his reasons for it, because it scours the body of all manner of superfluities and keeps it clean." 'But," remarks this well known writer, "these are epicureal tenets, tending to looseness of life, luxury, and atheism; maintained alone by some heathen, dissolute Arabians, and profane Christians.' The honourable notions which have been so fallaciously attached to excessive drinking, greatly contributed to the spread of this vice. Burton, in his usual trite manner, powerfully adverts to this injurious practice, and gives some remarkable illustrations of the extent to which it was carried in his time. Examples of excessive drinking are not alone to be found in the pages of ancient history. Modern times present singular and almost incredible instances of this description. Mr. Vanhorn, a Hamburgh merchant, was remarkable for his bibulous propensities. This drinking phenomenon, for three-and-twenty years, (two days only excepted, when called off to attend family funerals) drank four bottles of red port per day, and began a fifth. In the space of three-and-twenty years, it was computed that he drank, in all, thirty-five thousand six hundred and eightyeight bottles, or fifty-nine pipes of red port. It is incredible, remarks Sir John Sinclair, after relating this circumstance, what pleasure any individual can feel, in such abundant potations, in the course of which, he resembles more a cellar than a man, for there are many cellars that never contained what this man's stomach must have done, namely, fifty-nine pipes of port-winet. Another example of monstrous drinking is found in a Skye farmer," of the name of Martin Power, who either is in existence at the present period, or was so not very long ago. In the year 1836, he was seventy-two years of age. On an average he has, for the last fifty years, thirty glasses of whiskey per diem; on one occasion, he drank twenty-three pints of cider, in less than an hour-on another, he and four others, between four o'clock in the drank "Modo * Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, p. 455-6. Several writers of more modern date, have singularly enough recommended the same practice. Ve. rulam may be included among the number. Celsus was of opinion, that occasional excess in eating and drinking, was beneficial to health. plus justo, modo non amplius assumere. Melchior Sebizius, very correctly affirms, that by this advice, Celsus gives full scope to intemperance, and sets himself up as the patron of drunkards and gluttons.-De Aliment. Facultat lib. v. prob.. 7. † Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lxxi. p. 591. Code of Health and Longevity, vol. i. p. 279 evening and daybreak the following morning, in a house where they were hired to make cider, consumed sixtythree gallons of that beverage, together with two quarts of spirits, of which it appears likely, Power had not the least share. On another day, this far-famed bacchanalian drank by himself four quarts of raw whiskey; and at one time, he confessed before the mayor of the town in which he resided, to having taken forty glasses, an excess of ten beyond his usual quantity. At a calculation of thirty glasses a day, for fifty years, (which is considerably below the average amount,) the total will amount to no less a quantity than one hundred and thirty-seven hogsheads and twenty-three gallons. This quantity is said to be as much as would float a man-of-war The average cost of this liquor at the lowest calculation, would be eight shillings, and for many years of the above period, sixteen shillings Making an expenditure on this "leprous distilment," of £3421. 12s., a sum sufficient to place an individual in independent circumstances. These facts are vouched for by the gentleman in whose service Martin Power, had for many years been situated.* Dr. Trotter states, that in his time, some coal-heavers and porters in London, would consume four gallons of ale or porter in twenty-four hours. This could not be long continued. He also knew a marine in a king's ship, who usually drank four gallons of beer in the day, but he soon grew bloated and stupid, and died of apoplexy. The same writer, adds the following additional cases. An officer of the hospital ship of the fleet, besides his ordinary allowance of wine at the mess-table, usually drank a bottle and a half of gin in twenty-four hours. His face, at times, was equal to Bardolph's; with bloodshot eyes, fetid breath, &c. He died of apoplexy and diseased liver. A midshipman of Dr. Trotter's acquaintance, only sixteen years old, drank in the West Indies, three gallons of punch daily. He died, as might be expected, at an early age, and a professed drunkard.j Volumes might be filled with similar disgusting examples, a disgrace to professedly civilized, not to say Christian countries; and fitting rather the annals of savage nations, than those of a people distinguished for religion, humanity, and refinement. Habits of inebriety have, in all ages, been formed from Clonmel Advertiser. Trotter's Essay on Drunkenness, p. 181, 4th Edition. erroneous notions of hospitality. It is a common practice in some nations for the host, at an entertainment, to do his utmost to make his guests drunken. This was the case among the Persians, as testified by Sir John Chardin. It has been a practice, more or less connected with habits of gross drinking. Hence arise strong inducements to excess from motives of politeness and good breeding. The folly of the latter concessions to vice has been pointedly commented on by writers of distinguished celebrity. Creon, in the Tragedy, is made to say, "It is better for me to grieve thee, O stranger, than by complying, to be tormented to-morrow." Bishop Taylor remarks, "He that tempts me to drink beyond my measure civilly invites me to a fever." Plutarch strongly deprecates the practice of prompting to excess, and the folly of giving way to it from motives of politeness. "He who to avoid being censured as an un civil person, throws himself into a pleurisie or a phrensie, is certainly no well-bred man, nor has sense or understanding enough to converse with men, unless in a tavern or a cook-shop; whereas an excuse ingeniously and dexterously made, is no less acceptable than compliance."* Jeremy Collier, in his dialogue between Eucratius and Enophilus writes with great force and good sense on the same subject. The The rules of drinking in modern times have been equally arbitrary with those of the Greeks and Romans, and bear much similarity to the customs of those celebrated nations. "Formerly," says Sir John Sinclair, not only stratagems were used, but even compulsion. It was not uncommon to have a great goblet, called a constable, placed upon the table, in terrorem, which he who flinched from his glass was obliged to drink, however unequal to the task. So that sooner or later, intoxication was unavoidable." same writer adds, that the constable was formerly usual in other countries besides Ireland, though it is said to have originated in that hospitable island. There was formerly a most detestable custom at Edinburgh, on St. Cecilia's day, of saving ladies, as it was called, or striving who would drink the greatest quantity of wine to the health of different beauties, and she, to whose health the greatest quantity was drank, was "the belle" of the season.‡ The facilities afforded for the sale of intoxicating liquors, and the numerous temptations which are held out as a means * Plutarch's Morals, old translation. 41. † See Watkinson's Philosophical Survey of Ireland, p. 40, of increasing their consumption, forms another strong inducement to the formation of intemperate habits. Taverns or houses for the sale of intoxicating liquors, are of ancient date. Herodotus somewhere states, that the Lydians were the first who commenced the practice of opening taverns or houses of refreshment. The ruling authorities of various countries, in the first instance, allowed them to be opened, with the intent of providing more especially places of rest and refreshment for travellers. In course of time these establishments multiplied. In some nations the sale of liquors was encouraged as a financial speculation, or source of emolument to the government: in others, their increased consumption was viewed with apathy, or indifference, as not involving any consequences worthy of legislative notice or interference. In the meanwhile the appetite of the people for strong drink increased, until at last, legal enactments were found inadequate entirely to remove, or even effectually to check the progress of intemperance. This, no doubt, has been the experience of most nations.* The English Parliament, at an early period, specified the purpose of houses for the sale of ale and beer. An Act passed in the seventeenth century, recites that, "The ancient, true, and principal use of alehouses was, for the lodging of wayfaring people, and for the supply of the wants of such as were not able, by greater quantities, to make their provisions of victuals, and not for entertainment and harbouring of lewd and idle people, to spend their money and their time in a lewd and drunken manner." In the succeeding reign (Charles I.) the Lord Keeper Coventry, declared his opinion of them in the following strong terms: "I account alehouses and tipplinghouses the greatest pests in the kingdom. I give it you in charge to take a course that none be permitted unless they be licensed; and for the licensed alehouses, let them be but a few, and in fit places; if they be in private corners and ill places, they become the den of thieves-they are the public stages of drunkenness and disorder." These * In the reign of Edward VI., taverns were denounced by Act of Parlia ment, as the resort of evil disposed persons, and the cause of "muche evill rule." From the preamble of the Act it appears, that at that time they were "newly sett uppe in very great noumbre, in back lanes, corners, and suspicious places withyn the cytie of London, and in divers other towns and villages withyn this realme." A statute passed 1552, recites, that "Intole rable hurts and troubles to the Commonwealth daily grew and increased through such abuses and disorders as were had and used in common alehouses, and other houses, called tippling-houses." † 2 Jac. i. c. 9. complaints were reiterated during the Commonwealth. At the London Sessions, 1654, the unnecessary number of ale. houses in the city was alluded to in strong terms: "Whereby lewd and idle people were harboured, felonies were plotted and contrived, and disorders of the public peace were promoted." In 1725, a Report from a committee of Middlesex magis. trates, stated, that at that period there were in the metropolis, exclusive of the city of London and Southwark, 6187 houses and shops, "wherein geneva, or other strong waters, were sold by retail." The committee then proceed to state, that although this number was exceeding great, and far beyond all proportion to the wants of the inhabitants (being in some parishes every tenth house; in others, every seventh; and in one of the largest, every fifth house ;) yet they had great reason to believe that the report was very short of the true number." The population, at this period, did not exceed 700,000. Add to the number reported (6187,) 1000 for the city of London and Southwark, and 500 for illegal places, and the total amount of establishments for the sale of intoxicating liquors in the metropolis, in the year 1725 amounted to 7687.* In about twenty-five years afterward, viz. 1750, the following is an authentic account of the proportion of houses of this description compared with the number of other dwellings : How far this corresponded with the condition of provincial towns is not recorded. The proportion, however, would not fall very considerably short of the metropolitan calculation. In the present day, it appears, that there are not more public houses to a population of nearly 2,000,000, than there were in 1725, to a population certainly not amounting to 700,000. This may in part be attributed to a decreased consumption of ardent spirits, which at the period alluded to, was frightful in the extreme; and partly to a monopoly in the modern fashionable establishments called "Gin Palaces." These habitations of destruction * Penny Magazine, 1837, p. 131. |