1903 The Flowing Bowl by Edward Spencer

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THE FLOWING BOWL the sorrow and care which may be temporarily driven away by drowning them in the bowl are apt to return within a very few hours, reinforced an hundredfold, with their weapons re-sharpened their instruments of torture put in thorough working-order, and with many other devils worse than themselves. A man, sound in body and mind, may really enjoy a certain amount of good liquor without feeling any ill effects next morn ing ; but woe to him who seeks to drown that which cannot sink ; to crush the worm which knows not death! The individual has yet to be born who can flourish, either in body or soul on his own immoderation ; and but for a chronic state of thirst in early youth I should not now be reduced to the compilation of drink statistics for a living. But the ancients, in their heathen philosophy —which, by the way, was once recommended to Christians to follow—took no thought for the morrow. " Carpe diem !" was the head and front of the programme of the Roman patricians who used to cry aloud at their feasts, by wav nf grace before meat :— Amici, Dum Vivimus ViVAMUS ! This was probably the original version of " We won't go home till morning," and was sung, or shouted, at all bean-feasts and smart supper- parties. The ancient Egyptians made use of a very extraordinary, and a very nasty, custom in their festivals. They shewed to every guest a