Manners And Customs.

"The jury's verdickt know this that we doe finde Thomas Bowles Guilty according to ye Indicktment. Hereupon Judgment is granted that he pay 10s. and costs of suit."

At the same court Thomas Bowles was also "Presented by ye Grand Inquest for selling rum by small measures without lysence. Remitted upon condition that he doe soe no more and that he pay his fees."

The second case is as follows:

"Richd. Crosby being sumoned to appear at this Court to answer the Complaint of our Sovereign Lord the King and the Chiefs Proprietary for being Drunks and committing other misdemeanors, was for ye same Indicted. The Grand Inquest find the bill. The testimony of Anne Sanderlaine declareth that upon ye 29th day of ye 4th month last, Richard Crosby was in Drink att Chester and very unruly. Philip Denning declareth that ye same day Richard Crosby was very much disordered by drinke and that he was very abusive. William Goford declareth that Richard Crosby being much in Drink Challenged ye Sweads or English or any other man att Cudgells, Wrasling or any other such violent exercise and further more did strike him upon ye head and did trip up his heels twice and yt he heard him say ye Sweads were rogues and did take part with ye Indians. John Clue declareth ye same. Johannes ffriend declareth that he heard Richard Crosby call ye Sweads Rogues and that they did take part with ye Indians against ye English.

Before ye Petty Jury went out upon ye cause, he submitting himselfe unto ye Court, was fined 5s. and ordered to pay Court charges, and soe to be acquitted."

Crosby was not simply an arrant braggart in his liquor, for the court records show that he kept the settlers in fear by his prowess, and was not choice of his words in expressing his opinion of the justices before whom he was frequently required to appear. But Crosby was not the only person who was belligerent in his cups in that early day, for at the court held at Chester on 3d day of 2d week, Seventh month, 1688, "Thomas Robins and Thomas Woodmans being convickted before John Bristow for Drunkeness, breach of Peace, breaking ye great Cabin doore and ye head of Samuel Harrison, mate on board of ye ship Tryall, was for ye same called to ye Barr. But upon their submission to ye Court was ordered to pay 5s. with all Court charges."

Dr. John Watson strives to account for the immoderate use of liquor among the earlysettlers by arguing that rum and tobacco were regarded as preventives of dumb agues, fever and ague, and similar disorders, and that the people, imagining the air and water of "this hot climate" to be unwholesome, employed the luxuries named as antidotes. From the immediate ill effects of drinking cold water when overheated with labor in the summer-time, and the fevers and agues which attacked them in the fall of the year, the populace became confirmed in the opinion that liquor, at least, was essential for their well being, and as they had no conveniences to make beer that would keep in hot weather, they adopted the practice of the laboring people in the West Indies and drank rum. Hence he ascribes the general and continued use of intoxicating liquors to this opinion, which having "once so far gained ground as to influence general habits and customs on an erroneous principle, it requires much labor and a long time to wear them (the customs) out."² The true reason was that each of the settlers brought with him the manners anal customs of his native land, and, as stated before, all Christian people at that period used liquor to excess.

To the Society of Friends the first protest against the immoderate use of liquor can be traced, and to them is justly due the credit of curtailing much that was certainly injurious in the custom during the last century.

At taverns in the colonial days it was not the rule as now to hand the bottle to the guest to help himself according to his capacity, but the landlord filled small glasses, known as "jiggers," and if the party was not satisfied therewith, he was compelled to pay for his second drink. At that time, 1730, we are told by William Moraley that "Cyder is the most plentiful here of all Liquors, besides which they have Mead, Methlegin, Perry, and Peach Drink. The Beer not good. Madeira Wine is the only Wine used. Rum is sold for Three pence the Half Pint, or Ten pence a Quart. Half a Pint of Rum being mixed with three Half Pints of Water or Small Beer, makes Bombo, but mixed with Cyder, makes Sampson, an Intoxicating Liquor."

In the early part of the last century nothing, it seems, could be done without liquor. At the birth of an infant the women of the neighborhood collected at the house, and wine or cordial waters was distributed to the guests, while rum, either buttered or made into hot tiff, was given to the mother, as it was then deemed to be essentially necessary for her speedy recovery.

At the raising of houses and barns liquor was an important element, and the cedar branch on the top of the building announced that good cheer would supplement the work. No crop, it was thought, could be garnered without a liberal use of stimulants, and in 1700 at funerals it was then the custom for a servant (usually a negro) to carry around among those assembled sugar cakes, hot liquor, and wine, of which all present, both young and old, partook. It was given to every person, those as well standing in the street or sitting at the door. It was then not an unusual thing for a person fond of his glass to take a position so that he might be served among the first, and then to take another station so that he would receive, like Benjamin, a double portion. The abuse of