[Illustration: An Ancient Brewhouſe. 1568.] _The Curiosities_ OF _Ale & Beer_: An Entertaining History. (_Illustrated with over Fifty Quaint Cuts._) BY John Bickerdyke. In Part collected by the late J. G. FENNELL; now largely augmented with manifold matters of singular note and worthy memory by the Author and his friend J. M. D——. [Illustration: “For a quart of Ale is a dish for a King.”—_Shakspere._] LONDON: SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & Co., PATERNOSTER SQUARE. 1889. [Illustration] PRINTED BY CHAS. STRAKER AND SONS, BISHOPSGATE AVENUE, LONDON; AND REDHILL. _Dedicated_ TO THE _Brewers of the United Kingdom_ AND ALL WHO VALUE _Honest Malt Liquor_. [Illustration] [Illustration] _PREFACE._ That the history and curiosities of Ale and Beer should fill a bulky volume, may be a subject for surprise to the unthinking reader; and that surprise will probably be intensified, on his learning that great difficulty has been experienced in keeping this book within reasonable limits, and at the same time doing anything like justice to the subject. Since the dawn of our history Barley-wine has been the “naturall drinke” for an “Englysshe man,” and has had no unimportant influence on English life and manners. It is, therefore, somewhat curious that up to the present, among the thousands of books published annually, no comprehensive work on the antiquities of ale and beer has found place. Some years ago this strange neglect of so excellent a theme was observed by the late John Greville Fennell, best known as a contributor to _The Field_, and who, like “John of the Dale,” was a “lover of ale.” With him probably originated the idea of filling this void in our literature. As occasion offered he made extracts from works bearing on the subject, and in time amassed a considerable amount of material, which was, however, devoid of arrangement. Old age overtaking him before he was able to commence writing his proposed book, he asked me to undertake that which from failing health he was unable to accomplish. To this I assented, and at the end of some months had prepared a complete scheme of the book, with the materials for each chapter carefully grouped. That arrangement, for which I am responsible, has, with a few slight modifications, been carefully adhered to. The work did not then proceed further, as to carry out my scheme a large amount of additional matter, from sources not then available, was required. A few months later my friend was taken seriously ill, and, finding his end approaching, directed that on his decease all papers connected with the book should be placed at my disposal. His death seems to render a statement of our respective shares in the book desirable.