Wine makes get his years and grow amorous. the religious man wicked, and the wicked-inclined man a devil! so that men, when drunk, differ as much in their temper as in their faces. Some dance, others sing or roar loudly, spout or quarrel; fome are lulled to fleep, and snore like hogs; others become mad for girls-reeling bucks of fun! and stagger to brothels, or other dens of iniquity, where they not only become dupes to distempered harlots, by contracting diseases which may be long and lasting, and loose their money, watches, &c. but get frequently battered, bruised and kicked by their bullies, in the frolic. "Whoredom and wine, and new wine, take away the heart and foul and reason of a man." No man can, with the finallest degree of propriety, attempt to apologize and expect pardon for the offences he committed when intoxicated: tell me not, "I was drunk -wine fets me mad and makes me quarrelfome-so that I beg you will forgive me for the afssault and battery I committed last night, or for my abusing you so grossly with such coarse and virulent words." A pretty joke! if fuch were admissable every nefareous villain would evade the gallows. Alexander, in a drunken fit, murdered one of his best officers, Clitus; he was a great favourite, and a man of strict integrity; notwithstanding all the fame that conquering hero gained by by his numerous armies and victorious battles, this rash and horrid deed lessened him in the eyes of the world, and wrecked his own peace of mind ever after. Solomon says, most beautifully, "It is not for Kings, O! Lemuel, it is not for Kings to drink wine, nor for Princes strong drink." Gluttony is a kindred vice nearly allied to drunkenness; it unfits a man for action, and changes him into a beast. No man should eat or drink as much as he could swallow;-what he could bear without rendering himself unwieldy or affecting his head, would be sufficient nourishment. The Epicurean's sole delight is pampering his nasty carcase; his belly is his god; to gratify the insatiable cravings of which, he sacrifices all the duties of a man and a Christian, "For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, " And drowsiness shall clothe a man in rags." The great men, as they are called, to their shame, guttle and guzzle to excess;-those lofty swine-those mighty great beasts! "great in their crimes, and glorious in their shame," forget their low origin, and make no allowance for the frailties of others, but condemn them for the very darling vices which they themselves practice. M2 How How mortifying must it be to a fine young woman in the bloom of virgin innocence, exquifitely inticing,-eyes glowing with love and fondness, rofy pouting lips, sweeter far than the precious balm of Hybla; how provoking must it be to such a charming creature, when she finds herself woefully deceived, through her own fond credulity, or parental authority, buried alive with a drunken confort: After having adorned her mind and body with every refinement sufficient to make a virtuous man happy, after having restrained all her longing desires, from the age of twelve to eighteen or twenty-to find herself cast away with one who adores his throat and his belly more than all her refulgent charms. It must be mortifying, indeed, to her, poor thing! After waiting the live long day, with longing expectation of receiving fome matrimonial comfort at nightcapable of yielding and receiving pure and innocent bliss!-eyes sparkling with vigorous paffion, and smiling compliance, to see him who should realize all her imaginary joys, and that too with all the endearing fondness of a good husband, or amorous lover, stagger home, so much debased that his limbs will hardly do their office to bear him to his bed! and when the lies by his fide, how disgusting must he be to her! he rolls, he tumbles, he coughs, he spits; whilst the stench, or favor of his putrid lungs, more offensive than ordure, is poifonous poisonous to her delicate sensations. Instead of warm, rapturous kiffes, she often receives the disgorgings of his frail paunch on her lovely, swelling bosom, exuberantly inticing-fair and fmooth as ivory, wax, or alabaster. It is just as impossible for an amiable woman to love a drunken husband, as it is for a drunken husband to please an amiable woman: so that drunkards should never marry. I am not at all surprized at women's infidelity to their drunken conforts; and I think it cruel, narrow-minded and illiberal to cenfure them for granting favors to fober men. Bacchus is painted with horns, an emblem of a beast, to signify that all his beastial votaries should wear them. Silenus, the foster-father of Bacchus, and king and emperor of drunkards, is supposed to be always reeling drunk, riding upon an ass, which is the most cross-grained, stubborn and ungovernable animal; to shew that drunken men are supported and led by cross-grained, stubborn and ungovernable passions. Generous refreshment is necessary for all men; particularly in warm climates, to support Nature, which is commonly relaxed; yet all kinds of nourishment should be taken moderately and difcretionally, according to a man's health, exercife, or labour: He who works, or walks about from day-light until noon, exposed to the weather, will relish a glass of fomething stronger than the pure element, and it will reM 3 vive vive and cherish him when faint and languid; nor do I think it would be safe for him to drink cold water, especially if he be in a heat; -but he who does nothing but amuse himself in a house or piazza, or writing in an office, should not, by any means, accustom himself to drink any thing stronger than water before dinner; nor should such a person tipple at grog, or other liquors, in the evening or at night, leaft he, in process of time, becomes a fot. The temperate man is always ready for action;-he goes to bed at regular hours;-if he has a favourite bosom companion, he can render himself agreeable to hear;-he gets up in the morning at gun-fire, i. e. five o'clock, with a head quite clear and found. How pleasing must the morning's lonely rural excursion be to such a man! the vernal beauty of the fields, the grandieur of the trees and shrubs, vocal with the melody of feathered songsters innumerable, fill his mind with delightful sensations! he joins the warbling chorifters of Heaven, in grateful ftrains of adoration and thanks to his Creator, for his unbounded goodness and loving kindness to him and to all men; and returns, with pleasing fatisfaction, attentive to his business, and fo pursues a regular course of life. |