and degree and which is to be sorrowed for such as are of a faire loving kinde free pleasant and sociable carriage and behaviour are often more allured and carried away both by inward and outward provocations to these drinking courses then others sottish punie people and sordid Misers who are commonly in this respect free Also these drinking abuses extend themselves to men of all degrees not onely to Hosts Tapsters Pedlers c. but also to many good Tradesemen of whom many thousand spend on the Sunday and Holidayes in Tap-houses almost as much as they gain in the week before to the great griefe and euen undoing of their families and t is commonly noted the best workmen are the worst husbands Also some Constables Churchwardens Sidemen Alecunners and the rest who by the Statute ought to present such abuses will herein often abuse themselves so as it is need to present them So likewise some of all sorts Merchants Souldiers Lawyers Physitians Gentlemen Gallants and great men will too much and too often goe to and stay at the Tavern and tipple roar c. Seeing these drinking abuses doe thus extend themselves and are so common let us take heede they hurt not us Timothy was so abstinent in this kinde that Saint Paul bids him drink no more water but a little wine for his healths sake But if Saint Paul were to write to a number of men in our dayes who are so busie with healths c. surely he would charge them as they loved the health and welfare both of their bodies and soules not to drinke so much wine c. SECT II. The abuses of Drinking because of the evill and miserable effects thereof are to be avoided LEt us now briefely view the evill and miserable effects of abusive drinking to the intent wee may eschew the same and bee happy therein These evill and miserable effects are many and various both concerning body and minde according to the severall humours and complexions of men and some proceeding from excessive moist and cold causes some from hot some from corrupted and some of mixt causes and distempers To instance briefely and first concerning such as are cold moist and phlegmaticke men Though it be good and comely to eate and drink in a good temperate manner Eccles 5. Yet Physitians say that over-much moysture caused by much and disorderly drinking especially of strong drinkes doth pester and dull the braine by the exhalations of a multitude of unnecessary vapours the superfluity whereof by reason of the weaknesse coldnesse of the braine after the heate of the liquor is past remaines undigested and raw and being there refrigerated is an occasion of much cold phlegme and rhumes which distill into the other parts of the body and in time perchance doe corrupt and putrifie the same and fill it full of ill noysome humours and distempers These distillations are the fountaine and cause of divers infirmities as obstructions an ill stomacke and loathing of meate ill digestion unnaturall thirst apoplexies and paralysies even depriving some men of their senses also a distempered lethargy or sleepy lazinesse yawning dulnesse and heavinesse dropsies also and purfinesse fatnesse grosenesse sweld bellies gouts and hydropticke humours descending into the legges whence it commeth to passe that oftentimes those cold diseases are ingendred in many men who usually drinke strong and hot drinkes especially to such as are of the phlegmaticke complexion and somtimes to the sanguine and melancholly Also the body working upon the soule by the mediation of spirits and humours is a cause that from these cold diseases do proceed many distempers in the minde as dulnesse heavinesse forgetfulnesse drowsinesse lazinesse and a minde unfit for any good worthie excellent actions and contemplations and in some men even a deprivation of reason and senses Hence it is as we may observe that there are many dull sottish sleepie lazie heavie maudlin tiplers Wine takes away the heart Hosea 4.11 And also that excesse of strong and hot drinkes causeth inflammation of heart liver bloud and of the other humours and the spirits especially to such men as are of a hot cholericke and sanguine complexion from whence proceede divers distempers and diseases as Vertigo or giddinesse in the head and paines therein lightnesse of the braine weakenesse of nerves and sinnewes distemperature of spirits alteration of colour and complexion and causing in some men fiery lookes pimpled faces and red noses also to some Pleurisie burning-Feavers and violent raging sicknesse and death By reason also of these inflammations of humours and spirits and other hot distempers the minde being thereby tickled and distempered becommeth vaine-glorious conceited prone to sensuall desires riot and all manner of prodigality also to anger contentions cursings swearing slandering gybing quarrelling fighting and stabbing Srong drinke is raging Prov. 20.1 And further that excessive drinking causeth melancholy and sadnesse True it is that wine and strong drinkes if moderately used doe heate and quicken that heavie cold dry thicke humour of the spleene called naturall melancholy causing mirth and cheerefulnesse even in the most surly and severest people But in excesse doth coole distemper and surcharge the stomacke and spleene with too great a conflux of ill humours over-whelming wasting dulling and distempering those good and pure spirits which otherwise would cause cheerefulnesse and being thereby mixed with such cold phlegme and distillations as come from the braine after the heate of the liquor is past and the superfluous vapours refrigerated therein occasioneth sadnesse sorrow sullennesse and heavinesse And this may be noted in many men who at first after they have drunke wine a while are exceeding joviall lively and set upon a merry pin but after when they have surcharged their stomacks and when the heate of the wine is out of their braine and the vapours thereof cooled therein and distilled they become exceeding sad heavie dull and discontented As for example a man that is potshot as they say with good Sacke at night look upon him next day in the morning and see him like the picture of ill fortune sad heavie sullen quarrelsome and discontented and looking as if hee came lately out of Purgatory And these be the effects which proceed from the spirits of Sacke and strong liquor if abused so much approved of and practised by our brain-sicke dissolute roaring Gallants Pot-Poets and Bacchanalian Students who use to tipple and talke Philosophy in the Taverne and be addle-pated and ready to sleepe at their bookes and in their study when they come there and where perchance they remaine exceeding sad and melancholy till they returne to the Taverne againe Hence it is that the frothy wits of many of these our Pot-blades their loud cracklings of laughter doe stand at the courtesie of the Barrell Without Sack good liquor their wits and spirits like themselves are even all amort and defunct chilled and frozen up but tother quart or pottle revives them againe and very likely sets
their wits their spirits and perchance their noses afire together But this continues not this heate of mirth either is soone over-whelmed and drowned in their excesse and then they become sickish adle-pated quarrelsome wild or sullen or else is soone cooled and refrigerated in their braine and then they become very sad and melancholy But see a further mischiefe men being thus ingulpht in melancholy and discontent will yet againe seeke to remedy themselves by these drinking courses which are indeede occasions thereof and so hinder themselves from seeking or finding the true meanes to be eased of this their discontent and melancholy It is reported of the Danes Dutch-men Polanders and Boheminans that they will goe and drink downe their melancholy and griefe so with us many men will to the Taverne and seeke out their joviall companions as they call them to passe away the time in merriment as they say and to drinke away their melancholy and discontent It is true indeede that moderate drinking mirth and good company is a very good remedy against discontent But here 's the mischiefe excessive drinking and abuses in this kinde are occasions to many men as hath beene shewed of their greater griefe and melancholy and the remedies which they seeke herein to cure their disease by this meanes doth encrease the same so as they doe but claw a scab that itches and might otherwise be healed After all these frivolous deferrings their melancholy and griefe will returne and be worse then before which appeares in many men who by long custome in such abuses grow to such an habit of melancholy and discontent as they become sad sorrowfull angry froward and quarrelsome sometimes even among their cuppes and merriest companions and as King Solomon saith even in laughter their hearts are sorrowfull So that it is onely excessive and abusive drinking which is the cause of all this griefe misery melancholy and discontent and so hindereth happinesse therein And if we could refraine only the excesses and abuses thereof it were a good remedy against discontent and melancholy and as hath been shewed many good benefits and felicities would spring from the good and moderate use of drinking and so wee might enjoy the same freely and bee as good fellowes as merry and as happy as may be Of which more hereafter So it appeares by what hath beene said that to some men cold and moist to others hot distempers both of body and minde and to many men melancholy and sadnesse are caused by excessive and abusive drinking Now I might adde that to some a strange mixture of diseases and distempers are hereby caused proceeding of cold moist hot inflamed corupted and divers mixt causes in one body in so much as some men therby become rheumaticke grosse fat lazie dull heavie sullen melancholy and full of cold distempers and yet inflamed with heate and choler and so also very wilde testy braine-sicke cholericke and froward as appeares in many of our tun-bellied Hosts Hostesses some Dutch swill-bowles others In so much as many of them become evē replete with ill humours in the body and maligne dispositions in the mind Therefore let us by all meanes eschew these abusive drinking courses Here let mee write of a common error in the world by which multitudes are deceived and led away to these drinking abuses The error is this many men doe thinke the worst drunkards to be the bravest men that is men who can drinke abundance and make a common custome of it and yet beare it well and come off finely as they say and not reele staggar vomit sleepe or the like why such a man they commonly esteeme no drunkard or at least not so bad as weake-brain'd soone distempered drinkers though these notable common strong-brain'd drinkers have such gorges as to devoure as much as would suffice two or three families who will glory to drinke it off if it were a mile to the bottome as they say who will sit from morning till night or from thence till morning drinke with all companies and yet scarce faile or blunke at it And yet such men forsooth are accounted no drunkards but rather brave fellowes the onely gallants and sparkes boone companions Low-Counrey Souldiers stiffe blades steele to the backe and the like yea they are applauded and reputed by some the bravest men in the Kingdome Now the truth is that such stout able impudent roaring fine plausible methodicall common strong-brain'd drinkers are commonly the worst most dangerous most exemplary drunkards and most threatned in the sacred Scriptures To make this appeare more plainely First as maybe noted they are commonly as bad or rather of worse conditions then others of weaker braines It is true indeed they all are bad and that the weaker braind are more fraile and open and so discover their faults and imperfections more apparently and are then most fraile and faulty when their braines are distempered But these strong brain'd fine plausible common drinkers are usually which is worse more slily cunningly closely and pernitiously vitious Many of them can strangely countenance and colour vice and lewdnes with brave shewes with Art and faire termes insomuch as they can maintaine dissolute courses with a pernitious shew of a good face and good words and seeme to bragge of and glory in wickednesse Yea many of them can impudently as well as slily maintaine vice and wickednesse and can outbeard goodnesse and seeme to dash it out of countenance and so openly and audaciously oppose vertue piety and the professors thereof And although they are politick enough to carry themselves fairely in some companies and seeme then to be of good conditions yet take them among their fellowes and familiars such as are of the same garb such as will seeme to approve of their courses and you may observe how dissolute and impious they are even by their courses as among divers other their idle obscene baudy talke their swearing cursing ill wishes ill counsell maintaining of vice gybing scoffing at and abusing of piety and goodnesse railing at and reproaching of Ministers Magistrates and all good vertuous pious men all that live above their swinish idle dissolute courses Secondly they are more dangerous and exemplary for weake brain'd drinkers almost every one sees their faults and imperfections they are examples wherby men use to take heed yea even themselves often are asham'd of and dislike themselves and often perchance repent after they are sober and if they be not extreamely besotted there is hope of amendment but the stiffe able drinkers such as call themselves boone companions being more cunning more plausible more liked of accompanied followed applauded and sooth'd up in their ill courses and so become conceited therein seldome repent or leave the same but rather will boast bragge of and glory in these their idle lewd vitious courses I wish there were not many Gentlemen of these ill conditions but such are indeed the shame of Gentlemen And these notable stiffe able strong-brain'd
common excessive swilling of many whole cups and roaring swearing cursing rayling reproaching abusing gybing at goodnesse ribaldish scurrilous mirth and loud gapings of laughter at such baudy stuffe as musicke rather to please the Devill then him and so avoids all such ill courses how may health prosperity yea heaven and earth smile upon such a man And also to deride and scoffe at these idle tipling courses even in their owne colours and height of seeming felicity is a master-peece Neither doe there want naturall remedies in this respect of drinking to alter the ill disposition and temper of our bodies and to rectifie the disorderly affections of our minds As for example if we be possest with an unnaturall thirst and desire of strong and hot drinkes wee may purge out that strange mixture of cold clāmy eagre salt and tart humours which are the causes thereof Or else wee may alter the same by disuse of the occasions Such men therefore as have used to drinke much Sacke and other strong liquors if by degrees they passe from a greater quantity to a lesser and so from hotter liquors to cooler which is better then sudden alterations and lesse distempers the body substracting the quantity and quality by little and little untill they come to a due proportion and order their stomackes will then in good time bee so contracted again and fitted for this quantity and quality as they will not any more be troubled with the former greedines thereof And custome in this kinde is of such force that it maketh small beere yea water as appeares in the ensuing alleadged examples to some men equall in delight and pleasantnes to the choycest dainties wines and strongest liquors to such as usually drinke no other But it is not safe concerning bodily health wholly to alter an old rooted naturall custome As for a man that hath beene much and long used to wine or strong drinke now to forbeare it altogether is not safe but only in a reasonable manner for having brought his stomacke to a naturall habit and desire thereof it is not amisse sometimes within the limits of a due proportion and temperance to cherish himselfe therewith especially if he be of declining and aged yeeres or of a dull slow heavie sad disposition to refresh and cheere his aged decaying and dejected spirits There bee also divers remedies to rectifie the minde herein as to consider all the evill and miserable effects of such abusive drinking which are treated of in divers Authors and common to the view of all men especially to our bodies and mindes as hath beene declared which truely to think on is in reason sufficient to flight away our irregular affections from such excesse and abuses Also to thinke how vaine empty and idle such outward provocations are which allure us to such courses What are wee a pin the better to bee waited upon sometimes a while by some perchance misreckoning nicking frothing cheating Tapster Vintner or the like who are aswell servants to every idle deboist fellow as others and whose service is commonly but to make your purse lighter Also what are we a jot the better for keeping company with fawning flatterers and parasites then whom indeed there are not more dangerous people in the world Or with dissolute braine-sicke phantasticke pot-gallants Or what are we a button the worse for their common silly pot-jeeres and barking reproaches whose drinke-sop adle pates we know are often pumping to reproach and abuse such as professe frugality civility temperance piety sober goodnesse and to speak against all excellent sublime things such as are above their weake low swinish capacities and customes and thwart or oppose their undue vitious courses Methinkes it should be as a divine consort of Caelestiall musicke to our eares to heare such men reproach and revile us As hath beene formerly shew'd it is a good and blessed signe It seemes we are converted from their ill courses and disallow them Also what are we the better to heare such company bragge domineere call themselves good-fellowes blades and the like Let us bee much rather disliked and reproached by such men for being temperate sober civill stayd frugall vertuous and pious then bladed and good-fellow'd with a hug for abusing and spoyling our selves And further what are wee the better to heare them roare sweare curse gybe scoffe sing idle scurrilous songs talk baudily to little purpose and sometimes perchance as loud as they gape three or foure at once or to see them smoke their noses sit swilling off abundance of whole cups perchance foure or five houres together and pissing it out againe as if we knew no better actions Or to observe the idle silly orders and devices of such people such as are filling up the cup to the brimma drinke it off fairely as they say upon the naile to the little finger not to leave so much as a pearle behinde or pin the basket calling tother pint or jugge when wee have too much before to see our selves pledg'd making wet reckonings enforcing of whole cups healths and the like What need I particularise almost all their pot devices and customes to a reasonable man well in his wits that is not besotted therewith seeme so vaine absurd silly and rediculous as he is even wonder-strucke to thinke that so many wise men of excellent parts in all places are so besotted with such silly devices who otherwise truely I meane the more worthy courteous wise and generous sort of such as are usually termed good-fellowes c. doe as farre excell divers other niggardly covetous rugged unsociable degenerate and puny spirits as Gold doth Earth or the Sunne a Candle untill they have spoyled themselves by drinking and so would be esteemed if they would not use such degenerate courses Further to rectifie our minds herein let us know that we may still drink such and so much as is necessary yea most pleasant delightfull and beneficiall in all respects as is to be declared and which is such a due proportion as is to be dilated in the ensuing Sections insomuch as we may be as merry therein and as good-fellowes yea much better companions then in excesse and abuses if wee had reason to see it and be happy therein I pray Sir pardon me if you thinke I have written any thing too bitterly and tartly Indeed I have beene very sparing except in some few very necessary places of grosse and sower termes in respect of some Authors who have written of this subject hoping the same will the rather worke upon courteous faire conditioned kind free wise pleasant sociable natures such as I know many are who are too much inclined and most allured to those drinking abuses and if you thinke I have writ any thing too jesting or gybingly who will blame me but such as are too severe if I have written the truth in a pleasant way and I hope this also will the better worke upon such natures before named And in good earnest
now concerning my selfe I confesse that I love sometimes to drinke two or three cups of wine or good liquor for recreation among my friends and although I dislike our common excessive drinking courses and some silly pernitious devices and customes of this drinking age and also although I love to bee civill and to heare other men talke more then my selfe yet truely I thinke very well of mirth and good-fellowship in good sort and it doth me much good to see and heare men drinke sing discourse be joyfull pleasant and merry without abuses But I proceed SECT IIII. Rules concerning a right order and due proportion of drinking and shewing that the same is very sufficient pleasant easie and most beneficiall TO the intent that wee may bee happy in respect of drinking let us use the same in such sort as by a right ordering and moderating of every severall kinde of drinke by sutable degrees and convenient proportions the same may tend to our well being Such a moderation and proportion I meane as is very easie to bee undergone pleasant and beneficiall so much as brings strength and vigor both in minde and body and on the contrary not so much as is troublesome or breeding distemper therein To treate thereof briefely it is best for young men cholericke and sanguine complexions usually to drinke coole small and milde wine beere or ale And to avoid such as is very strong hot stale and sower as much as they may And for the phlegmaticke grosse fat and melancholy men it is best commonly to drinke such wine and beere as is thin piercing and pure And to forbeare new thick sweete and muddy stuffe A cup or two of Sacke Metheglin strong Beere Ale or other good liquor is not amisse for old weake and decayed men and for such as are heavie sad and sorrowfull sometimes to comfort their drooping spirits yet too much strong and hot liquors by reason of the superfluous multitude of vapours exhaling to the braine remaining unconcocted and after the heate thereof is past are there refrigerated into cold phlegme doth cause even to old sad and drooping men a greater heavinesse and melancholy However a reasonable quantity doth much cheere quicken and revive them The quantity most convenient is so much as by reason and our own experience doth make our bodies and mindes apt and healthy to performe their offices and no way distempers or hinders them But for as much as our appetite is deceitful especially if by custome we get an ill disposition in the stomacke and is alwayes canvassing for sensuality blinding our reason and carrying us beyond the due measure of temperance and welfare Let us therefore consider a due proportion and measure Physitians say that usually three or foure reasonable draughts at a meale is sufficient for any man and that betweene meales it is not good to drink above the same proportion This proportion of three draughts at a time at the most was determined by the Synod of Nants as being sufficient in nature and reason for any man and the same is approved of by divers Philosophers Poets and others Or if you will according to the laudable custome of some men now and then for recreation sit in a Taverne or Ale-house till you have dranke each man his pint of wine or jug of beere or thereabouts and no more is commendable so as the same be onely sometimes not commonly and onely for good recreation or occasion and without abuses But forasmuch as a different proportion is to be allotted in respect of â—ime age complexion and the like â—his may easily be and commonly is naturally remedied either by drinking greater or lesser draughts or adding a draught or two more in a day when and to whom it is requisite As in Summer more then in Winter the cholericke more then the phlegmaticke so as it bee not too strong or hot children usually drinke lesser draughts then men labourers may drinke more and more often then idle people So to drinke when naturall thirst requires if the body be not too hot or distempered is good for very much thirst is ill for the stomack and it is good that the same be commonly kept cleane and sometimes moist Physitians also say it is not good to drinke betweene meales till after the first concoction or till two or three houres after the meale unlesse much thirst require especially for such as are phlegmaticke But some thinke a good draught or two of warme beere taken halfe an houre before meales is a good preparative for the stomacke especially for such as are dry and thirsty Neither doth it much matter concerning bodily health if sometimes we be drawne to digresse a little from such a due order and proportion To exceed sometimes this quantitie and water the body by a more liberall drinking then usuall is by some thought not amisse for health so as the same be done but very seldome and so as we presently return again to our wonted and usuall sobriety for such accidental and seldome excesses are of little prejudice to health And in this respect it is not good over-scrupulously and too precisely to tye our selves to an exact proportion lest we contract our stomackes to such an habit as will not admit of any errours when they happen without distemperature but long and often excesses are very pernitious However it is good to have our mindes directed to a perfect precise and exact measure and to have the same as a patterne diligently marked and imprinted in our mindes to the intent that wee may imitate the same or come as neer therunto as we may without too much nicenesse and inconvenience knowing that all vertue is most really and best performed when we observe the same in a perfect manner And also let us the rather as neere as we can conveniently most willingly apply our minds thereunto knowing that such a due proportion and order as is before mentioned is very sufficient easie pleasant and most beneficiall as now followeth to be declared And first that the same due proportion and order of drinking is sufficient and easie to be undergone appeares inasmuch as a well tempered nature requires no more for what reasonable man who hath not by ill custome altered his nature desires to drinke above three or foure draughts at a time or if you will above a pint a wine or an usuall jug of beer for his part at a sitting or otherwise any way out of good order insomuch as he thinkes it an easie and pleasant thing to bee temperate whereas all intemperance and disorder displeases and very likely distempers him yea even brute irrationall creatures are contented with and desire no more then sufficiencie It is onely an unrasonable nature and perhaps corrupted by ill custome that makes us desire more for wee know that one or two draughts at once is sufficient to quench thirst and suffice nature And that we may the rather know how largely sufficient and easie such a due