Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-06-28

al the long-conned and oh-rcpeated extempo-
raneous efidsion CT hereditary wit. The young
er brais meanwhile keep sucking away at the
shoppers Of the decanters."
As to the other, he makes a distinction,
winch we sincerely trust is well founded:
" Good singers do occasionally go wrong in
TINS way, but not nearly so often as bad ones
We cannot al this blessed moment charge our
memory with one iirst-rate gentleman singer
who Is not perfect paragon Of sobrety. Wa
! oeiy drunbard to sing To any effect "A Bump,
| er at parting or the Ewie wi the Crooked
Horn,' or any truly delightful Scottish, Irish.
or Italian melody. To sing well, you must
keep sober-every fine singer knows and feels
that--ndulge IN drinking, and tho voice is
| broken, the ear untuned, the soul Of music
| sacrificed at Hs very source; and instead of the
cry Of encore. there Is disa pponed silence, tbs
uplifting Ct hands and eyes, aud many silent
sohIoquies over the sbsequies OF those sounds
that once set the table IN hush, and dimmed
! the sparkling of fair eyes with the irresistible
! beauty Of tears"
The Doctors description Of the pleasures Of
inoxicaton is so lively, that we should feel
! scruples OF conscience against aiding lis circu-
lation, but for the conviction which we havo
expressed, that the Chronicle falls into none
but sober hands. Besides the horrors of the
conclusion are more than sufficient 10 coun-
| terbalance the temptations Of the commence
ment.
" The consequences of drunkenness arc
dreadful but the pleasures Of getting drunk are
certainly ccstatic. While the Illusion lasts.
happiness IS complete; care and melancholy
are thrown to tho wind, and Elysum. with ali
its gorles, dcscends upon the dazzled ina gina
ton of the drinker.
Some authors have spoken Of the pleasure
of being completely drunk: this, however, liz
not the most exquisite period. The time is
when person rs neither drunken nor sober.
but neighbour to both,' as Bishop Andrews
says IN his Ex-ale-tation of f'Ale' The
moment is when the etherial emanatons begin
TO float around tho brain - when the soul is
commencing to expand its wings and rise from
the earth when the tongue feels itself some.
what loosened in the mouth, and breaks ths
previous taciturnity, if any such existed.
''What are the sensations of ncipient drunk,
enness FIRST. an unusual serenity prevails over
the mind, and the soul of the votary is filed
with a placid satisia ctiOn. Bv degrees he is
sensible of soft and not unmusical bumming
III his ears, at every pause of tho conversatie
He seems, to himself, 10 wear his head lphte,
than Usual upon his shoulders Then a species
oi oDscurIty, thinner than the finest mist pass,
es before his eyes, and makes him see objects
'"','Vi ''''''H't ne iBhts DeRIn 10 dance
and appear double. a gaiety and warmth ore
fell at the same time about the heart. The
Imagination is expanded, and filled with a
thousand delightful images He becomes To-
quacIous, ana pOufs forth IN enthusiastic Ian
euage, the thoughts wh!ca are bora as it wsrs
within him.
Now comes spirit of universal content-
ment with hilnsclf aHu all the world He thinks
no more OF misery it is dissolved in the bliss
Of the moment This Id the acme of the fit
the ecsiacy is now perfect. As yet, the sen.
sorum is IN oarabe ORDER it rs only shaken,
but the caPabiliiy Of think ing with accuracy
still remains. About this time, the drunkard
pours oui all the secrets of his soul. Ills quail
,tles, good or bad, come forth without reserve;
and now, It at any time, lhe human heart may
be seen INTO. la short period he is seized
with most inordInate propensity 10 talk non
sense, thongh he Is pere city conscious Of doing
so. He also commits many foolish things.
knowing them 10 be foolish The power of
vol!iion, that faculty which keeps the will SUBJ
ordinate 10 the Judgment, seems totally weak
ened The most delightful time seems to be
that immediately before becoming very talk
atre. When this takes place 1t man turns
ridiculous, and his mirlb, though more boister
rons, Is noi 50 exquisite. ~ fret the intoxicn-
ton parskes Of sentiment, but, latterly, il
becomes moroly animal.
"After this the sycnc thickens. The drunk,
ards Imagination gets 6isordcred with the most
grucspuc conceptions. Instead OF moderatns
his drink, he pours it down more rapidly than
ever: glass follows glass with reckless energy,
His head becomes perfectly giddy The can
dies burn Buo, or green or yCi!oa; and where
there are perhaps only three OH the table, hs
sees dozen According 10 his temperament,
he is amorous, or musical, or quarrcsome-
Il afp,.
great flow of spirits is general attendant la
the latter stages, the speech is thick, and the
use OF the tongue IA a great neasi lost
His mouth Is half open, and idio'c in the cx,
preston; while his ewes are glazed, wayering
and walery. He is apt to fancy that he has
offended some one Of the company, and is
piolusc with his apologies.
Frequently ho mistakes one person for
another, and magHes some of those before
hIm are individuals who are in rcaiity absent.
or c'Gn dead. The muscular powers are au
along mach affected; this indeed happens be,
fore any great change takes place in the mind.
and goes on progressively increasing. He can
no longer walk with s'eadinoss, but tottcrs
from side to side The limbs become power.
less, and inadequate 10 sustain his weight
He Is, however, not always sensible Of any
deficiency IN this respect; and while exciting
lnlrih by his eccentric motions, imn ginus that
he walks with the mos. perfect steadlnoss. Ia
attempting to run, he conccives that he passes D..
over the ground with astonishing rapidity-
The last stage Of drunkenness is tot al insensi,
1iny. The man tnmblcs perhaps beneath tho
abo, and il carried away in a state Of stupor
o his couch. In this condition hc is said 10
Dc dedd drunk.
"Whtn the drunkard is ru, 10 bed, let us
suppose that bis faculties arc not totally alb,
orbcd Ia apoplectic stupor; let us suppose
hat he still possesses Consciousness and feel
ng, though these are both disordcred; thea
'eglns the tug Of war; thcn comes the mis-