The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-03-17
THE GRE AT DESTROYER.

Drunkenness Is still SO common that oc
casionally temperance workers feel inclined
to despair. 1t may be worth while to glance
at the history OF our drinking customs. for
without some knowledge OF causes We can.
not hope to remove effects.
1t would be poor explanation Of tree
that said nothing OF its roots. Drunkenness
Is deadly tree with many roots, deep and
old.
Starting with the early British inhabi-
tants OF this country {England), we find they
knew how to make three forms Of strong
drink-CD metheglin, or mead, which Is
made from honey; (2) ale. which is made
from grain; (3) cider, which Is made Of
apples. An old historian. Diodorus, says Of
these Britons: "Their ordinary drink was
water. Upon extraordinary occasions they
barley, honey or apples, and when tntoxi-
Gated never failed to quarrel" 80"
The British had houses, In which travellers
might find shelter for themselves and their
horses. These were really inns.
The Romans entered Britain in 43 and re-
mained about $50 years. They introduced
wine to tho natives, and the use OF the sign
board. which was bush.
After the Romans withdrew, the Saxons
conquered great part of the island. They
were great drinkers, and often got drunk
upon mead, which an old poet describes as
ga friend to the lips aud foe to the life"
We can scarcely understand now the savage.
coarse brutality of those Saxons.
On one occasion they proposed to make a.
treaty OF peace with Vortgern by feast.
The Saxons made their British guests drunk,
and each drew his knife and killed his man.
Three hundred British mobiles are said to
have been slain in state of intox1cation on
that occasion.
The Danes made lnroads next upon the
SaIons. The Danes were. II possible, more
terrible drunkards than the Saxons them
selves. ..sA
We know from various sources to what
dreadful state the country was reduced by
drunkenness. In $50 synod was held by
the bishop, st. David, to enact new canons,
so as to repress drunkenness.
These Sanons more than thirteen hundred
years ago spoke in no uncertain way. They
decreed; "He who forces another to get
drunk out Of hospitality must do penance, as
ifhe had got drunk himself: but he who, out
of hatred or wickedness, In order to disgrace
or mock others, forces them to get drunk,
must do penance as murderer OF souls.
About four hundred years Later the great
Dunstan found time to devise the peg-tan-
kard, In order to stop drunkenness and quar-
rIeing. But 1t failed. =
This brings us practically to the time Of
William the Conquerer. and here we may
pause.
Clearly drunkenness is no new thing. It
Is not only as old as England, but 1t Is part
OF English custom and character. It got
possession Of our forefathers, when their
choice OF beverages was very small, and
when scientific knowledge Of food and drink
had not come to them. -.
This scourge of drunkenness arose from
mans need of something to drink, and It
spread by his carelessness and ignorance, till
1t became the giant custom which carried
destruction everywhere. II
Our great lesson from this very brief out
line is that drunkenness must be fought by
these homely means which provides for mans
wants and change our social customs, no
less than by moral enthusiasm and religious
faith.-Rev. Dennis Bird.