Philocothonista, or, The drunkard, opened, dissected, and anatomized

CHAP. XX. A moderation to be obserued in drinking, borrowed from Antiquity.

EPichermus is of opinion, that all sa∣crifices which were first piously de•…•…oted to the Gods, have since, by the corruption of times, beene a∣dulterated, as meerely chang'd into ryotous Feasts, and banquets; And those which were at first sacred, made profane by voluptuous and excessive quassing, from whence ariseth wantonnesse, or furie, begetting blastings, misery, and fetters; The Poet Panga∣scs dedicates the first moderate draught to the houres, and the Graces; the second to Venus and Bacchus; the third to Injury and discommoditie, according to that of Euripides: Sunt praemium

Lascivienti verbera: To him that wantons in his cupps, stroakes are due. And Pamasis, before named, thus speakes concerning the use or abuse of Wine.

A superis homini vinum gratissima dona Conueniunt, Illi, Cantus, Choreae simul omnes, &c,

Wine was the gratefull gift of Gods, to men, To which agree songs and all dan••es, when Their straines are chast, and comely: and above, Where gifts passe free in interchange of love. Tooke modestly, all sorrowes it expells; Immoderate cups, breedes madnesse, and nought else.

The Poet Eubulus, Introduceth Bacchus the God of Wine, speaking thus:

Prudentibus viris, Ego tres misceo Crateras, unam, sanitatis gratia Primum bibant hunc, gra•••• Amoris Alterum, &c.

I Temper three cups to the wise-man: one To preserue health (if it be drunke alone) The next of love, and pleasure, both to keepe Firme and intire: A third to provoke sleepe; These may the grave and discreete men carowse, Yet each of them▪ art sober to his house: No more I doe allow, who these exceeds In a fourth draught, brauls, and contention breeds; Clamour a fift: A sixt to Lust inuites, And loose incontinence: A seventh accites Spots in the cheeke and fore-head: The eight doth make Tumult, and confused noyse, able to shake

The strong Simposium: and the ninth cup, hath Power to exclude all peace, and stirre up wrath Whats beyond these, is madnesse: if you fill Great Vessells into small, you waste and spill.

Zeno Citieus saith thus, To doe justice unto all men, is Prudence; To follow what is good, and avoid what is ill, Temperance; To endure all adversity with patience, Fortitude. The counsell then that I would give to all such as are given o∣ver to vinosity, I will borrrow from Plutarch lib. de Audiend. Poetis; It is great wisedome (saith he) for a man who is subject to anger and wrath, not to be ignorant of his imperfection, but to take heed to himselfe, that he entertaine no mo∣tive that may accite him to choller: so should the intemperate man arme himselfe against drunkennesse. And as King Agesilaus would not suffer his cheeke to be kist by a beautifull yong man, lest he should grow inamor'd of his feature; And Cyrus commanded the faire Paccthea not to come into his presence, for feare of being cap∣tivated by her beauty; so hee should avoid both wine and bad company, lest he bee tempted by the one, or taken by the other; be aduised by So∣lon, whose maxime was Nequid nimis, take not too much of any thing, the branches (saith Pla∣to) which proceeds from the root Abstinence, are Modesty, Shamefastnesse, Continence, Tempe∣rance▪ Moderation, Honesty, Parsemony and So∣briety; when the fruits of Drunkennesse, are the

trembling of the Ioynts, the stammering of the tongue, Errour, Oblivion, Babbling, Dulnesse, Baldnesse, age in Youth, imbecility of Body, de∣fect in the braine, a diseased Life, an immature death: Salust saith, Nothing can be more abject and base, then a man to live a slave to the plea∣sures of the mouth and belly. It is a true saying, Much meat, much malady; Plenty of Wine, and store of •…•…antonnesse. It fareth with men, saith Origen, as with vessells upon the water; put in the one too much loading, they sinke; power into the o∣ther too much wine, they surfet. It is a great fault, saith Seneca, For a man to bee ignorant of the measure of his owne stomack; Every man knoweth what weight his beast can beare, but not what burthen himselfe can carry; loath hee is to overlaode him, but still ready to over∣charge himselfe; But how difficult a thing it is (saith Cato) to preach Abstinence to the Belly which hath no eares; and is still importunate, that it will brooke no deniall: I will conclude this Argument of Abstinence with that of Vir∣gil, de vino & venere,

Nec veneris, nec tu Vini capiaris amore. Vno namque modo, vina, venusque nocent, &c.

Doate neither upon Women, nor on Wine, For to thy hurt they both alike incline; Venus thy strength, and Bacchus with his sweete And pleasant Grape, debilates thy feet:

Blind-Love will blabb what he in secret did, In giddy Wine ther's nothing can be hid; Seditious warres, oft Cupid hath begun, Bacchus to Armes makes men in fury run; Venus (unjust) by horrid war tost Troy, Bacchus by war the Lapyts did destroy: When thou with both, or either, art possest, Shame, Honesty, and Feare, all sly thy brest: In setters Venus keepe, Gyves Bacchus tyde, Lest by their free gifts thou beest damnisi'd Vse Wine for thirst, Venus for lawfull seed, To passe those Limits, may thy danger breed.