A philosophicall discourse, entituled, The anatomie of the minde. Nevvlie made and set forth by T.R.

¶Of Sobrietie. Cap. 26.

THE last, though not the least of all the partes of Temperaunce is called Sobernes:* 1.1 which is as ne∣cessary as any of the abooue mentioned, and more a greate deale then some of them. It appéereth by the contrary vnto it called Drunckennesse, whiche is in the sight of all men so odious and loth some,* 1.2 as we count them whiche are sub∣iect vnto it, little better then brute and beastly creatures. And therfore (accord∣ing to the opinion of Nonius Marcellus)

we call him a sober man, whose minde is not ouercome, but hath the vse of wit and senses, & contrarywise we call him drunken whose hed, hands nor feet can∣not discharge their dutie. This vertue is called in Latin Sobrietas quasi sine ebri••tate,* 1.3 a thing opposit vnto drunken∣nesse. By drunkennes I vnderstand im∣moderate swilling or drinkīg more then dooth a man good, by Sobrietie a mesura∣ble taking of drinck. What a worthy and excellent gift is this Sobrietie, it may appéere no way better then by the examples of them which haue least estee¦med therof.* 1.4 Alexāder Magnus thought he could not better celebrate the memo∣ry of Calanus (whōe he looued entirely) then by appointing games for drinking.* 1.5 In which was iij. degrées, for he whiche drank most, had a Talēt of siluer for his paines: the next had thirtie pounds: the third ten pounds. In this contention one Promachus bare away the Bell,* 1.6 but his vnmesurable drinking cost him his life: for within three dayes after he dyed mi∣serably. What honor Alexander got by his new deuice, I leaue it vnto others to repor••e: what he might haue got by put∣ting that his money to the reléefe of his

poore Subiects it is euident. The like vse we read of, at the feasts of Bacchus,* 1.7 where it was lawfull for euery man to tosse the pots merily, and he which drūk moste had a Crown of pure Golde giuen him, which Xenocrates did once obtain.* 1.8

To these I wil ad one Micerinus an Egiptian, whiche béeing certified by the Oracle that his dayes were but fewe which he had to consume in this worlde, thought to disapoint the determinate pur¦pose of the almightie Gods, and therfore béeing before a great drincker, after∣warde tooke more pleasure in y^e same, but the end of this wretch was miserable.

Cicero the Sonne of that famous O∣rator took such delight in drunkennesse,* 1.9 as he was ashamed if any passed him therin, and because he was not of power to reuenge him self for the death of his father vpon M. Antonius, he thought by emulating Antonies drunkennes,* 1.10 and excelling him therein, he had brought him into contempt among the people, as Plinie writeth of him. Besides these haue bèen celebrated of historiographers for their drunkennes, Dionysius which by ouermuch drink lost his eyes,* 1.11 & there∣fore became a laughing stock vnto all

men.: and Nouellius, which because of that qualytie,* 1.12 was called Tricongius, and by Teberius Caesar preferred to a Pretorship, for no other thing but be∣cause of his excellencie in drunkennes.

Now séeing we haue shewed some which for their excessiue drinking haue béene famouse, let vs also shew some dis∣commodyties therof to make it the more odious. It is writ••en that this vice droue all consideration of Iustice out of the minde of Phillip King of the Mace∣donians,* 1.13 whereby he often times pro∣nounced sentence against the innocent, and condemned the vngiltie. One wo∣man hauing sustained iniury by wrong sentence giuen of him in his drunken∣nesse, with opprobrius woords railed vp∣on him & said, she would not stand to his iudgement but appealed farther. Then some asked to whome shée would ap∣peale (for in greater authoritie then Phi¦lip none was) she answeared, I appeale from Philip béeing drunck, to Philip bée∣ing sober. Which when it came to Phi∣lips eare, he called back his Iudgement against her, and afterwardes in drunc∣kennes he commaunded that he should not he brought to the seate of Iustice, but

with great care pronounced sentence. Again by drūkennes Spargapises,* 1.14 sonne vnto Thomiris the Queene of Scithia, fel into the hands of his capitall foes and lost many goodly Souldiers. And Babi∣lon whiche otherwise was inuincible, by this horrible vice fell into the handes of her enemyes. Now seeing the exam∣ples and knowing the discommodities whiche haue happened by drunkennes, let vs harken vnto the counsaile of wise men and obey the lawes made against this vice by prudent Magistrates.

Anacharsis was wunt to say that no∣thing could make this vice more to be abhorred,* 1.15 then to beholde those whiche were ouercome with drinck.* 1.16 The Lace∣demoniās were of this minde, and ther∣fore to make their children altogither to detest the same they would carry them to banquets, where if any of seruile con∣dition or others were ouercome with drink, they should sée them derided of all mē, that so by their exāple they might be ware how they fel into y^e fault.* 1.17 The Ro¦mās liked y^e same order very wel, & ther∣fore to bring Musiciās in cōtēpt,* 1.18 they de¦uised no better way thē at cōmō feast{is} to make thē drūk, & so to carry thē in carts

into the Markette place, where all the town might laugh at them, and terrifie others from immoderate drinking, lest in their drunkennes they were so vsed, the lawes which haue been made agaīst this vice are many & wūderful straūge. Pittacus one of the seuen wise men of Gréece,* 1.19 decréed that all offences should be punished, but drunkennes with a dou¦ble punishment.* 1.20 The Messalonians did so mislike this vi••e, that they would not suffer a woman to drink Wine. If they would not permit a woman so much as to drinck wine, what punishment thinck you would they haue set vpon her, if she had béen ouercome therwith? Truely I suppose that whiche by the law of Ro∣mulus was decréede,* 1.21 that if a Woman were foūd or seen drunk, she should leese her life therfore. For he supposed drunc∣kennes to be the beginning of dishone∣stie and whordome, and therfore did ap∣point so cruel a punishment, that by the auoyding of that, whordome might not be exercised among his people. Faunus a Romain was an executor of this law,* 1.22 for séeing his wife to haue broken the law, with his owne hands killed her.* 1.23 By another law of the Romains it was

enacted, that none borne of a noble house from his childhood vntil he came to man{is} age and was thirtie yéeres olde, should not so much as drink (much lesse be drun¦ken with) Wine. And I think if any which were forbidden to drink, had been drunck with Wine,* 1.24 the Law of Solon would haue béene executed vpon him, he should haue béen put to death, or at least banished. But doo I say that only yung noble men of Roome were forbidden to drink Wine? Nay it was not lawfull neither for bound nor frée, for slaue nor soueraine, to vse y^e same vntil they were thirtie yeeres of age. Nay I wil ad fiue mo for so affirmeth Aelianus.* 1.25 But of their minde we are not, but would haue men to vse y^e same somtime, & that mode∣rately. For as Anacharsis was wunt to say, the Vine hath thrée Grapes,* 1.26 one of pleasure, th'other of drunkennesse, the third of sorrowe: we would haue him taste the first, but the other two hee should not so much as handle, lest he fall into drunkennes, and so to repentaunce. For as Wine if it be taken to often or to abundātly bringeth many dangerous diseases, besides the lothesome vice of drunkennes: so taken seldom and mode∣rately

it reuiueth the Spirits and expel∣leth cares, whiche otherwise would con∣sume many of vs. For this vertue Sobri∣etie many haue béen cōmended especial∣ly Caesar & Vespasian.* 1.27 Of Caesar, Cato said, that of all those which sought the o∣uerthrowe of Roome, neuer any sober man went about the same but only Cae∣sar. And Vespasian the Emperour was of such sobrietie, that he would drink nor eate but once in a day, & that with great modestie. This sobernes of dyet brings commodities,* 1.28 for it dooth not only kéepe our bodyes frée from grose humors, whi∣che spring of il dieting, but also prolongs our dayes very much, and makes vs liue a helthful olde age. To prooue the same we haue many examples, as of Socrates which by his great sobrietie,* 1.29 liued all his life time without any sicknes.* 1.30 M. Vale∣rius Coruinus (so called. I suppose be∣cause he liued y^e yeeres of a Crowe, whi∣che is reported by those which write the nature of Birds, to liue an hundred yée∣res) also liued frée from sicknes an hun∣dred yéeres, the cause of his great felici∣tie is thought to be his good dyet whiche he kept, and great sobernes which he v∣sed whersoeuer he came. But he whiche

passed all men (that euer I read of) for his vertue was Masinissa King of the Numidians.* 1.31 His manner was neuer to sit at his meate, neither would hee sauce his meate at any time, he was content with common fare and house∣holde Bread which he allowed vnto his Souldiers. His great sobernes & good dye¦ting of him self brought a lustie olde age and so helthful, as after 86. yéeres of his age he had a Sonne (the like I thinck hath seldome béene hard) of his owne be getting, and béeing of 92. yéeres, he went against the Athenians, because they vi∣olated their faith giuen to him, and ouer came them valiātly. In which war it is reported that he behaued him self as cou∣ragiously as the best, & differed not from a common and hired Souldier. Now to Fortitude.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sobernes.
• * 1.2

  Drunken∣nes.
• * 1.3

  Sobrietas.
• * 1.4

  Alexan. Magnus.
• * 1.5

  Calanus.
• * 1.6

  Proma∣chus.
• * 1.7

  Bacchus.
• * 1.8

  Xenocra∣tes. Micerin{us}
• * 1.9

  Cive. filius M.T. Ci.
• * 1.10

  M. Anto∣nius.
• * 1.11

  Dionysi{us}
• * 1.12

  Nouellius Tricon∣gius,
• * 1.13

  Philip.
• * 1.14

  Spargapi∣ses. Thomir. Babilon.
• * 1.15

  Anachar∣sis.
• * 1.16

  Lacede∣mon
• * 1.17

  Romain••
• * 1.18

  Musiciās,
• * 1.19

  Pittacus
• * 1.20

  Messalo∣nians.
• * 1.21

  Lex. Ro∣muli.
• * 1.22

  Faunus.
• * 1.23

  Romains
• * 1.24

  Solon.
• * 1.25

  Aelianus li. 2. de va∣ria hist.
• * 1.26

  Anachar∣sis.
• * 1.27

  Caesar. Vespasiā.
• * 1.28

  Commodi¦ties of So¦bernes.
• * 1.29

  Socrates.
• * 1.30

  M. Vale∣ri{us} Corui∣nus.
• * 1.31

  Masinissa