Part 5 (2/2)
”In these days of extre to see what the strong common-sense of an eminent moral philosopher has to say about teh exhaustive of the subject, which occurs in a lecture, entitled 'America Revisited--1851 and 1877,' fro itself The author introduces his poetic essay thus:--'Since es arehabits of the people; formerly it was all for spirituous liquors, and now it is ”Water, water everywhere, and every drop to drink!” The bars are well-nigh deserted, and the entrance-halls of most houses are ostentatiously furnished with plated beakers and goblets ensuring an icy welcoed front, and excess in water has taken the place of excess in wine'” To an Englishenerous fluid, and the greatest luxuries are simply Barmecidal without soly, ainst this form of folly in extreht choose to take it
”Temperance? Yes! true Tes, the word is express; 'Nothing too an;'
So spake Cleobulus, the Seventh Wise Man; And the grand 'golden mean' was shrewd Horace's law, And Soloood overmuch' is a possible fault, As yrite, Peter, and Paul, Enjoin s to all; The law to est of wisdo each evil excess-- In feasting, of course, but in fasting no less-- In drinking--by all luttonous rateful indulging and wholesoht, Nor faht
”But man ever has been, and will be, it seems, Given up to intemperance, prone to extreive s too much!
In pleasures and honours, inthinks; Toin sensual Lucullus's sty, Or stand like the starving Stylites on high, To be free from all churches and worshi+p alone, Or chain'd to the feet of a priest on a throne, To be rich as a Rothschild, and dozens beside, Or poor as St Francis (in all things but pride), With appetite starved as a Faquir's, poor wretch!
Or appetite fattened to luxury's stretch; Denouncing good ood wine, by water he swears-- In all things excessive his folly withstands The wise moderation that Scripture coh liking and needing a glass of good wine, To help the digestion, to quicken the heart, And loosen the tongue for its eloquent part, But never once yielding one jot to excess, Nor weakly consenting the least to transgress
For let no intolerant bigot pretend My Temperance Muse would excuse or defend, As Martial or tipsy Anacreon ht: No! rational use is the ser
”Old Pindar says slyly, that 'Water is best;'
When pure as Bandusia, this may be confest
But water so often is troubled with fleas And queer little monsters the microscope sees; Is soases, both fixt and unfixt, And seeht which the mind with unpleasantness fills-- That really one asks, is it safe to imbibe So freely the live animalcula tribe, Unkilled and uncooked with a little wine sauce Poured in, or of whisky or brandy a toss-- And gulp a cold draught of the colic, instead Of so to warm both the heart and the head?
”That Jotham-first-fable, the braood wine; For in Judges we read--look it up, as you can-- 'It cheereth the heart, both of God and of htness, and health, Gild the true te drink to the ready to perish, And heavy-heartedness joying to cherish
”What is wanted--and let soh to prevent it, Is a drink that is nice, warm, pleasant, and pale, Delicious as 'cakes,' and seductive as 'ale,'
Like 'ginger that's hot in the mouth' and won't hurt you, As old Falstaff winks it, in spite of your virtue; A temperate stimulant cup, to displace Pipes, hasheesh, and opium, and all that bad race; Cheap as pure water and free as fresh air-- Oh, where shall we find such a beverage--where?
”No wine for the pure or the wise--so some teach-- Abstinence utter for all and for each, Total denial of every right use, Because soht one vow not to warive the least rein to a lawful desire, Because soue cheats, or the reveller carouses!
I see not the logic, the rational logic, Conclusive to ic, That since sos, and stint out my needs
”Ae to uest at my table: I know not his mates, we are not near each other, He swills in the pothouse, that dissolute brother!-- But there's your example?--The drunkards can't see it, And if they are told of it, scorn it and flee it; Exaht To be to theht; But moderate te astray; Whereas utter abstinence proves itself vain, And drunkards flare up because good ent and strong, A youth _in extres with a itiate son Has been through his fanatic father undone; Restrained till the night of free licence arrives, And then he breaks out to the wreck of two lives!
”A fierce water-fever just now is red-hot; Drink water, or perish, thou slave and thou sot!
Drink water alone, and drink more, and drink much-- But, liquors or wines? Not a taste, not a touch!
Yet, is not this fever a fervour of thrift?
It is wine you denounce, but its cost is your drift; The tiood at low prices are not to be had), That forthwith society shrewdly shouts high For water alone, the whole abstinence cry!
And, soestive of heaven, The cup of cold water is generously given, But a glass of good wine is an obsolete thing, And will be till trade is once !
I hint not hypocrisy; many are true, They preach what they practise, they say--and they do, And used fro better on wife, son, and daughter; But surely with some it is merely for thrift, That they out off the wine, and ater h they profess the self-sacrifice made As dread of intemperance makes them afraid
And so, like a hel Charybdis they steer upon Scylla, To perish of utter intemperance--Yes!