Sir and many other diseases. Magninus* will "supernaculum! supernaculum! have them to be so once a month at least, George Mackenzie, in his "Travels through and gives his reasons for it, because it scours Iceland," gives us an example of a similar the body of all manner of superfluities and custom in recent times. keeps it clean.' "But," remarks this To carouse the hunter's hoope is a practice well-known writer, "these are epicureal of the same description. Rouse and carouse tenets, tending to looseness of life, luxury, are terms derived from the Danes.† "A and atheism; maintained alone by some rouse," Mr. Gifford tells us in his Massinger, heathens, dissolute Arabians, and profane was "a large glass, in which a health was given, Christians."+ the drinking of which by the rest of the com 66 66 Several writers of more modern date, have pany formed a carouse.' Barnaby Rich," singularly enough, recommended the same states the same writer, "notices the carouse practice. Verulam may be included among as an invention for which the first founder the number. Celsus was of opinion, that merited hanging. 'There could be no occasional excess in eating and drinking, rouse or carouse unless the glasses were was beneficial to health. "Modo plus justo, emptied.'" D'Israeli remarks that almodo non amplius assumere.' Melchior though we have lost the terms, we have Sebizius, very correctly affirms, that by this not lost the practice, as the common custom advice, Celsus gives full scope to intemper- on festive occasions testifies-" Gentlemen, ance, and sets himself up as the patron of charge your glasses." To carouse the drunkards and gluttons.+ hunter's hoope, has reference to the custom The honourable notions which in all ages of marking drinking vessels with hoops, with have been attached to excessive drinking, the view to measure every man his draught. have greatly contributed to the spread of this Shakspeare's well-known character, Jack vice. Burton, tritely, but powerfully adverts Cade, among other reformations which he to this injurious practice, and gives some promises to accomplish, says that "there shall remarkable illustrations of the extent to be in England seven halfpenny loaves sold which it was carried in his time. for a penny, the three-hooped pot shall have Nash, a town wit, and writer of the reign ten hoops, and I will make it felony to drink of Elizabeth, gives us some curious particu- small beer." This practice, like the peglars of the drinking habits of those times. tankard, an invention, as we have before Superfluity in drink," he remarks, "is a said, of King Edgar's time, was made an sin, that ever since we have mixed ourselves occasion of excess, rather than a limit of with the low countries is counted honourable, sobriety. Nash informs us, that "King but before we knew their lingering wars, was Edgar, because his subjects should not held in that highest degree of hatred that offend in swilling and bibbing as they might be. Then if we had seen a man go did, caused certain iron cups to be chained wallowing in the streets, or lain sleeping to every fountain and well side, and at every under the board, we should have spet at him, vintner's door, with iron pins in them, to and warned all our friends out of his com- stint every man how much he should drink, pany.' "Now, he is nobody that cannot and he who went beyond one of those pins drink super-nagulum; carouse the hunter's forfeited a penny for every draught." hoope; quaff upse freeze crosse, with Pegge, in his Anonymiana, tells us that these healths, gloves, mumpes, frolickes, and a peg-tankards had within them eight pins, thousand such domineering inventions." || one above another from top to bottom. The Drinking super-nagulum, that is, on the tankards held two quarts, so that there was nail, was as follows:-After a man, says a gill of ale between each pin. Each person Nash, "had turned up the bottom of the cup, was to drink alike-the first person emptyhe is to drop it on his nail, and make a pearl ing the tankard to the first pin, the second with what is left, which if it shed, and can- to the next pin, and so on. If a person in not make it stand on, by reason there is too company either drank short of the pin or much, he must drink again for his penance: beyond it, he was obliged to drink again, by Bishop Hall, in his satire, " Mundus alter which method this singular plan was often et idem." "A discovery of a New World," perverted to drunken purposes. The pracalludes to this custom. tise was in vogue A.D. 1102, as we find from D'Israeli, in his "Curiosities of Litera- one of Archbishop Anselm's Canons, by ture," gives us a quotation from a manuscript which priests are enjoined not to go to letter of the times, containing an account of drinking bouts, nor to drink to pegs. Columbo, the Spanish Ambassador, being Presbyteri non eant ad potationes, nec AD at Oxford, and drinking healths to the PINNAS bibant. Infanta. The writer adds, "I shall not tell you how our doctors pledged healths to the Infanta and the Archduchess; and if any left too big a snuff, Columbo would cry, * Reg. San. Part iii. c. 31. + Anatomy of Melancholy, pp. 455, 456. De Aliment. Facultat, lib. v. probl. 7. Nash's Pierce Pennilesse, 1595, sig. F 2. Ut Most of our old English drinking phrases * Curiosities of Literature, p. 279. Ed. 1838. Blount, in his Glossographia, informs us, that carouse is a corruption of two old German words, gar, which signifies all, and ausz, out. To drink, garaur, therefore, or to carouse, signifies to drink all out. Wilkins, vol. i. P. 388. were derived from the Dutch, Danish, or Ger- |panions, who had nearly lost his life as the man. Half seas over, a term in familiar use penalty of his folly. in our own day, for example, is derived from The Rev. Roger Turner thus concludes the Dutch. Mr. Gifford says, that it was a one of his sermons, at the restoration of name given to a narcotic beer, introduced King Charles II. "Do not drown your into England from the low countries. Op- reason, to prove your loyalty,-pray for the zee means literally over-sea, and freezen in King's health, but drink only for your own. German, signifies to swallow greedily: Go now and ring your bells; but beware in hence in Jonson, "upsee Dutch," and in the mean time, that you hold not fast Fletcher, "upsee-freeze," (the phrase men- Solomon's cords of sin, or the prophets tioned as above by Nash) which latter term, cart-ropes of iniquity, and thereby pull down Dr. Nott in his edition of Decker's Gull's judgement upon your heads. You may Hornbook, explains as "a tipsy draught, or kindle bonfires in the streets, but beware swallowing liquor till drunk." The true that you kindle not the fire of God's dismeaning, remarks D'Israeli was, "to drink pleasure against you by your sins. In a swinishly, like a Dutchman."* word, for God's sake, for your King's sake, Burton, in his "Anatomy of Melancholy," for your own Soul's sake, be good, that you thus refers to the bibulous propensities of may be loyal." the Dutch, as well as to topers of his own Examples of excessive drinking are not times. "Our Dutchmen," says he, "invite alone to be found in the pages of ancient all comers with a pail and a dish; velut in-history. Modern times present singular fundibula, integras obbas exhauriunt, et in and almost incredible instances of this monstrosis poculis ipsi monstrosi mon-description. One strosius epotant, making barrels of their Mr. Pinkerton states, that in Switzerland bellies.-How they love a man that will be it was a rule of the French court not to drunk, crown him and honour him for it, name any ambassador, whose head, in the hate him that will not pledge them, stab common way of speaking, but in fact whose him, kill him; a most intolerable offence, stomach, was not strong enough to rival the and not to be forgiven. He is a mortal senators of Berne in this department. enemy that will not drink with him, as French ambassador, further states the same Munster relates of the Saxons. So in writer, gained great glory by filling his boot Poland, he is the best servitor, and the with wine, and drinking it off at one draught.* honestest fellow (saith Alexander Gaguinus) The modern Poles, it appears, in their that drinketh most healths to the honour of gallantry, do not hesitate to alarm modest his master." Burton then quaintly remarks, beauty, by taking off a lady's shoe and that "a brewer's horse will bear much more passing it round the table as a bumper full than any sturdy drinker," and soon after- of wine to her health.† wards adds that according to the notions of Mr. Bowdich informs us, that during his times," as much valour is to be found in his visit to Ashantee, in 1817, one of the feasting, as in fighting; and some of our lords of the council expressed his surprise, city captains and carpet knights will make that an English gentleman could only drink this good and prove it. Thus they wilfully half a bumper, and observed, that he could pervert the good temperature of their bodies, drink three pots (that is about fifteen gallons) stifle their wits, strangle nature, and dege- before he retired to rest!‡ nerate into beasts." And again, speaking Another traveller states, that among the of drunkenness, he says "'tis now the Tartars at feasts of rejoicing, such as marriage fashion of our times, an honour-'tis now ceremonies, it is not uncommon to see from come to that pass, that he is no gentleman, a very milk-sop, a clown, of no bringing up, that will not drink, fit for no company: he is your only gallant that playes it off finest, no disparagement now to stagger in the streets, reel, rave, &c., but much to his fame and renown."t two to four gallons of koumiss, or fermented mares' milk swallowed at three draughts.|| Mr. Marshall informs us, from data which he cannot doubt, that the soldiers in India sometimes drank from fifteen to twenty drams of arrack in one day. I have known, says the same writer, a man drink twentyAfter the restoration, loyalty and drunk- two drams (rather more than half a gallon) enness became close allies. Burnett tells us of arrack during the day he was upon guard, that "drinking the king's health, was set without his being considered too drunk for up by too many as a distinguishing mark of duty. The late sergeant-major of a certain loyalty, and drew many into great excess." regiment, had the character of occasionally This practice, we are told, occasioned much drinking a gallon of spirits in one day, inconvenience to the pious and celebrated without being thereby rendered unfit for his Sir Matthew Hale, who, when a young man, vocation.§ made a vow that he would not drink a health. This event took place in consequence of the excessive indulgence of one of his com * Curiosities of Literature, p. 278. + Anatomy of Melancholy, 1621, p. 148. Mr. Vanhorn, a Hamburgh merchant, + Ibid. * Pink. Recoll. of Paris, vol. ii. p. 338,. by the European Troops in India. was remarkable for his bibulous propensities. knew an instance of one of them having This drinking phenomenon, for three-and- consumed eighteen pints in one day, and twenty years, (two days only excepted, when he states that there are many such incalled off to attend family funerals) drank stances.* Dr. Trotter knew a marine, four bottles of red port per day, and began in a king's ship, who usually drank four a fifth. In the space of three-and-twenty gallons of beer in the day, but he soon years, it was computed that he drank, in all, grew bloated and stupid, and died of apothirty-five thousand six hundred and eighty- plexy. The same writer, adds the following eight bottles, or fifty-nine pipes of red port.* additional cases. An officer of the hospitalIt is incredible, remarks Sir John Sinclair, ship of the fleet, besides his ordinary allowafter relating this circumstance, what plea-ance of wine at the mess-table, usually drank sure any individual can feel, in such a bottle and a half of gin in twenty-four hours. abundant potations, in the course of which, His face, at times, was equal to Bardolph's; he resembles more a cellar than a man, for with blood-shot eyes, foetid breath, &c. there are many cellars that never contained He died of apoplexy and diseased liver. what this man's stomach must have done, A midshipman of Dr. Trotter's acquaintance, namely, fifty-nine pipes of port wine.† only sixteen years old, drank in the West Another example of monstrous drinking Indies, three gallons of punch daily. He is found in a "Skye Farmer," of the name died, as might be expected, at an early age, of Martin Power, who either now is in and a professed drunkard.† existence, says an individual well acquainted Mr. Wadd, in his Comments on Corpuwith his habits, or was so at no distant lency, states that it is on record that a period. In the year 1836, he was seventy- Welsh squire, William Lewis, who died in two years of age. On an average he has, 1793, drank eight gallons of ale per diem; for the last fifty years, drank thirty glasses a diurnal potation equalled, we may suppose, of whiskey per diem; on one occasion, he by few either in modern or ancient times. drank twenty-three pints of cider, in less Volumes might be filled with similar disthan an hour-on another, he and four gusting examples, a disgrace to professedly others, between four o'clock in the evening civilized, not to say Christian, countries; and day-break the following morning in a and fitting rather the annals of savage nahouse where they were hired to make cider, tions, than those of a people distinguished consumed sixty-three gallons of that beverage, for religion, humanity, and refinement. together with two quarts of spirits, of which Æschines on one occasion commended it appears likely, Power had not the least Philip of Macedon as a man who would inshare. On another day, this far-famed dulge copiously in his potations. DemosBacchanalian, drank by himself four quarts thenes justly replied, that it was a good of raw whiskey; and at one time, he con- property in a sponge, but not in a human fessed before the mayor of the town in which being. "I never heard," observed Lord he resided, to having taken forty glasses, Burleigh to his son, "praise ascribed to a an excess of ten beyond his usual quantity. drunkard, but for bearing of his drink, which At a calculation of thirty-glasses a-day for is a commendation for a brewer's horse or a fifty years, (which is considerably below the drayman rather than a gentleman." The conaverage quantity,) the total will amount to duct of Galerius Maximinus, in his sober mono less a quantity than one hundred and ments, was worthy of commendation. Aurelius thirty-seven hogsheads and twenty-three Victor describes this prince as sweet in temper, gallons. This quantity is said to be as much and a patron of literature. He had, however, as would float a man-of-war. The average an unfortunate predilection for wine. In cost of this liquor at the lowest calculation, one of his fits of drunkenness he gave orders would be 89., and for many years of the of which he had cause to repent when reabove period, 168:-making an expenditure turning sobriety enabled him to view on this 'leprous distilment,' of £3421 128., matters with dispassionateness and care. a sum sufficient to place an individual in Henceforth this prince solemnly forbade any independent circumstances. These facts of his officers or dependents to carry into are vouched for by the gentleman in whose effect such commands as he might be inservice Martin Power had for many years duced to issue when heated with wine. been situated.‡ An intelligent traveller relates an interDr. Trotter states, that in his time, some esting anecdote of the reigning Bey of Tunis, coal-heavers and porters in London, would Hamoola Pacha, who succeeded his father, consume four gallons of ale or porter in Ali Bey, 1782. This prince, in early life, twenty-four hours. Dr. Macnish tells us was addicted to the free use of wine. His that many of the coal-heavers on the slaves were the usual associates of his Thames think nothing of drinking daily two revelrous debauches. About ten years after gallons of porter, especially in the summer his accession, a fortunate event put an end season, when they labour under profuse to this inglorious career. In a fit of inperspiration. A friend of Dr. Macnish, temperance he gave orders that some people * Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lxxi. p. 591. + Code of Health and Longevity, vol. i. p. Clonmel Advertiser. 279. *Anatomy of Drunkenness, p. 69. + Trotter's Essay on Drunkenness, p. 181, 4th. Edit. belonging to the Dey of Algiers, who were clair, not only stratagems were used, but rather too boisterous in their mirth, should even compulsion. It was not uncommon to be strangled. The minister was more pru- have a great goblet, called a constable, dent than his lord, and only put the poor placed upon the table, in terrorem, which fellows in prison. The Dey, on the morrow, he who flinched from his glass was obliged sensible of his folly, not only commended to drink, however unequal to the task. this act of disobedience, but resolved hence- So that sooner or later, intoxication was forth never on any occasion to taste wine or unavoidable."* The same writer adds, strong drink. From that time his subjects that the constable was formerly usual in enjoyed a degree of independence and pro- other countries besides Ireland, though it is tection which had never before been their said to have originated in that hospitable lot.* island. There was formerly a most detestHabits of inebriety have, in all ages, been able custom at Edinburgh, on St. Cecilia's formed from erroneous notions of hospitality. day, of saving ladies, as it was called, or It is a common practice in some nations for striving who would drink the greatest quanthe host, at an entertainment, to do his ut- tity of wine to the health of different beaumost to make his guests drunken. This was ties, and she, to whose health the greatest the case among the Persians, as testified by quantity was drank, was "the belle" of the Sir John Chardin. It has been a practice, season.† more or less connected with habits of gross Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Hall, in their indrinking. Hence arise strong inducements teresting and valuable work on Ireland, to excess from motives of politeness and recently published, detail similar customs good breeding. The folly of the latter con- and devices as having had their existence in cessions to vice have been pointedly com- that once called, but now happily regenerated, mented upon by writers of distinguished"land of whiskey." "We are ourselves celebrity. Creon, in the Tragedy, is made old enough," say they, "to recollect, when to say, "It is better for me to grieve thee, a host would have been scouted as mean and O stranger, than by complying, to be tor- inhospitable, who had suffered one of his mented to-morrow." "" Bishop Taylor re- guests to leave his table sober. Ingenious marks, "He that tempts me to drink devices were invented for compelling inbeyond my measure civilly invites me to a toxication: glasses and bottles so formed fever." Plutarch strongly deprecates the that they could not stand, and must be practice of prompting to excess, and the folly emptied before they could be laid upon the of giving way to it from motives of polite-table-the object being to pass the wine ness. "He who to avoid being censured rapidly round-were in frequent use. as an uncivil person, throws himself into a dined once with a large party where the teapleurisie or a phrensie, is certainly no well-kettle, from which the tumblers were supbred man, nor has sense or understanding plied, had been filled with heated whiskey; enough to converse with men, unless in a the partakers of the "cheer" being "too tavern or a cooks-shop; whereas an excuse far gone" to perceive they were strengtheningeniously and dexterously made, is no less ing their punch instead of making it weaker. acceptable than compliance."+ Jeremy If a guest were able to mount his horse Collier, in his dialogue between Encratius without assistance in the 'good old times,' and Enophilus, writes with great force and he was presented with a 'deoch and durrass' good sense on the same subject. glass, which he was forced, seldom against This false notion of hospitality has been his will, to drink at the door.' This glass attended with lamentable effects as regards usually held a quart; it was terminated by the clergy of Iceland. An author, who a globe, which, of itself, contained a 'drop' visited this island, states that nothing but sufficient to complete the business of the brandy is ever offered to them on their night. The degradation was looked upon travels when entering the house. "From as a distinction and an Irishman drunk, this arises the vice of drunkenness, which is was an Irishman all in his glory;' and a said to be so frequent amongst them, that in strong head' was considered an enviable recommending one to be bishop or governor, possession. Many years ago we were acsobriety is thought the highest character. quainted with a gentleman at Ross-Carbery, Many are habitually intoxicated, even when whose daily stint' was five-and-twenty performing public worship, and few scruple tumblers of whiskey-punch of the ordinary to exceed the bounds of temperance when visiting the towns, or at festivities."+ We strength; and we knew another, whose frequent boast it was, that in a long life he had drunk enough to float a seventy-four gun ship." IX. The facilities afforded for the sale of intoxicating liquors, and the numerous temptations which are held out as a means * Watkinson's Philosophical Survey of Ireland, pp. 40, 41. Sir John Sinclair's Code of Health and Lougevity, vol. i. p. 289. of increasing their consumption, form of thieves - they are the public stages of other strong inducements to the formation drunkenness and disorder." These comof intemperate habits. Taverns or houses plaints were reiterated during the Commonfor the sale of intoxicating liquors, are of wealth. At the London Sessions, 1654, the ancient date. Herodotus states, that the unnecessary number of ale-houses in the Lydians were the first who commenced the city was alluded to in strong terms: practice of opening taverns or houses of" Whereby lewd and idle people were harrefreshment. The ruling authorities of boured, felonies were plotted and contrived, various countries, in the first instance, and disorders of the public peace were allowed them to be opened, with the intent promoted." of providing more especially places of In 1725, a Report from a committee of rest and refreshment for travellers. In Middlesex magistrates, stated, that at that course of time these establishments multi-period there were in the metropolis, exclusive plied. In some nations the sale of liquors of the City of London and Southwark, 6187 was encouraged as a financial speculation, houses and shops, "wherein geneva, or London Private Houses to 15 Public Houses. 1 8 1 51 above 1 Holborn District or source of emolument to the government: other strong waters, were sold by retail." in others, their increased consumption was The committee then proceed to state, that viewed with apathy, or indifference, as not although this number was exceeding great, involving any consequences worthy of legis- and far beyond all proportion to the wants lative notice or interference. In the mean- of the inhabitants (being in some parishes while the appetite of the people for strong every tenth house; in others, every seventh; drink increased, until at last, legal enact- and in one of the largest, every fifth house ;) ments were found inadequate entirely to yet they had great reason to believe that the remove, or even effectually to check, the report was very short of the true number." progress of intemperance. Such has been The population, at this period, did not exthe experience of most nations where the ceed 700,000. Add to the number retraffic of intoxicating liquors has been estab- ported (6187) 1000, for the City of London lished and encouraged. and Southwark, and 500 for illegal places, In the reign of Edward VI., taverns were and the total amount of establishments for denounced by Act of Parliament, as the the sale of intoxicating liquors in the metroresort of evil disposed persons, and the polis, in the year 1725 amounted to 7687.* cause of "muche evil rule." From the In about twenty-five years afterwards, preamble of the Act it appears, that at that viz. 1750, the following is an authentic time they were newly sett uppe in very account of the proportion of houses of this great noumbre, in back lanes, corners, and description compared with the number of suspicious places withyn the cytie of other dwellings : London, and in divers other towns and villages withyn this realme." A statute passed 1552, recites, that, "Intolerable hurts and troubles to the Commonwealth daily grew and increased, through such abuses and disorders as were had and used common ale-houses, and other houses, How far this corresponded with the concalled tippling-houses." The English Par-dition of provincial towns is not recorded. liament, at an early period, specified the The proportion, however, would not fall purpose of houses for the sale of ale and very considerably short of the metropolitan beer. An Act passed in the seventeenth calculation. In the present day, it appears, century, recites that, "The ancient, true, that there are not more public-houses to a and principal use of ale-houses was, for the population of nearly 2,000,000, than there lodging of wayfaring people, and for the were in 1725, to a population certainly not supply of the wants of such as were not amounting to 700,000. This may, in part, able, by greater quantities, to make their be attributed to a decreased consumption of provisions of victuals, and not for enter- ardent spirits, which at that period, was tainment and harbouring of lewd and idle frightful in the extreme; and partly to a people, to spend their money and their time monopoly in the modern fashionable estabin a lewd and drunken manner. ""* In the lishments called "Gin Palaces." succeeding reign (Charles I.) the Lord In the year 1829, the erroneous notions Keeper Coventry, declared his opinion of of British legislators caused a measure to be them in the following strong terms:-"I passed for the more extensive sale of beer, account ale-houses and tippling-houses the which has been productive of pernicious greatest pests in the kingdom. I give it you consequences. The fact is now fully estabin charge to take a course that none be per-lished, that the use of weaker alcoholic mitted unless they be licensed; and for the liquors invariably tends to create a taste for licensed ale-houses, let them be but a few, those of a stronger description. In no inand in fit places; if they be in private stance has this fact been more powerfully corners and ill places, they become the den shown, than in the increased drunkenness 2 Jac. i. c. 9. Penny Magazine, 1837, p. 131. |