New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-25
DRINKING CUSTOMS.
Their Characteristics IN Different
AgeS and Different Countries.

Few questions of public concern have in the
last few years been discussed more thoroughly
ID the press, on the platform and from the pulpit
THAN the question OF re-establishng the canteen
at the various army posts throughout the coun-
try. Well known and we'll meaning men and
women are in favor of maintaining the existing
regulations prohibiting the sale of all alcoholic
drinks at military reservations while equally
well known and we'll meaning people assert that
the re-establshment OF the canteen would be of
great benefit to the soldier and the military ser
vice of the country. The drink question is an
old one. and has agltated the public mind ever
since its abuses and benefits became apparent
Speaking Of drinking customs in England Cam
den says that the English In their long wars in
the Netherlands first learned to drown them
selves with ir1moderate drinking and by drink
ing others healths to impair their own. OF all
the Northern nations, they had been before this
most commended for their sobriety.'' And the
historian adds that the vice had so diffused
itself over the nation that IN days it was
first restrained by severe laws" Tom Nash, a
wit of the reign of Elizabeth had detected the
same origin. and says: "Superiuity In drink is
a sin that ever since we have mixed ourselves
with the Low Countries is counted honorable,
but before we knew their lingering wars was
held III that highest degree of hatred that might
be. Then, if We had seen a man go wallowing
in the streets or lain sleeping under the board,
We should have spat at him, and warned all our
friends out OF his company. Now he is nobody
that cannot drink supernagulum.' 'carouse the
hunters hope, 'quaf vpse freze crosse with
'healths, gloves, mumps, frolickes' and a thou
sand such domineering inventions"
a century ago France and England were ruled
by statesmen whose mental abilities were only
equalled by their herculean capacity for absorb
ing alcoholic drink Lord Carteret, according to
Carlyle. is known chiefly by occasional bursts
Of strong. rugged speech which came from him.
and good deal of wine taken into him"
Charles Townsend is best known by the cham
payne speech &" which Horace Walpole has re-
ported for the amusement Of posterity. Will
fam Pitt, the first Earl of Chatham, whose mas
terly genius in a few short years made England
an empire was wholly himself only when a
sharp fit of govt had driven the fumes of port
and claret from his brain" His famous son,
who added lustre to the name of William
Pitt, INDUCED in mad escapade after a dinner
with Jenkinson, Earl of Liverpool and Dundas
Riding back TO London late at night, they saw
open tollgate. and. thinking that it would be
a capital joke TO ride through it without paying
they spurred their horses and dashed by the
dollhouse. The gatekeeper, thinking they were
highwaymen. shot his musket after them. This
incident found place in THE Rosciad" in the
following lines:
Pitt wandering darklng DER the plain,
His reason drowned in Jenkinson's champagne,
A rustics hand but righteous Fate withstood,
Had shed premer's for Z robbers blood.
Lord lie Dispenser, another statesman of the
Georgian era, is described by his friend and COM
panion, John Wilkes, as one who. from puz-
zling all his life at tavern bills. was called by
Lord Butte to administer the finances of a king
dom above one hundred millions (pounds) in
debt" Rigby, wine drinking place hunter,
whose name was placed in the stocks by .Junius
and 9TH Of hat hi
dence among the swamps of Essex in order that
he might have an excuse for using brandy as
the rest Of the world used small beer" Charles
Fox. the first liberal statesman Of the modern
school. wrote. while staying in Paris, to a
friend in London: "I supped last with Lauzun
Fitzjames and Others at what they call a club
a TAnglais. The champagne and tokay
were excellent; thstanding the foods made
du ponche with bad rum" Lord Weymouth.
Secretary of State under George III, was ceIe-
brated drunkard. OF him Junius wrote: HE
must have bread. my lord, or, rather, he must
have wine" IN Trevelyan's History of
Charles James Fox" this lord is said. while in
Office. to have still boozed till daylight and
dozed I'm the afternoon" Horace Walpole APP
parenty was sorely hurt by Weymouth's sue
cess If I paid nobody he scolded, land went
drunk to bed every morning at G, 1 might
expect to be called of bed by IN the
afternoon the nation and govern the
House Of Lords by two three sentences
profound ard short the proverbs of Solo
mon" The Earl of Sandwich. whose name
given 10 the most important discovery of Cap
tain Cook, was the most methodical of public
officials as well as the hardest liver of that age
OF hard livers Treveyan says that this man
of i'll repute was elected high steward of Cam
bridge University within six weeks of the time
that his initiation into the orgies and bias
phernies of AIedrnenham Abbey had become mat
ter for comment throughout the length and
breadth of England"
They tell me, Sir John" said George III to
one of his favorites, that you love a glass of
wine" Those who have so informed your
majesty was the reply, have done me injus-
tice; they should have said a bottle" There is
an accurate picture of the age in Walpole's
Memoirs. Lord Cholmondeley." he wrote, died
last Saturday He seventy and had a
stitution 10 have carried him to hundred. If
he had not destroyed il by intemperance
that would nave killed any else in half the
time AS it was he had outlived by fifteen
years all his set VINO have reeled into the ferry
boat so long before him" Speaking of the art
of drinking, Samuel Johnson says: Drinking
may be practised with great prudence; a
who exposes himself when he is intoxicated has
not the art of getting drunk; sober man who
happens occasionally to get drunk, readily
enough goes into new company, which man who
has been drinking should never do. Such a man
will undertake anything; he is without skill in
inebriation. I used to stink home when had
drunk too much. A accustomed to self
examination Will be conscious when he is drunk.