was to be put to death. By a law of Pit- troubles of any kind.

tacus, a double punifliment was infiifted Know always how to employ yourfelf ufe-

upon fuch who, when drunk, had committed fully, or innocently to amufe yourfelf, that

any other crime. They were thofe, by whofe your time may never be a burden upon you.

laws he, who. drank any greater quantity of In the firil place. Do not aflbciate with

wine than was really necelfary for his health, thofe who are addided to drunkennefs.

fuffered death. This 1 lay down as a rule, from which it

Thus much as to their fentiments on is fcarce poflible to depart, and keep our

drinking to excefs, vvho had only the light fobriety. No man, not the fteadieft and

of Nature to Ihew them its guilt. wifeft of men, is proof againft a bad ex-

Dean Bolton. ample continually before him. By fre-

quently feeing what is wrong, we, firft, lofe

$ 140. On Intemperance in Drinking. ^^^ abhorrence of it, and, then, are eafily

Sect. IV. prevailed with to do it. Where we like

Let me in the next place, fuggeft fuch our company we are infenfibly led into their

cautions, as ought to be obferved by him, manners. It is natural to think we fhould

whofe defire it is to avoid drunkennefs. endeavour to make ourfelves agreeable to

Carefully fhun the company that is ad- theperfons, with whom we much converfe ;

dided to it. and you can never make yourfelf more

Do not fit long among thofe, ^*^-ho are in agreeable to any, at leaft as a companion,

the progrefs towards excefs. than when you countenance their conduft

If you have often loft the command of by imitating it. He who affociates with

yourfelf, when- a certain quantity of liquor the intemperate, and yet refufes to join in

has been exceeded, you Ihould be fure to their exceffes, will foon find, that he is

• In Book the Tenth, the felf-denial of Euryhchus preferved him from the vile transformation, t«
which the intemperance of his companions fubjefted them.

Soon in the lufcioiK feaft themfelves they loft,

And drank oblivion of their native coaft.

Inftant her circling wand the Goddefs waves,

To hogs transibrms tl^m, and the fly receives.

In the fame Book the tragical end of Elpenor is thus defcribed :

■ ■ — — — ■ A vulgar foul,

Born but to banquet, and to drain the bowl.
He, hot and caretefs, on a turret's height
With fleep repair'd the long debauch of night ;
The fudden tumult flirr'd him where he lay,
And dovv'n he haften'd, but forgot his way j
Full headlong from the roof the fleeper fell,
[ And fnapp'd the fpinal joint, and wak'd in Hell.

The. drunkennefs of Eurythn, one of the Centaurs^ is fatal to him, and to the whole race. Od. B.XXL
i The great Euryt'wn when this frenzy ftung,

' Pirkhous" roof, with frantic riot rung :

His nofe they fnorten'd, and his ears they flit.
And fent him fober'd home, with better wit.
' Hence with long war the double race was curs'd,

I Fatal to all, but to th' aggreffor firll.

Antiims, who had reproached Ulyfes as made infolent by wine, dies himfelf with the intoxicatinj
bowl in his hands. Od. Book XXIJ.



High In his hands he rear'd the golden bowl,

Ev'n then to drain it lengthen'd out his breath ;

Chang'd to the deep, the bitter draught of death.

FuJ! thro' his throat UlyJ/is" weapon part,

And pierc'd the neck. He falls, and breathes his laft^

tookei



126



ELEGANT EXTRACTS,



Book IJ



looked upon as condemning their praftice ; never to approach that quantity— you fhouldi

confine yourfelf to what is much Ihort of
it. Where we find that a reliance upon our'
warinefs, upon the fteadinefs and firmnefs of
ouv general refohitions, has deceived us, w«
fhould truft them no more ; we Ihould con-
fide no more in thofe precautions , which have
already proved an infufficient check upon us»
When I cannot relift a temptation, I have!
nothing left for my fecurity but to fly it. If
I knov/ that I am apt to yield, when I am
tempted ; the part I have then to act is, to
take care that 1 may not be tempted. Thus



and, therefore, that he has no way of con
tinuing them his friends, but by going into
the fame irregularity, in which they allow
themfelves. If his chearfulnefs, his faceti-
oufnefs, or wit, endear him to them, and
render them unwilling to quit an intercourfe
with one fo qualified to amufe them ; all
their arts will be tried to corrupt his fo-
briety : where he lies moft open to temp-
tation will be carefully watched ; and no
method left unattempted, that can_ appear
likely to make him regardlefs^oj his duty.



But who can reckon himfelf fafe, when fo only I fhew myfelf in earneft ; hereby alone
much pains will be ufed to enfnare him ? I evidence, that my duty is really my care.
Whofe virtue is fecure, amidft the earneft We have experienced, that we cannot
endeavours of his conftant companions to withdraw from the company we like, ex-
undermine it ? adlly at fuch a point of time — we have ex-
Another caution which I have laid down perienced, that we fometimes do not per-
is. Never fit long among thofe, who are in ceive, when we have got to the utmoft



the progrefs towards excefs. The expedi
cncy of this advice will be acknowledged,
if we confider how difficult it is to be long
upon our guard — how apt we are to forget



bounds of temperance — we have unhappily
experienced, that when it has been known
to us, how fmall an addition of liquor
would diforder us, we then have fo far loft



ourfelves, and then to be betrayed into the the power over ourfelves, as not to be able



guilt, againft which we had moft firmly re-
folved.

In the eagernefs of our own difcourfe, or
in our attention to that of others, or in
the pleafure we receive from the good hu-
mour of our companions, or in the ftiare we
take of their mirth, we may very naturally
be fuppofed unobferving, how much we
have drank — how near we are got to the
utmoft bounds of fobriety : thcfc, under the



to refrain from what we thus fully knew
would be prejudicial to us. In thefe cir
cumftances, no way remains of fecuring
our fobriety, if we will refort to any place
where it is at all hazarded, but either hav-
ing our ftint at once before us, or confining
ourfelves to that certain number of meafured
draughts, from whence v/e are furewe can
have nothing to fear. And he, who will
not take this method — he who will reft in



circumftances I have mentioned, may eafily a general intention of fobriety, v/hen he has

be pafied b)' us, without the leaft fufpicion feen how often that intention has been in

of it — before we are under an}' apprehenfion vain, how often he has mifcarrled, notwith-

of our dano^er. ' ftanding it, can never be confidered as truly !

As in difputes, one unadvifed expreflion concerned for his paft failings, as having fe- j

brings on another, and after a few argu- rioufly refolved not to repeat them. So far

mcntb both fides grow v.arm, from warmth as I omit any due precaution againft a crime,

advance to anger"^ are by anger fpurred on into which I know myfelf apt to be drawn,

to abufe, and thence, often, go to thofe fo far I may juftly be regarded as indifferent

extremities, to which they would have towards it ; and fo far all my declarations,

thought themfelves incapable of proceed- of being forry for and determined to leave

ing : fo is it when we fit long, where what it, muft be confidered as infincere.



gives the moft frequent occafion to difputes
is before us — where the iritoxkating draught
is circulatuig: one invites us to more — our
fpirits rife— oar warinefs declines — from
chearfulnefs we pafs to noify mirth — our
mirth ftops not long fhort of folly — our



141.



On Intemperance in Drinking.
Sect. V.



itecejfary to your refrefhment. What occa- h
fions this to be a fit caution is, That if the
folly hurries us to a madnefs, that we never quantity we cannot be without is, in the!
could have imagined likely to have been our begmning, a very moderate one, it will,,
reproach. ' probably, foon increafe, and become, at

If you have often loft the command of length, fo great as muft give us the worft toi
yourfelf, v\here a ceriain quantity of liquor fear. The reafon, why it is thus likely tO
hath beeii exceeded ; vou ftiouid bs fure be Increafed, is, tliat a fmall draught, by the i

habimdi



mooK I. MORAL AND RELIGIOUS.



lie jhabitual ufe of it, will ceafe to raife our
i: jfpirits ; and therefore, when the defign of
!i ioiir drinking is in order to raife them, we
ti • ftiall at length feek to do it by a much larger
. quantity of liquor, than what was wanted for
% diat purpofe at lirft.

i\ It feems to be, further, proper advice on
ij I this fubjeft. That we (hould never appl)' to
t( i flrong liquor for eafe under cares or troubles
ll of any kind. From fears, from difappoint-
I i incuts, and a variety of uiieafinefii:.s, none are
:; c:xmpt. The inconfiderate are impatient
: ;lur a fpeedy relief; which, as the fpirituous
;( i draught aftbrds, they are tempted to feek it
, I from thence.

)i But how very imprudent they muft be,
;. vv ho would by fuch means quiet their minds,
;. ; is moft evident. For, is any real ground of
■I rouble removed, by not attending to it —
'< hv diverting our thoughts from it ? In m<7fry

• : o'/cs, rhe evil we would remedy by not think-
■ in^ upon it is, by that very courfe,- made

• ; rcr.ch more diilreffing, than it otherwife
, ui uld have been; nay, fometimes, quite re-
; n-i.dilefs. In a// cafes, the lefs heated our
, ' brain is, and the greater cahnnefs we preferve,
. tiic fitter we are to help ouvfelves ; the fitter

t v/e are to encounter difficulties, to prevent
our being involved in them ; or, if that can-
not be, to extricate ourfelves fpeedily from
them.

The eafe, which liquor gives, is but that
of a dream : when we awake, we are again
; ourfelves ; we are in the fame fituation as
before, or, perhaps, in a worfe. What then
is to be the next ftep ? Soon as the ftupify-
ing effefts of one draught are gone off, an-
i other muft be taken ; the fure confequence
\\ of which is, tha.t fuch a hal'/it of drinking
1 will be contrafted, as we fhall vainly endea-
vour to conquer, though the original induce-
ment to it fhould no longer fubfift. To
{ guard againft this, as it is of the utmoft im-
portance to all of us, fo the only certain way
I is, by ftopping in the very firit inftance ; by
j never feeking, either under care or pain, re-
! lief from what we drink, but from thofe
I helps, which reafon and religion furnifh ;
I the only ones, indeed, to wliich we can
I wifely refort in any ftraits; and which are
1 often found capable of extricating us, when
' our condition leems the moft defperate.

A prudent man fhould never defert him-
fe]f. Where his own efforts avail him not,
the care of an over-ruling Providence may
interpcfe, and deliver him. But to l>orrow
iupport againft cur troubles from liquor, is
an entire dei'ertlon of ourfelves ; it is giving
t»p cur Ibte, as an undone one — it i& aban-



"7

doning our own difcretion, and relinquifh-
ing ail hopes of the Deity's afiiftance.

LnJUy, Know always, how you may ufe-
fuUy employ, or innocently amufe yourfelf.
When time is a burden upon us, when we
are at a lofs how to pafs it, our chearfulnefs
of courfe abates, our fpirits flag, we are
reftiels and ^ uneafy : here then we are in
die fitteft difpofition, and under the ftrongefl
inducements, to refort to what we know will
en.i!vi-M us, and make our liours glide away
inl-nn;:i_v. Bdides, when we cannot tell
\v'hat to do wirh ourfelves, it is natural we
fhould feek for thofe, who are as idle as
ourfelves ; and when fuch company meet, it
is eafy to fee what will keep them together;
that drinking muft be their entertainment,
fmce they are fo ill qualified for any other.

Idlenefs has been not unfitly term'd, the
parent of all vices; but none it more fre-
quently produces than drunkennefs; as no
vice can mak« a greater waif:e of our time ;
the chief thing about which the idle are fe-
licitous. On the other hand, he who caa
profitably bufy, or innocently divert him-
feli; has a _f lire refort in all humours — he
has Ills fpirits feldom depreffed, or vv-hen they
are fo, he can, without any hazard, recruit
them — he is lb far from feeking a correfpon-
dence with fuch, as are always in a readinefs
to engage in fchemes of intemperance and
riot, that he fhuns them ; his amufements,
quite different from theirs, occafion him to
be_ feldom with them, and fecure him from-
being corrupted by them.

1 his we may lay dow-n as a moft certain
truth, that our virtue is never fafe, but when
we have proper di-verjtons. Unbent we fome-
times muft be ; and when we knew not hov»-
to be fo in an innocent way, we foon fhall be
in a guilty. But if we can find full enter-
tainment in what is free from all reproach, in
y/hat neither has any thing criminal m
it, nor can lead us into v/hat is criminal ;
then, indeed, and only then, can we be
thought in little danger, and not likely to
yield to the bad examples furrounding us.

§ I-fZ. On Intemperance in Drinkmg:

SECi. VJ. ^ -

But let me coafider what the intemperate
fay in their excufe.

That any fiiould frequently put themfelves
into a condition, in which they are incapabb
of taking the leaft care of themfelves— ii; •
which they are quite ftupjd and helplefs—
in which, v/hatever danger threatens them,
they cancontribute nothing tov/ards its re-
moval— -in which they may be drawn into,
the moft fhocking crimes — in which all thev

hold



jzS



ELEGANT EXTRACTS,



Book



„



foundation for uneafinefs and grief; nor can
we, in fuch circumftances, be merry, if we
are not void of all thought and refledion: and
this is, undoubtedly, the moll mela?tchotj
fitiiation, in which we can be conceived,
except when we are undergoing the punifh-



hold dear is at the mercy of their compani-
ons ; the excefs, I fay, which caufes us to be
in fuch a fituation, none feem difpofed to
defend : but what leads to it, you find num-
bers thus vindicating or excufing.

I'hey muft converfe — They mufl: have

their hours of chearfulnefs and mirth — ment of our folly. The joy, Ithe elevation

"When they are difordered, it happens before of fpirits proper to be fought after by us, i

they are aware of it — A fmail quantity of that alone, which can never be a fubjed ot

liquor has this unhappy effect upon them — remorfe, or which never will embitter more

if they will keep up their interelt, it muft be of our hours than it relieves. And when

W complying with the intemperate humour this may be obtained in fuch a variety of

of their neighbours — Their way of life, their ways, we muft be loft to all common pru-

buiinefs, obliges them to drink with fuch dence, if we will apply to none of them ; if

numbers, that it is fcarcely poflible they we can only find mirth in a departure from

fhould not be fometimes guilty of excefs. fobriety.

To all which it may be faid, that, bad as You are, it feems, o'vertaken, before you are

the world is, we may every where, if we anxiare of it. This may be an allowable ex-'

feek after them, find thofe, whofe company cufe for three or four times, in a man's

will rather confirm us in our fobriety, than life; oftener, I think, it cannot be. What

endanger it. Whatever our rank, ftation, you are fenfible may eafily happen, and muft

profelllon or employment may be, fuitable be extremely prejudicial to you, when it

companions for us there are; with whom we does happen, you Ihould hzalnjoays anjoare of.

may be perfectly fafe, and free from every No one's virtue is any farther his praife,

temptation to excefs. If thefe are not in all than from the care he takes to preferve it.

refpefts to our minds, we muft bear with If he is at no trouble and pains on thafac-

themy as we do with our condition in this count, his innocence has nothing in it, that

world ; which every prudent perfon makes can entitle him to a reward. If you are

the beft of: fince, let what will be the change truly concerned for a fault, you will necef-

in it, ftill it will be liable to forae objeftion, farily keep out of the way of repeating it;

and never, entirely, as he would wifti it. In and the more frequent your repetitions of it

both cafes we are to confider, not how we have been, fo much the greater caution' you

(hall rid ourfelves of all inconveniences, but will ufe for the future.



where are likely to be the feweft : and we
Ihould judge that fet of acquaintance, as well
as thatjiate of life, the moft eligible, in which
we have the leaft to fear, from which our
eafe and innocence are likely to meet with
the feweft interruptions.

But mirth, you fay, ?nujl fometimes be con-
fulted. Let it be fo. I would no more dif-
fuade you from it, than I would from feri-



Many ive hear excufing their drunkennefs^
by the fmall quantity 'which occafions it. A
more trifling excufe for it could not be made.
For if you know how fmall a quantity of
liquor will have that unhappy effeft, you
fhould forbear that quantity. It is as much
your duty to do fo, as it is his duty to for-
bear a greater quantity, who fuffers the fame
from it, which you do from a lefTer. When



oufnefs. Each fhould have its feafon, and you know that it is a crim.e to be drunk,;

its meafure : and as it would be thought by and know likewife what will make you fo;;

all very proper advice, with refpeft to feri- the more or lefs, which will do this, is no-i

oufnefs, " Let it not proceed to melancholy, thing to the purpofe — alters not your guilt, i

*♦ to morofenefs, or to cenforioufnefs ;" it If you will not refrain from two or threcj

is equally fit advice, with regard to mirth, draughts, when you are fure that drunken-]

*' Let wifdom accorn.pany it ; Let it not nefs will be the confequence of them ; it'

" tranfport you to riot or intemperance : cannot be thought, that any mere regard to

•' Do not think you can be called merry, fobriety keeps you from drinking the largeft

** ,when you are ceafing to be reafonable." quantity whatfoever. Had fuch a regard am

Good humour, chearfulnefs, facetioufnefs, influence upon you, it would have an equal

which are the proper ingredients of mirth, one ; it would keep you from every ftep, by

do not want to be called out by the repeated which your fobriety could fuffer.

draught: it will rather damp them, from As to fupporting an interefi, promoting a trade,

the apprehenfion of the diforder it may foon advantageoufly bargaining fr ourfel-ves, by

produce. Whenever we depart from, or drinking more than is counjenient for «; ; they

endanger, our innocence, we are laying a are, for the molt part, only the poor evafione

I o



Book I.



MORAL AND RELIGIOUS.



■2f



oftheinfmcere, of thofe who are willing to
lay the blame of their mifconduft on any-
thing, rather than on what alone deferves it
<— rather than on their bad inclinations.
j , Civility and'courtefy, kind offices, afts of
i charity and liberality will both raife us more
I friends, and keep thofe we have firmer to iis,
•gfhan any quantities of liquor, which we can
''either diftribute or drink : and as for mens
trade or their bargains, let them always aft
fairly — let them, whether they buy or fell,
fhew tl:uit they abhor all tricking and impo-
sition — all little and mean artifices; and I'll
ftake my life, they fliall never have reafon
to objeit, that, if they will ahvajs preferre
theiryo^;7>(>', they muft leffen their gains,
' But were it true, that, if we will refolve
never to hazard intoxicating ourfelves, we
muft lofe our friends, and forego our pre-
fent advantage; they are inconveniences,
which, in fuch a cafe, we fhould chearfuliy
fubmit to. Some pains muft be taken, fome
difficulties muft be here encountered ; if we
will have any reafonable ground to expefi:
happinefs in a future ftate. Of this even
common fenfe muft fatisfy us.

Credulous as we are;? I think it impoffible,
that any man in his wits would believe me,
if I were to tell him, that he might mifs no
opportunity of bettering his fortune — that
he might remove any evil he had to fear, by
whatfoever method he thought proper — that
he might throughout follow his inclinations,
and gratify his appetites ; and yet reil: affured,
that his death would be but the palTage to
great and endlefs joys. I know not, to
whom fuch an affertion would not appear
extremely abfurd : notwithftanding whidi,
we, certainly, do not aft, as if there were
any abfurdity in it, when we make what is
evidently our duty give way to our conveni-
ence; and rather confider, how profitable
this or that praftice is, than how right.
That, therefore, fobriety, added to other
parts of a virtuous condud, may entitle us
to the fo much hoped for rev/ard, we muft be
fober, under all forts of difcouragements.
It rarely, indeed, happens, that Vv'e meet
with any ; but to refill the greateft muft be
our refolution, if we will recommend our-
felves to the Governor of the univerfe — if
we will hope for liis favour.

Demt Bolton.

§ 143, On Intemperance iti Drinking.

Sect. VII.
Thus much with regard to drunkennefs,
fofaras it is committed by intoxicating our-
felves— »by drinking, 'tiU our reafon is gone :



but as there Is yet another way, in which we
may offend in it, f/z. by drinking more
than is proper for our refrelhment ; I muft
on this likewife beftow a fev/ obfervations. -

When we drink more than fuffices to re-
cruit our fpirits, our paffions are heightened,
and we ceafe to be under the influence of
that calm temper, which is our only fafe
counfellori The next advance beyond re-
frefhment is to that mirth, which both draws
many unguarded fpeeches from us, and ear-
ries us to many indifcreet actions — which
waftes our time, not barely while we are in
the aft of drinking, but as it unfettles our
heads, and indifpofes us to attention, to
bufinefs — to a clofe application in any way.
Soon as our fpirits are raifed beyond their
juft pitch, we are for fchemes of diverfion'
and pleafure ;' we are unfit for ferious affairs,
and therefore cannot entertain a thought of
being employed in them.

Befides, as according to the rife of our
fpirits, their fall will, afterward, be; it is
moft probable, that when we find them thus
funk, we ftiall again refort to what we havd
experienced the remedy of fuch a complaint;
and thereby be betrayed, if not into the ex-
ceffes, which deprive us of our ^eafon, yet
into fuch a habit of drinking, as occafions
the lofs of many precious hours — impairs
our health — is a great mifapplication of our
fortune, and a moil ruinous example to oui*
obfervers. But, indeed, whence is it to be
ieared, that we ihall become downright fots
— that we fhall contraft a habit of drinking
to the moft dilguifing excefs ; whence, I fav^
is this to be feared, if not from accuftoming
ourfelves to the frequent draughts, which
neither our thirll— nor fatigue — nor confti-
tution requires : by frequently ufing them^
our inclination to them is ftrengthened ; till
at length ^ve cannot prevail upon ourfelves
to leave our cup, while we are in a condition
to lift it.

Thefe are objeftions, in which all are
concerned, whole reiVeihm.ent, from what
they drink, is not their rule in it; but to men
of moderate fortunes-, or who are to make
their fortunes, other arguments are to be
ufed : thefe perfong are to confider, ^that
even the ieffer degree of inreinperancc. novV
ceniured, is generally their utter undoingj
through that negleft of their affairs, which is
its neceilary confequence. When we mind
not our own bufinefs, whom can we think
likely to mind it for us ? Very few, certainly,
will be met with, difpofed and able to do it ;
and not to be both, is much the fame, as to
be neither. While we are paihng our time
K with



13®



ELEGANT EXTRACTS,



Book I.



with our chearful companions, we are not
only lofing the advantages, which care and
ijaduftry, either in infpefting our affairs, or
purfuing our employment, would have af-
forded us ; but we are aftually confuming
our fortune — we are habituating ourfelves
to a moft expenfive idlenefs — we are con-
tradling a dilinclination to fatigue and con-
finement, even when we moft become fenfible
of theix neceffity, when our affairs muft. run
into the utmoft confufion without fhem.
i\nd we, in faft, perceive that, as foon as
the fcholar, or trader, or artificer, or who-
ever it is, that has the whole of his mainte-