The dedication of the church is yerely had in minde, With worship passing catholicke, and in a wond’rous kinde; * * * * * Then sundrie pastimes do begin, and filthy daunces oft; When drunkards they do lead the daunce with fray and bloody fight, That handes and eares and head and face are torne in wofull plight. The streames of bloud runne downe the armes, and oftentimes is seene The carkasse of some ruffian slaine is left upon the greene. Here many for their lovers sweete some dainty thing do true, And many to the taverne goe and drinke for companie, Whereat they foolish songs do sing, and noyses great do make; Some in the meanewhile play at cardes, and some the dice do shake. Their custome also is the priest into the house to pull, Whom, when they have, they thinke their game accomplished at full; He farre in noyse exceedes them all, and eke in drinking drye The cuppes, a prince he is.[104] Such a description is of itself an ample justification of the censure of the clergy in the injunctions of Elizabeth, among which we find: ‘The clergy shall not haunt ale-houses or taverns, or spend their time idly at dice, cards, tables, or any other unlawful game.’ But amidst all these dissipated distractions, influences of a qualifying character were also at work. The powerful pen of Bacon was writing, ‘All the crimes on the earth do not destroy so many of the human race, nor alienate so much property, as drunkenness.’ George Gascoigne was holding up an honest old-fashioned mirror, true as steel, to the faults and vices of his countrymen.[105] In his curious treatise, the full title of which is ‘_A Delicate Diet for Daintie Mouthde Droonkards; wherein the fowle abuse of common carousing and quaffing with heartie draughtes, is honestly admonished_,’ he vigorously inveighs against the popular drinks: ‘We must have March Beere, dooble-dooble Beere, Dagger-Ale, Bragget, Renish wine, White-wine, French wine, Gascoyne wine, Sack, Hollocke, Canaria wine, Vino Greco, Vinum amabile, and al the wines that may be gotten. Yea, wine of itselfe is not sufficient; but Sugar, Limons, and sundry sortes of spices must be drowned therein.’ Spenser was teaching the virtues of temperance in that marvellous production in which chivalry and religion are so matchlessly blended, his _Faery Queen_. The second book contains the legend of Sir Guyon, or of Temperance. The knight is sent upon an adventure by the Fairy Queen, to bring captive to her court an enchantress named Acrasia, in whom is imaged the vice of Intemperance. The various adventures which he meets with by the way are such as show the virtues and happy effects of temperance, or the ill consequences of intemperance. But before claiming for the sons of Rechab a patron in Spenser, it must be told that the same author in his _Epithalamion_ harps on other strings. There we read:--