' each other with ponderous and formidable clubs. Limbs are fractured, bones smashed, skulls laid open: no exclamation of pain escapes from these ferocious savages; the air resounds only with frightful vociferations. He who falls without having found a victim, dies rather from despair than from the hurts he has received; and the warrior who has laid low a few enemies, soon expires without regretting the loss of life.* Among the American savages, the free use of intoxicating liquors has produced dreadful ravages. The French found this practice of advantage in their trading transactions. Charlevoix describes some awful scenes which he witnessed in the streets of Montreal, occasioned by intoxication. Husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, were frequently seen in this state worrying each other, like so many wolves. This writer says, that the Europeans when they settled in North America, soon found that supplying the natives with spirituous liquors, promoted their trading interests, by making them incapable of attending to business, so "they waged a war," he remarks, "of gin and brandy against the various tribes, some of which have been subdued, and others almost wholly extirpated by their own drunkenness."+ The Rev. Mr. Andrews thus describes the effect of intoxicating liquor upon the Mohawk Indians. "They grow quite mad, burn their own little huts, murder their wives and children, or one another, so that their wives are forced to hide their guns and hatchets, and themselves too, for fear of mischief."+ Among the American savages, when any business of importance is transacted, they appoint a feast, of which almost the whole tribe partakes. The Brazilian savages differ very little in this respect from their brethren in the North. When they hold a feast they proceed from house to house, consuming the liquor until they become quite infuriated, and in this state commit the most dreadful excesses. Speaking of Chili, Raynal says, "The natives had, like most savages, become excessively fond of spirituous liquors, and when intoxicated used to take up arms, massacre all the Span Arago's Voyage. Charlevoix. Journal of a Voyage to North America, Letter viii. ards they met with, and ravage the country near their dwellings."* Similar practices are found among the Araucano Indians in South America. A recent observer says: "On their great feasts they drink large quantities of a very intoxicating liquor called Chicha, made from maize, which they sow for this purpose, although no other signs of agricultural cultivation are to be found among them. The elder females of the tribe prepare this beverage by chewing the maize, which they afterward collect in a trough resembling a canoe, and having added a sufficient quantity of water to the masticated roots, leave it to ferment, covering the trough carefully with mats. Previous to these feasts which end in premeditated intoxication, they voluntarily surrender their spears and knives to the women, who secrete them in the woods, as they are conscious of their propensity to quarrelling and fighting when excited by liquor. A guard is always appointed from among the warriors, who retain their weapons and taste no chicha until the next day. On particular occasions of rejoicing they drink this beverage mingled with horse's blood, which they believe endows them with preternatural strength and agility."+ The Russians are very much addicted to the free use of ardent spirits. Brandy is their favourite liquor. Distillation is encouraged by the Government of that country, and forms a fruitful source of revenue. Morewood‡ calculates its annual consumption at 5,500,000 vedros,§ or 27,500,000 gallons. The same author relates, that in one province and the adjoining districts called Penza, there are no less than 397 stills at work, which are wrought by 982 men. The natives of Kamschatka are exceedingly attached to inebriating liquors, and the traders frequently tempt them to part with valuable sables and other furs for small quantities of brandy. This infamous practice has been successfully adopted by designing and avaricious traders. The Swedes have a strong propensity to intoxicating liquors, and indulge in them freely. This may be in a great measure attributed to the injurious patronage of the Raynal's Hist. of East and West Indies. London, 1788, vol. iv. p. 209. Campaigns and Cruises in Venezuela and New Grenada, p. 391. Morewood's Essay on Intoxicating Liquors, p. 248. Vedro, a measure containing from 15 to 20 quarts. sale of ardent spirits by the Government of that country, about the latter part of the last century. Drinking is now associated with all their customs, and even among the temperate members of society, a dram is in general taken before every meal. A German paper lately stated the astonishing fact, that not more than 40 years ago the Swedish people consumed only five millions of bottles of brandy, whereas now 22 millions are scarcely sufficient for their annual consumption. Statistical calculations prove that three-fourths of the crimes committed in that country are to be attributed to intemperance. It is the custom for women of certain villages in the country, on occasions of great feasts, to put on graveclothes, when they go to fetch their husbands, in order to have them ready in case of necessity.* The Laplanders are also much attached to intoxicating drink; indeed, so much so that they have been known to exchange their valuable animals for small quantities of spirits. The habit of drinking is also associated with many of their social customs, and is of course productive of most injurious consequences both to themselves and their families. * Morning Advertiser, Dec. 28, 1835. CHAPTER IV. THE HISTORY OF INTEMPERANCE IN CONNEXION WITH THE PROFESSION OF RELIGION, AND ITS EFFECTS ON RELIGIOUS WElfare. "Wo to them that are at ease in Zion, that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph."-Aмos vi. 1, 6. "But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgement."—ISAIAH XXviii, 7, EVERY thing which has connexion with the sanctity of religion necessarily possesses peculiar importance. Hence arises the necessity of separating from the profession of religion all practices not sanctioned by the Divine authority, but associated with its various ordinances by the vitiated habits of degenerate times. No practice has been more intimately connected with the ordinances of religion, in all ages of the world, than the use of strong drink. In this stage of our inquiry, it is intended to ascertain the origin and progress of this custom, and its conse quences in relation to religious welfare. In the course of this investigation, some singular elucidations will transpire in reference to a striking similarity which exists between the drinking habits of the people, both of Heathen and of Christian nations. 1. Intemperance in connexion with the Religious CEREMONIES OF THE HEATHENS. The religious rites and ceremonies of the ancient heathens greatly contributed to foster the vice of intemperance. The numerous festivals held by these nations, formed a fruitful source of temptation to this sin. Athenæus informs us, that all their luxurious entertainments were occasioned by devotion to the gods, Ρασα συμποσίου συναγωγη την αιταιν εις θεον ανεφε ρε. These religious festivals were at first conducted with temperance and decorum, except when they were desirous of making special acknowledgement for some signal mark of divine favour. On such occasions they indulged freely in wine, for which reason the feast was called Oovrai, because they imagined they were obliged at those times to be drunk in honour of the gods! οτι δια τους θεους οἶνουσθαι δεῖν ὑπελαμβανον. The most important of these festivals was the one held at the conclusion of the vintage, or gathering in of the grapes. At this time they were accustomed to drink freely, esteeming it as an honourable offering of the first fruits to the gods. Seleucus, in Aristotle, states that the words θαλια and μεθη were similarly derived. Του τε οινον επι πλεῖον και την αλλην ηδυπαθειαν θεων ενεκα προσφέρεσθαι, διο και θοίνας και θαλίας και μέθος wvopaoonvai; because it was usual at those times to consume great quantities of wine and other provisions, in honour of the gods.* These profane notions were but too much in unison with the inclinations of the people, among whom they obtained. The frugality with which their more ancient festivals had been conducted, gradually disappeared. As the heathens increased the number of their gods, so was the number of their festivals enlarged, until, in progress of time, these, originally solemn occasions, were regarded as privileged opportunities of sensual indulgence. It may be stated that, the festivals under consideration, were more or less common to all the heathen nations. Strabo informs us, that "the practice was common both to Greeks and barbarians." Among the most numerous of these festive occasions were those held in honour of BACCHUS, the God of Wine. At Athens, the very focus of heathen wisdom and idolatrous abominations, the bacchanalian orgies were celebrated with great splendour, and in particular those which were denominated Dionysia. Some idea may be formed of the estimation in which they were held, when it is known that the archons, or chief magistrates, patronized the proceedings, and had a share in their management. During the processions, which were always held on these occasions, various ceremonies were performed, in the course of which the grotesque gestures of the drunkard were imitated. These proceedings invariably closed with the most disgusting, drunken, and licentious scenes of degrading debauchery. Plato informs us, that he witnessed the whole of the city of Athens drunk, during the Bacchic festivals.† The ancients erected statues in honour of Bacchus, who Potter's Grecian Antiquities, vol. i. p. 418. † Plato lib. i. de leg. |