The sons of Britannia for a considerable period held aloof from this lager, which was {69} pronounced by some to be mere “hogwash,” and by others to consist principally of the juice of fir-cones and onions mixed with snow-water. The fir-cone flavour is, I believe, accounted for by the “pitching” of the barrels in which the beer is stored; but I don’t know where the oniony flavour comes from. The prejudice against this beer has long since departed from our midst; in fact it has become quite a favourite summer drink. It is generally considered less intoxicating than its English cousin. In fact the German students are in the habit of putting huge quantities thereof out of sight, on the occasion of passing examinations, and public rejoicings; and these “beer-drinkings” are, apparently, fully sanctioned by the authorities. It has been written that it is to Dean Nowell, “classed by Fuller among the worthies of England,” that we are indebted for the discovery of bottled beer. According to Fuller, “this worthy, who was an enthusiastic fisherman, was one day angling in the Thames; but at the very time when he was trying to catch perch to carry to the frying-pan, that benighted bigot Bishop Bonner was trying to catch him to tie him to the stake for purposes of cremation, to the glory of the old religion. The reverend gentleman heard that he was ‘wanted,’ left his fishing, and fled as far from the Thames as he could, leaving untasted in a safe place a bottle of beer which he had filled in the morning. Bonner’s day did not last long, and Dean Nowell was soon able to return to his old haunts. Fishing as usual, he went to look after his bottle of beer, and {70} found that it had turned into a species of gun—it exploded its contents, when touched.” Thus Nature, which is ever kind, turned the martyrdom and misery of Bloody Mary’s reign to good—it brought about bottled beer. The Dean unbosomed himself of his great discovery to his clerical friends, and the clergy let it out gradually to the laity. Gervase Markham, the aforementioned contemporary of Shakespeare, gives the following directions to “the English Housewife” of 1631, for _Brewing of Bottle-Ale_. Touching the brewing of Bottle-ale, it differeth nothing at all from the brewing of strong Ale, onely it must be drawne in a larger proportion, as at least twenty gallons of halfe a quarter; and when it comes to be changed, you shall blinke it (as was before shewed) more by much than was the strong Ale, for it must bee pretty and sharpe, which giveth the life and quicknesse to the Ale: and when you tunne it, you shall put it into round bottles with narrow mouthes, and then stopping them close with corke, set them in a cold sellar up to the wast in sand, and be sure that the corkes be fast tied in with strong packe-thrid, for feare of rising out, or taking vent, which is the utter spoyle of the Ale.