Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-11-05
DrInkIua tlabIt..
[From the Cincinnati Tlmes. ]

ltTom tle NlnCinuhtl IlIhebl
There has been much written and said in these
latter days concerning the drinking OF spirituous
liquors, and every now and then some neWspa-
per comes out with sensational article horrify-
ing one with accounts OF drunkenness prevail
ing among women III the upper ranks OF society,
until we have almost learned to look upon the
present time as one Of riotoHs drinking, both
among males and females. Mr.. Herbert Spen-
Ger, however, in late number of the COntempo-
rdry BeUieto combats this idea of the incl ease
Ct inebriety, and puts in plea for the men of
the present day against the men of the past
He says the gauge Of men in England formerly
was the amount they could drink Men were
called "two-bottle men" and "three-bottle men, ="
according to the number of bottles they emptied
that he who could drink the most was the best
fellow, and men took drugs to increase their
appetite for liquor Glasses were so shaped
that when filled they must be held until emptied
or the contents would be spilled. 1t was thought
no dishonor for a man to be drunk under din
ner table-and 30 forth
The glasses mentioned by Mr.. Spencer were
globular glasses, which would not stand upon
the tables, but would roll about. An old writer
tells us that in King Edgar's time he had iron
cups chained to every winners door, with iron
pins in them to stint every man how much he
should drink and he who went beyond one Of
these pins had to pay penny fine Notwith-
standing that precaution, the Kings subjects
swilled and bibbed 30 much that his Majesty
was often shocked at the drunken companies he
saw.
The Scotch Hylanders we're famous for their
" cups Of whiskey. They neither met nor par
ted, made purchase or present, without a
cup. With them originated the ''stirrup cup,
the drink taken often on horseback, when part
ing at at the house door. The - loving cup is
passed round at the Lord Mayors dinners in
London, and drained by each guest to the dregs,
a. the present day.
The old English were accustomed 70 drink
their ale from great drinking cups OF black
lea her called black jacks which caused the story
III France that the Eugltsh.wer such wine bib
bsrs that they drank their liquor out or their
boots.
We know that before the introduction of tea
and coffee, ale and beer we're the morning bev-
erages OF both men and women. The Chroni-
icles tell US that Queen Elizabeth drank ale,
beer and wine for her breakfast. At the fetes
held in the last century we have accounts Of the
guests, one and all drinking healths by the "hot
hour out Of hinge silver tankards filled from a
ei,tern Of sack posset standing in the hall.
None Of these customs are 10 vogue at the
present day. II womans husband goes to
dine with country gentleman, she does not ex-
pect him, as matter of course, to lie all night
under the dinner table, or reach home in the
small hours in such condition that he has to be
lifted from his horse, as was the case in Old
England until not very long ago, when county
neighbOrs went to dine with the country squire.
MIR. Spencer seems to have indicated the age,
and established the fact that drinking to inebri-
ETY. is not as respectable in these days az it was
Of yors.