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SOme said that Alexander did not drink much, but sate long in Company, discoursing with his Friends; but Philinus shew'd this to be an Er∣ror from the Kings Diary, where 'twas very of∣ten registred, such a Day, and sometimes two
Days together the King slept after a Debauch, and this Course of Life made him cold in Love, but passionate and angry: which argue a hot Constitution, and some report his Sweat was fra∣grant, and perfum'd his Cloaths, which is ano∣ther Argument of Heat, as we see the hotest and driest Climates bear Frankincense and Cassia, for a fragrant Smell, as Theophrastus thinks, proceeds from a due Concoction of the Humors; when the noxious Moisture is conquered by the Heat; and 'tis thought probable that he took a Pique at Calisthenes for avoiding his Table, because of the hard drinking, and refusing the great Bowl call'd Alexander in his Turn: adding, I will not drink A∣lexander, to stand in need of Aesculapius: And thus much of Alexander.
Story tells us that Mithridates the famous Ene∣my of the Romans, amongst other Tryals of Skill that he instituted, proposed a Reward to the greatest Eater, and stoutest Drinker in his King∣dom. He won both the Prizes himself, he out∣drank every Man living, and for his Excellency that way was called Bacchus: but this Reason for his Sir-name is a vain Fancy, and an idle Story; for whilst he was an Infant, a Flash of Lightning burnt his Cradle, but did his Body no harm, only left a little Mark on his Fore-head, which his Hair covered when he was grown a Boy; and after he came to be a Man, another Flash broke into his Bed-chamber, and burnt the Arrows in a Quiver that was hanging under him; from whence his Diviners presag'd that Archers, and light arm'd Men should win him considerable Victories in his Wars, and the Vulgar gave him this Name, because in those many Dangers by Lightning, he bore some Resemblance to the The∣ban
Bacchus: From hence great Drinkers were the Subject of our Discourse, and the Wrestler Heraclides, or, as the Alexandrians mince it, He∣racles, who lived but in the last Age, was ac∣counted one; he, when he could get none to hold out with him, invited some to take their Mornings-draught, others to Dinner, to Supper others, and others after, to take a merry Glass of Wine, so that as the first went off, the se∣cond came, and the third and forth Company, and he all the while, without any intermission, took his Glass round, and out-sate all the four Companies.
Amongst the Retainers to Drusus the Emperor, Tiberius his Son, there was a Physician that drank down all the Court, he, before he sate down, would usually take five or six bitter Almonds to prevent the Operation of the Wine, but when ever he was forbidden that, he knockt under pre∣sently; and a single Glass doz'd him. Some think these Almonds have a penetrating, abster∣sive Quality, and able to cleanse the Face, and clear it from the common Freakles, and there∣fore when they are eaten, by their bitterness vel∣licate and fret the Pores, and by that means draw down the ascending Vapors from the Head, but in my Opinion a bitter Quality is a Dryer, and consumes Moisture: And therefore a bitter Taste is the most unpleasant, for, as Plato says, Dry∣ness being an Enemy to Moisture, unnaturally contracts the spungy and tender Nerves of the Tongue, and green Ulcers are usually drain'd by bitter Injections. Thus Homer,
He squez'd his Herbs, and bitter Juice apply'd, And straight the Blood was stancht, the Sore was dry'd.
And he guesses well, that what is bitter to the Taste, is a Dryer, besides, the Powders Women use to dry up their Sweat, are bitter, and by rea∣son of that Quality astringent. This then being certain, 'tis no wonder that the bitterness of the Almonds hinders the Operation of the Wine, since it dries the inside of the Body, and keeps the Veins from being overcharg'd: For from their Distention and Disturbance, they say Drunken∣ness proceeds. And this Conjecture is much con∣firm'd from that which usually happens to a Fox; for if he eats bitter Almonds without drinking, his Moisture suddenly fails, and 'tis present Death.