ll." As Higginson died in a short time, his boast
of his improved health and praise of the unwonted beverage does not
carry the force intended. Another early chronicler, Roger Clap, writes
that it was "not accounted a strange thing in those days to drink
water," and it was stated that Winthrop drank it ordinarily. Wood, in
his "New England Prospects," says of New England water, "I dare not
preferre it before good Beere as some have done, but any man would
choose it before Bad Beere, Wheay or Buttermilk." It was also praised as
being "farr different from the water of England, being not so sharp, but
of a fatter substance, and of a more jettie colour; it is thought there
can be no better water in the world."

But their beerless state did not long continue, for the first luxury to
be brought to the new country was beer, and the colonists soon imported
malt and learned to make beer from the despised Indian corn, and
established breweries and made laws governing and controlling the
manufacture of ale and beer; for the pious Puritans quickly learned to
cheat in their brewing, using molasses and coarse sugar. Molasses beer
is frequently mentioned by Josselyn.

By 1634, when sixpence was the legal charge for a meal, an ale-quart of
beer could be bought for a penny, and a landlord was liable to ten
shillings fine if he made a greater charge, or his liquor fell below a
certain standard of quality. Perhaps this low price was established by
the crafty Puritan magistrates in order to prevent the possibility of
profit by beer-selling, and thereby reduce the number of sellers. It was
also ordered that not more than an ale-quart of beer should be drunk out
of meal-times. This was to prevent "bye-drinking." Josselyn complained
of the petty interference of the law in drinking, saying:

"At the houses of entertainment called ordinaries into which a
stranger went, he was presently followed by one appointed to that
office who would thrust himself into his company uninvited, and if
he called for more drink than the officer thought, in his judgment,
he could soberly bear away, he would presently countermand it, and
appoint the proportion beyond which he could not get one drop."

The ministers, also, who chanced to live within sight of the tavern, had
a very virtuous custom of watching the tavern door and all who entered
therein, and going over and "chiding them" if they remained too long
within the cheerful po