ing of the cider," and to hear that on this occasion
there were thirty-two gallons of wine and still more of cider, with one
hundred and four pounds of that ensnaring accessory, sugar. Francis
Higginson, in writing back to the mother country that one sup of New
England's air was better than a whole draught of Old England's ale, gave
convincing proof that he had tasted both beverages. But, after all, the
very relaxations of the Puritan minister were more spiritual than
spirituous, and to send forth a good Nineteenthly from his own lips was
more relishing than to have the best Double X go in.

In spite of the dignity of this influential class, they were called only
Elders for a long time. Titles were carefully adjusted in those days.
The commonalty bore the appellations of Goodman and Goodwife, and one of
Roger William's offences was his wishing to limit these terms to those
who gave some signs of deserving them. The name "Mr." was allowed to
those who had taken the degree of Master of Arts at College, and also to
professional men, eminent merchants, military officers, and mates of
vessels, and their wives and daughters monopolized the epithet "Mrs."
Mr. Josiah Plastow, when he had stolen four baskets of corn from the
Indians, was degraded into plain Josiah. "Mr." seems to have meant
simply "My Sir," and the clergy were often called "Sir" merely, a title
given also to college graduates, on Commencement programmes, down to the
time of the Revolution. And so strong was the Puritan dislike to the
idolatry of saints' names, that the Christian Apostles were sometimes
designated as Sir Paul, Sir Peter, and Sir James.

In coming to the private affairs of the Puritan divines, it is
humiliating to find that anxieties about salary are of no modern origin.
The highest compensation I can find recorded is that of John Higginson
in 1671, who had L160 voted him "in country produce," which he was glad,
however, to exchange for L120 in solid cash. Solid cash included
beaver-skins, black and white wampum, beads, and musket-balls, value one
farthing. Mr. Woodbridge in Newbury at this same time had L60, and Mr.
Epes preached in Salem for twenty shillings a Sunday, half in money and
half in provisions. Holy Mr. Cotton used to say that nothing was cheap
in New England but milk and ministers. Down to 1700, Increase Mather
says, most salaries were less than L100, which he thinks "might account
for the scanty harvests enjoyed by our farmers." He