Some of the people in the Colony by 1650 began to dress more extravagantly than the magistrates dared to have them, and the General Court passed laws to prohibit the luxury and extravagance of dress.   H. M. Earle says: "An estate of a least £200, or $666.66 2-3, was held necessary in order to allow any freedom of costly or gay attire.   They also prohibited the wearing of gold, silver or thread lace, all cut works, embroideries or needlework in the form of caps, bands or rails; gold and silver girdles, hat bands, belts, ruffs or beaver hats; knots of ribbon; broad shoulder bands, silk roses; double ruffles or capes; gold and silver buttons; silk points, silk and tiffany hoods, and scarfs.   Vain offenders against these sumptuary laws were presented by the score and were tried and fined.
   "Women in the Colony who were given to scolding, etc., were punished.   May 15th, 1672, the General Court of Massachusetts ordered the scold and raillers should be gagged or set in a ducking stool and dipped over head and ears three times."
   Miss Earl gives an account in Virginia of this ducking process, in a letter to Governor Endicott in 1634, as follows: "The day afore yesterday I saw this punishment given to one Betsey, wife of John Tucker, who by ye violence of her tongue, had made his house and ye neighborhood uncomfortable.   She was taken to ye pond where I am sojourning by ye officer who was joined by ye magistrate and ye minister Mr. Cotton, who had frequently admonished her and a large number of people.   They had machine for ye purpose, it belonged to the Parish & which I was told had