1903 The Flowing Bowl by Edward Spencer

CHAPTER I

THE OLD ADAM

Introductory—Awful habits of the ancients—A bold, bad book— Sencca on the Drink Habit—The bow must not be always strung—Ebrictalh Encomium—The noble Romans—"Dum vivimus vivamus"—The skeleton at the banquet—Skull- cups—" Life and wine are the same thing "—Virgil and his contemporaries—Goats for Bacchus—The days of Pliny— Rewards for drunkenness—Novcllius Torquatus — Three gallons at a draught—A swallow which did not save Rome —The antiquity of getting for'ard—Noah as a grape-grower —Father Frassen's ideas—Procopius of Gaza—New Testa ment wine—Fermented or not ?—Bad old Early Christians —Drunkenness common in Africa—Religion a cloak for alcohol—Tertullian on cider—Paulinus excuses intemper ance—Excellence of Early Christians' intentions. I WISH to State at the outset that this little work is not compiled in the interests of the sot, the toper, and the habitual over-estimator of his swallowing capacity. That the gifts of the gods, and the concoctions of more or less vile man, should be used with moderation, if we wish to really and thoroughly enjoy them, is a truism which needs no repetition ; and although at the commencement of this work many "frightful B