There was a time (as I have elsewhere noted) when a man might Live Seven Years in New-England, and not see a Drunken man. But how is it now? Several sorts of Strong Liquors have been an occasion of the abounding of this Iniquity. In Boston there useth to be plenty of Wine; but in many Towns in the Country, there is not much of that. Nevertheless, they abound with other intoxicating Drinks. Cider, and a Spirit Extracted out of it, has been much abused to Intemperance. Some observe that since it has been so, a strange Blast has been upon the fruit Trees, in many Places; so as that some whose Orchards have yielded five hundred Barrel•• of Cider in a Year, now produce ⟨image ?⟩very li•••. But there is another sort of Strong Drink, imported from the Sugar Islands, which has been of all other the most-fatal. It is now called Rum; but it once had another Name, and a ridiculous one, viz. Kill Devil. Renowned Mr. Wilson, said, it should rather have been called, Kill men for the Devil. Notwithstanding it is a sort of Strong Drink which does wof••, […] ••en; weakening their Memories & Understandings, & shortening their Lives; nevertheless, many (and some great pretenders to Religion) have been Enchanted with it. And English Men who call themselves Christians, have Debauched the miserable Indians with it; of which there have been some Tragical Effects. For in their Drink, the Indians have Committed horrid Murders. Besides what has been formerly, there were sad Examples two or three Years ago, when two Indians were Executed for having Murdered two other Indians; when all four of them, […] Murderers and the Murdered were Drunk.
There was a time (as I have elsewhere noted) when a man might Live Seven Years in New-England, and not see a Drunken man. But how is it now? Several sorts of Strong Liquors have been an occasion of the abounding of this Iniquity. In Boston there useth to be plenty of Wine; but in many Towns in the Countrey, there is not much of that. Nevertheless, they abound with other intoxicating Drinks. Cyder, and a Spirit Extracted out of it, has been much abused to Intemporence. Some observe that since it has been so, a strange Blast has been upon the fruit Trees, in many Places; so as that some whose Orchards have yielded five hundred Barrel•• of Cyder in a Year, now produce ⟨image ?⟩very li•••. But there is another sort of Strong Drink, imported from the Sugar Islands, which has been of all other the most-fatal. It is now called Rum; but it once had another Name, and a ridiculous one, viz. Kill Devil. Renowned Mr. Wilson, said, it should rather have been called, Kill men for the Devil. Notwithstanding it is a sort of Strong Drink which does wof••, 〈…〉 ••en; weakning their Memories & Vnderstandings, & shortening their Lives; nevertheless, many (and som• great pretenders to Religion) have been Enchanted with it. And English Men who call themselves Christians, have Debauched the miserable Indians with it; of which there have been some Tragical Effects. For in their Drink, the Indians have Committed horrid Murders. Besides what has been formerly, there were sad Examples two or three Years ago, when two Indians were Executed for having Murdered two other Indians; when all four of them, 〈…〉 Murderers and the Murdered were Drunk.
