive. Wardens were
appointed annually to "take care of and manage y'e affairs of y'e
School; they shall see that both y'e Master & Schollar, perform, their
duty, and Judge of and End any difference that may arrise between Master
& Schollar, or their Parents, according to Sundry Rules & Direc