The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-03-24
ALCOHOL m HISTORY.
Peter the Great q elutton and a
'o9 Drunkard.

oa Drunkard.
Mr.. Eugene Schuyler, author Of
the "Life Of Peter the Great" finds
it difficult to understand how q
man so intelligent and naturally
SO well disposed as the Gear Peter
of Russia could be at times so pas
sIonate, neadstrong and cruel.
We cannot doubt that he had q
sense OF duty as ruler of IN empire,
and he strove with earnest purpose
to increase the happiness OF his
people.
At one time, when he was cut
ting off Russian heads by hundreds,
the Patriarch OF the national church
went TO him, bearing in his hands
the image of the Virgin, and exhort-
Ell him to have mercy on his sub
jects.
What business is it of thine?"
said the Czar, with anger. Know
that reverence God and His Holy
Mother more earnestly, perhaps,
than thou dost. 1t is duty of my
sovereign office, and duty that 1
owe TO God, to save my people from
harm, and TO protect with public
vengeance crimes that lead to the
common ruin"
The work of decapitstion went
on, therefore. The infuriated En-
perof compelled the mobiles of his
court to act as executioners. On
one occasion, as Mr.. Schuyler re
cords, as many as 109 men, ac
cused of mutiny and treason, were
decapitated by the nobies, in the
presence of the Gar, who even, 1T
is said, used the AK sometimes with
his own hands. 1t was not uncom-
mon for him to strike his courtlers
with his fist. Upon the whole, he
behaved like patriot and philan
thropist who was subject to fits OF
insanity.
"How are we to account for
this2" is Mr.. Schuyler's conun-
drum. We answer in two words:
Strong drink,
Peter was one of the steadlest and
deepest drinkers of whom history
makes mention. Reading one of
Mr.. Schuyler's articles reminded US
of passage in the 'Diary of the
Duke OF Saint Simon"-a noble
man of the court of Louis XIV. oil
Franee-in which he describes the
table exploits OF the Gar during
his residence in Paris IN lit.
We translate a sentence or two
from the record of this trustworthy
eyewitness:
"What the Gear ate and drank in
his two regular meals is inconceiva
BILE, without reckoning what he
swallowed IN beer, lemonade and
other drinks between the repasts.
A bottle or two of beer, as much or
more of wine, then some liquor, and
at the end of the least a half pint,
or even pint, of brandy-this was
the regular allowance"
At the opera. in the midst of the
most elegant audience in the world
the thirsty Russian asked for beer
The polite French were equal to the
emergency, which. indeed, they had
foreseen. A mighty goblet of beef
was brought. The Duke of Orleans
Regent of the kingdom Louis XIV
being a child OF 7 years), rose, took
the goblet, presented it to the Gar
and remained standing while he
drank the beer; then received the
goblet and handed the Gar q nap
kin upon plate.
The sudience gazed upon the
spectacle in silent amazeinent. Sus
tanned by the beer, Peter found him
self able to hear another act of the
opera, hut he could not sit out the
performance.
ave love to decorate our vices
with fine names," says Goethe, and
historians love to decorate the vi
ces OF their heroes in the same man
ner. But in frankness it must be
said that Peter the Great was a
glutton and a drunkard. He pollu-
ted his whole organism with alco
hol. He clogged his system with
superfuous blood.
Naturally, he was just, patri-
otic and benevolent man, with i'm
mense vital power, and lndomitable
resolution. Strong drink and an
overburdened stomach made him at
times a savage and a maniac, as il
did his brother, King Frederick of
Prussia, him of tle regiment of gi-
ants, who kicked his children, and
made lIIe terrible to his family and
court.