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SON. Nay, Sir, converfation is the key: wine is a pick-lock which forces open the box and injures it. A man fhould cultivate his mind fo as to have that confidence and readiness without wine which wine gives." -B. "The great difficulty of refifting wine is from benevolence. For instance, a good worthy man afks you to tafte his wine. which he has had twenty years in his. cellar." -7. Sir, all this notion about benevolence arifes from a man's imagining himfelf to be of more importance to others than he really is. They don't care a farthing whether he drinks wine or not."-SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. "Yes, they do for the time."7. For the time! If they care this minute, they forget it the next. And as for the good worthy man; how do you know he is good and worthy? No good and worthy man will infift upon another man's drinking wine. As to the wine twenty years in the cellar-of ten men, three fay this merely because they muft fay fomething; three are telling a lie. when they fay they have had the wine twenty years; three would rather fave the wine ;-one perhaps cares. I allow it is something to please one's company; and people are always pleased with those who partake pleasure with them. But after a man has brought himself to relin

quifh the great perfonal pleasure which arifes from drinking wine, any other confideration is a trifle. To please others by drinking wine is fomething only if there be nothing against it. I fhould, however, be forry to offend worthy men:

-B.

-7.

Curft be the verfe, how well fo e'er it flow,
That tends to make one worthy man my foe."

"Curft be the Spring, the water." "But let us confider what a fad thing it would be if we were obliged to drink or do any thing elfe that may happen to be agreeable to the company where we are." -LANGTON. "By the fame rule you must join with a gang of cut-purfes."-7. "Yes, Sir: but yet we must do juftice to wine; we muft allow it the power it poffeffes. To make a man pleased with himself, let me tell you, is doing a very great thing."

Some time after this Johnfon again harangued againft drinking wine: "A man (faid he) may choose whether he will have abftemioufnefs and knowledge, or claret and ignorance." Dr. Robertfon (who was very companionable) was beginning to diffent as to the profcription of claret. . (with a placid fmile) "Nay, Sir, you fhall not differ with me; as I have faid that the man is moft perfect who takes in the most things, I am for knowledge and claret."

Mr.

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"Mr. Eliot (fays Mr. B.) mentioned a curious liquor peculiar to his country, which the Cornish fishermen drink. They call it mahogany; and it is made of two parts gin and one part treacle, well beaten together. I begged to have fome of it made, which was done with proper skill by Mr. Eliot. I thought it very good liquor; and faid it was a counterpart of what is called Athol porridge in the Highlands of Scotland, which is a mixture of whiskey and honey." 7. faid, "that must be a better liquor than the Cornish, for both its component parts are better." He alfo obferved, "Mahogany muft be a modern name, for it is not long fince the wood called mahogany was known in this country." I mentioned his fcale of liquors : claret for boys-port for men-brandy for heroes. "Then (faid Mr. Burke) let me have claret: I love to be a boy; to have the careless gaiety of boyifh days."-J. " I fhould drink claret too if it would give me that-but it does not; it neither makes boys men, nor men boys. You'll be drowned by it before it has any effect upon you."

Talking of a man's refolving to deny himfelf the use of wine from moral and religious confiderations, he faid, "He must not doubt about it. When one doubts as to pleasure we know what will be the conclufion. I now no more

think of drinking wine than a horfe does. The wine upon the table is no more for me than for the dog that is under the table. Yet (added he) I did not leave off wine becaufe I could not bear it; I have drunk three bottles of port without being the worse for it.University College has witneffed this."B. "Why then, Sir, did you leave it off?"-7. "Why, Sir, because it is fo much better for a man to be fure that he is never to be intoxicated, never to lofe the power over himself. I fhall not begin to drink wine again till I grow old and want it."-B. "I think, Sir, you once faid to me, that not to drink wine was a great deduction from life." -7. "It is a diminution of pleasure, to be fure; but I do not fay a diminution of happinefs. There is more happiness in being rational."-B. "But if we could have pleasure always fhould not we be happy?-the greatest part of men would compound for pleasure." J. "Suppofing we could have pleasure always, an intellectual man would not compound for it. The greatest part of men would compound, because the greateft part of men are grofs." B. "I allow there may be greater pleasure than from wine. I have had more pleasure from your conversation. I have indeed; I affure you I have."-7.

When

we talk of pleasure we mean fenfual pleasure. Philofophers tell you, that pleasure is contrary to happiness. Grofs, men prefer animal pleasure So there are men who have preferred living among favages. among favages. Now what a wretch muft he be who is content with fuch converfation as can be had among favages!"

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"Dr. Johnfon (fays Mr. B.) recommended me to drink water only: "For (faid he) you are then fure not to get drunk; whereas if you drink wine you are never fure." He however owned, that in his opinion a free ufe of wine. did not fhorten life; and faid, he would not give lefs for the life of a certain Scotch lord (whom he named) celebrated for hard drinking, than for that of a fober man. "But ftay (faid he with his ufual intelligence and accuracy of enquiry), does it take much wine to make him drunk?"-I anfwered, "a great deal cither of wine or ftrong punch." "Then (faid he) that is the worfe." Mr. Bofwell illuftrates his friend's obfervation thus: "A fortrefs, which foon furrenders, has its walls lefs fhattered than when a long and obítinate refiftance is made."

Finding him ftill perfevering in his abstinence from wine, a friend ventured to speak to him of it.-7." Sir, I have no objection to a man's drinking wine if he can

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