mental faculties. I never suspected that temperance was the nurse of genius, and yet nothing is more true. I awoke with my head troubled, and my ideas heavy with the vapours of an ample supper. I was astonished that my spirits were not as pure and as free as in Mathurin or in Masonstreet. Ah! 'tis that the labour of the imagination will not be disordered by that of other organs. The muses, it has been said, are chaste, it should have been added, that they are temperate.' ""* The effects of abstinence in preparing the mind for those efforts, when not only mental energy, but a rich and fertile beauty of imagination is required, have been observed, from a very early period of the world. During hours of intense study, many of the most celebrated philosophers of old, abstained from every thing that was rich and stimulating in diet. Demosthenes, the celebrated Grecian orator, as a beverage, drank water only. Protogenes, a painter of great eminence among the ancients, when executing some splendid design, lived in the most frugal manner. Painters of our own age have adopted a similar plan. Fresnoy, in his maxim for the artist thus remarks: "To temperance all our liveliest powers we owe, The midnight roar, the bacchanalian guest." Individuals distinguished in the annals of literature and science, in more recent times, have adopted a similar practice. Dryden † and Milton form illustrious examples. Milton not unfrequently recommends abstinence in diet. To the lyric and elegiac poet, he admits of the use of wine and good cheer; but to the epic which requires intellect of a higher and more comprehensive character, the diet of Pythagoras must suffice. "For many a god o'er elegy presides, Its spirit kindles and its numbers guides, And with her beauteous boy, the Idalian queen, * Memoirs of Marmontel, vol i. p. 306. † Dryden is evidently satírized by Baynes, who thus alludes to his preparation for study by a course of medicine. "When I have a grand design, I ever take physic and let blood; for when you would have pure swiftness of thought, and fiery flights of fancy, you must have a care of the pensive part, in fine, you must purge the belly!!!" This practice, we are informed by La Motte, the physician, was actually adopted by Dryden. Dr. Cheyne, in allusion to the intimate connexion which exists between the condition of the body and the state of the mind, makes use of this emphatic observation, "He who would have a clear head must have a clean stomach." M And thence the chiefs of elegiac song, His thirst by nature's limpid beverage chased." Euler and La Place, the one celebrated for his proficiency in mathematical science, the other distinguished as a natural philosopher, were each habitually abstemious in their diet. Euler attained to the age of seventy-six years. In society he was most acceptable, ever adding to its gratification by his agreeable wit, and cheerful and uniform temper. The light and abstemious diet of La Place alone enabled him, until within two years of his death, without exhaustion or inconvenience, to persevere in his accustomed habits of continued and intense study. John Locke, by his abstemious habits attained to the age of seventy-three years. In the former part of his life he had a feeble constitution ; the asthma for many years proved to him a source of considerable depression and distress. To the use of water, which was his common drink, Locke very justly attributed the prolongation of his life. Boyle, who undoubtedly ranks as the first chemist of his age, also made use of water. Although possessed of an exceedingly delicate constitution, this distinguished patron of science died at the age of sixty-five years. Sir Isaac Newton was habitually abstemious in his diet; he died at the advanced age of eighty-five years; it is a well known fact, that when he composed his admirable Treatise on Optics, Sir Isaac Newton abstained altogether from stimulating liquors and animal food, restricting himself to water and to vegetables. Luther also, and Johnson may be cited as equally illustrious examples. Of the former, one of his biographers states: It often happened, that for several days and nights he locked himself up in his study, and took no other nourishment than bread and water, that he might the more uninterruptedly, pursue his labours." In 1737, Dr. Johnson, according to Boswell abstained entirely from fermented liquors, "A practice to which he rigidly conformed for many years together, at different periods of his ife."* Dr. Johnson himself made the following remarks: 66 Mr. Croker in his edition of Boswell's Life of Johnson, makes the follow. ing pertinent remarks on this passage: "At this time his (Dr. Johnson's) "By abstinence from wine and suppers, I obtained sudden and great relief, and had freedom of mind restored to me, which I have wanted for all this year, without being able to find any means of obtaining it."* To these examples might be added a voluminous list of individuals celebrated in the annals of literature and science. 3. Incorrect Judgement. The mind enervated by artificial stimulants, loses its power of forming a correct judgement. The faculties by which the judgement comes to a decision, are weakened, and rendered more or less inoperative by the want of reflection. The judgement, therefore, is little exercised, and loses its force and activity-and when formed, is crude and unstable. "Wine," remarks an eminent writer, "raises the imagination, but depresses the judgement. He that resigns his reason, is guilty for everything he is liable to in the absence of it." The effects of intoxicating liquors on the judgement are strongly adverted to in the Scriptures: It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the judgement of the af flicted."+ "The known effects of fermented liquors on the intellects," observes Sir A. Carlysle, "are the increased rapidity of thought, the destruction of continuity in the memory, and the derangement of the natural faculty of judging or concluding upon the sum of any sort of evidence." Sumptuary laws, both in ancient and modern times, relating to magistrates and other official characters have been framed on the same principle."+ abstinence from wine may perhaps be attributed to poverty, but in his subsequent life, he was restrained from that indulgence by, as it appears, moral, or rather, medical considerations. He probably found, by experience, that wine, though it dissipated for a moment, yet eventually aggravated the hereditary disease under which he suffered; and perhaps, it may have been owing to a long course of abstinence, that his mental health seems to have been better than in the carlier portion of his life.-(See Extract from Dr. Johnson's Prayers and Meditations, cited in the text.) Selden had the same notion: for being consulted by a person of quality, whose imagination was strangely disturbed, he advised him not to disorder himself with eating or drinking, to eat very little supper, and say his prayers daily, when he went to bed; and he (Selden) made but little question but he would be well in three or four days.-(Table Talk, p. 17.) "These remarks," further observes Mr. Croker, "" are important, because depression of spirits is too often treated on a contrary system, from ignorance of, or inattention to what may be its real cause." • Prayers and Meditations, p. 13. † Proverbs xxxi. 4, 5. ‡ Chap. 21. 4. Impaired Memory. The strength of the memory is materially impaired by the use of intoxicating liquors. In the words of Sir A. Carlysle, its continuity is destroyed. "The memory," remarks this writer, "is always weakened by a rapid succession of evanescent impressions, the objects of thought are loosely assorted by a disorderly imagination; and the power to give a close and continuous attention to particular studies, is destroyed by an acquired habit of slovenly and heedless inductions. The mind is often diverted from more serious activity by idle wit, by ludicrous combinations, or vain and unprofitable wanderings." The idea that vinous liquors contribute to mental activity and happiness, in a great measure, originates in the presumption that pleasure arising from stimulants is capable of bestowing permanent and rational enjoyment. Pleasure is variously understood: "Some place the bliss in action, some in ease; Dr. Samuel Johnson made a very wise and appropriate distinction between pleasure and happiness. On being reminded, that he had once admitted that abstinence from wine would be a great deduction from life, he said: “It is a diminution from pleasure, to be sure, but I do not say a diminution of happiness; there is more happiness in being rational." And again, he remarks, "when we talk of pleasure, we mean sensual pleasure. Philosophers tell you that pleasure is contrary to happiness; gross men prefer animal pleasure."* It is a subject of deep regret, as well as a cause of intellectual and moral degradation to themselves, that many of the most eminent literary characters of both ancient and modern times, have, in a greater or less degree, indulged in the use of intoxicating liquors. The mental excitement to which such persons are subject, forms, no doubt, the predisposing cause, in connexion with the peculiar temptations, to this unhappy propensity, which beset most public characters. Hence, the moral powers in particular are in continual danger of losing the purity, as well as vigour, • Boswell's Johnson. which constitutes so essential a portion of the character of a well-regulated mind. A prominent cause of the intemperance of literary characters, consists in the irregular moral training to which most of them are subject. Modern education, is directed in a great measure, to intellectual development, while moral culture is almost altogether neglected. Hence, in too many instances, intellectual exhaustion is sought to be relieved by artificial excitement. The biographies of ancient celebrated philosophers and statesmen present lamentable examples of loose morality, combined with intellectual acquirements. Many of the heathen philosophers appeared to view occasional drunkenness as perfectly compatible with a virtuous life. Cato, in the words of Horace, presents a remarkable instance; Corvinus, the stoic philosopher, also indulged in vinous potations : "Come, Corvinus, guest divine Bids me draw the smoothest wine; Thee despises; for of old, And with social raptures flowed."-DUNCAN. Seneca, the celebrated philosopher states, that Cato occasionally indulged in wine, as a relief from the cares of public business. Cato vino laxabat animum curis publicis fatigatum; and elsewhere himself remarks, that people reproached Cato with drunkenness-but that reproach was rather an honour to him than otherwise. Catoni ebrietas objecta est, et facilius efficiet quisquis objecerit honestum quam turpem Catonem. Seneca himself even recommended occasional drunkenness as a means of banishing sorrow. Anacharsis, the Scythian philosopher, at times indulged to a free extent in the use of inebriating liquors.* Ælian includes in his catalogue of hard drinkers, Amasis, the_lawgiver of Greece. Zenocrates, Stilpo of Megara,† and Zeno, were subject also to the same vice. Other heathen philosophers of note might be adduced, as degrading examples of intellectual eminence, sullied and debased by sensual indulgence. Nor were certain of the heathen poets more strict in their conduct. Their poems were often inter Ælian lib. 2. 2. Stilpo was one of the chiefs of the Stoics. When about to die, he intoxicated himself with the view to alleviate the terrors of death. |