Within The golden _Mean_ confined: beyond, there’s naught Of health, or pleasure. Therefore, when thy Heart Dilates with fervent joys, and eager soul Prompts to persue the sparkling glass, be sure ‘Tis time to shun it; if thou wilt prolong Dire compotation, forthwith Reason quits Her Empire to Confusion, and Misrule, And vain Debates; then twenty Tongues at once Conspire in senseless Jargon, naught is heard But din, and various clamour, and mad Rant: Distrust, and Jealousie to these succeed, And anger-kindling Taunt, the certain Bane Of well-knit Fellowship. Now horrid Frays Commence, the brimming glasses now are hurled With dire intent; Bottles with Bottles clash In rude Encounter. * * * * * Nor need we tell what anxious cares attend The turbulent Mirth of Wine; nor all the kinds Of Maladies, that lead to Death’s grim cave, Wrought by Intemperance: joint-racking Gout, Intestine stone, and pining Atrophy, Chill, even when the sun with July Heats Frys the scorch’d soil; and Dropsy all afloat, Yet craving Liquids. When a poet could thus write, there is no wonder that divines should have used still stronger language. John Disney, in a powerful treatise,[204] agitates for the execution of the laws against immorality. His remarks on the Sunday closing of public-houses are especially applicable now:-- If they must have refreshment, why cannot they have it at their own houses? In truth refreshment is but a pretence for excess and drunkenness. If company meets together in a public-house on Sunday evening, when there is no danger of other business that shall call them away, who shall tell them the critical minute when they are sufficiently refreshed? Except the constable beat up their quarters, they sit very contentedly hour after hour, and call for pint after pint, and make themselves judges of their refreshment till they’re able to judge of nothing at all. If you still ask what harm there is in going to a public-house for only an hour or two, and to stay no longer, I might tell you that ‘tis enough that the Laws have forbidden it, and that her Majesty has reinforced those laws. Bishop Beveridge, who died in Anne’s reign, wrote an important sermon on ‘The Duty of Temperance and Sobriety.’[205] He says:--