Jeft of Mankind, and the meereft Jack-Pudding. He thinks himself a petty King, when he is only Pot-valiant; and talks of nothing lefs than the mighty Power, and perverted Authority he has of committing, or fending foberer People than himself to Prisons and Counters. However, there is one ridiculous Effect more of this fafhionable Vice, which I cannot well omit; that it makes the arranteft Goflips of Men: when they difcover all the Secrets they know, both at Bed and Board; which, either common Modefty, or the leaft Grain of Fidelity, ought to conceal behind the Curtain. They readily fetch and carry Stories into all Companies they frequent, as Spaniels do Gloves; and they do lefs Service with their idle Tatling. They ufually degenerate into the vileft Tale-Bearers, and moft treacherous Blab-Tongues, both in Private and Publick, with their defamatory Slanders, and falfe Invectives against unspotted Innocence. Their Hearts are presently in their Mouths, at a Word fpeaking; they can contain nothing that was faid under the Rofe ; out it all comes, like a rapid Flood; and then the rafh Fools have foon fhot their Bolts: So that fuch leaky Blabbs as thefe, ought to be exploded out of humane Society and Converfation, with the keeneft Satyr of a μow To'x Μνήμονα Συμπόλην, I hate a gofipping Tell-Tale ; as all odious Tatlers in their Cups ought to be fpurn'd with the fmarteft Derifion, according to Horace's ingenious Lampoon

ne fidos inter amicos.

Sit qui dicta for às eliminet;

There ought to be no Remembrance over Night, no telling of Tales out of Doors the

next Day among fober, faithful, prudent PotCompanions. Let all Goffips, drunk or fober, of both Sexes, remember the Fate of Afcalaphus; who was turn'd into an Owl for his Tale-Telling, upon another Occafion. But of all other Creatures living, the Female Drunkard is the most odious and abominable Monfter. To fay nothing of invidious Comparifons; nothing of the Sow wallowing in the Mire, nor the Dog returning to his Vomit. But behold the fad difagreeable Spectacle! Lo the loathfome Beastlinefs of the Action! Filthy, deteftable and execrable in a Maid or Widow, in a Wife or Mother, to the laft Degree of Rebuke and Condemnation, as well as Brutality! In fhort, fhe makes her felf worfe than a Beast of a Woman by Drunkenness, and fo unnatural a Metamorphofe, when in fuch a deplorable Condition! When by often repeating the habitual Sins of falfe Cordials, ftrong Waters, or the Brandy Bottle, &c; She either finks at once into an Antidote, an Averfion, and the Abhorrence of all Mankind; or drops into the Grave, unpitied, unregarded, and perhaps unmarried alfo, to aggravate her Guilt, or finish her wretched State: Under this fatyrical Reproach, Prov. Chap. XX. Ver. 1. That Wine is a Mocker; Strong Drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby, is not wife.

BE that as it will: A wife, difcreet, fober Ministry and Magiftracy, must be highly necessary in any State, to bring those to condign Punishment, that forget the Law by their intemperate Tranfgreffions, among ungovernable Malt-Drinkers, as well as Bacchus's prodigal Sons, or profligate Difciples. For Mi

nifters

nifters of Church or State, either Ecclefiaftical or Civil, will thereby fet a rare Example of Sobriety to inferiour People; as they are ftill moving in a higher Sphere, like bright Stars in their Orbs, and fending forth their excellent Influences upon fublunary Bodies. They will take Care from Above, by a due and induftrious Execution of their refpe&tive well-discharg'd Offices, that the Laws of the Land shall neither be forgotten, nor perverted Below; either for Want of good Admonition, Encouragement and Rewards on the one Hand; or a ftrict Enquiry, fevere Difcouragement, and the Infliction of deferved Penalties on the other, after a fair Hearing on both sides of the Question in Difpute. They will impartially protect the Afflicted, relieve the Oppressed, and discharge the Innocent from any perverse Profecution of malicious Informers. Litigious Barreters, vexatious Pettifoggers, and perjur'd Knights of the Poft, will all be made fenfible of their juft Refentments; and forc'd, either to fly the Court, or to go to Church for Forgiveness, if they have any Grace left to repent of their Rogueries. In fine, they will never fuffer Might to opprefs, or overcome Right, in any diftreffed Condition. Magiftrates, of a meaner Station, will likewife, in all humane Probability, by the Help of this diffufive Virtue, keep the common People in a due Decorum of their Duty, within their feveral Diftricts; and go nearer to reform the flagrant Sin of intemperate Tipling, Junketing, Sporting or Sotting, &c. by their own devouter Practices upon Sundays, and facred Times: Or at least endeavour, by their good Examples, to ftem the Tide, ftop the Breach, and prevent its

over-flowing Half a Kingdom, as well as a Parish, with Prophanenefs and Immorality. There's no conniving at fuch growing Inundations; and Rigour would do better than Remifness in this Cafe. But then they will only bring the Guilty and the grofs Offender to Judgment, by a juft Distinction; and not harrafs the Poor, or hinder afflicted People from getting an honeft Livelihood, by the Accommodation of moderate Refreshments, and necessary Supports of Life, without breaking the Sabbath. The Times are hard; and they hope to fee better Days, than either the greatest Rigour of the Law, or the largest Liberty of Confcience will ever produce, towards the Reformation of their Manners.

ANTIENT Hiftory, in fine, fuper-a-. bounds with fuch strange Inftances, difmal Effects, and dreadful Punishments of this immoral Vice, as well as irreligious Practice; either by brewing of Mischief, or by Acts of Oblivion, not only fubverting the fundamental Laws, but also perverting the Judgment of the Afflicted: that the wholesome Doctrines I would advance from thefe Reflections, but for the Sake of Brevity, are self-evident to any Reader, or Obfervator of the meanest Capacity; taking it for granted, that Temperance muft be wonderfully conducive to the publick Welfare, Juftice and Felicity of a Nation. Not to prefs this Topick too far; but conclude without any more Enquiring, whether Oliver Cromwell himself was not a Brewer's Son, a very hard Drinker, or a worse Wench in his LifeTime, as a certain Hiftorian vouches it for a Truth, Heath's Fagellum; p. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. in the Biography of this outragious young Tar

quin and licentious Debauchee, as well as regal Ravifher. However, he quite forgot his Maker, in wronging his Master, and murdering his Monarch! In a word, he perverted the whole Kingdom

VERSE VI.

GIVE ftrong Drink unto him that is reas dy to perifh; and Wine to those that be of heavy Hearts.

A

PARAPHRASE.

S if the good and gracious Queen had faid in other preffing Words : Hearken to my Advice, Son Solomon! Better is a poor and wife Child, than an old and foolish King, who will no more be admonished. For out of Prifon he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his Kingdom becometh poor : as the Preacher, Eccl. Chap. IV. Ver. 13, 14. has it exprefly : But, and if thou either feeft or hearest of any Perfon ready to famifh with Hunger, and perifh with Thirft; under the pinching Diftreffes of Poverty, Need, Sorrow, Sickness, or any other Adverfity: Give him freely of thy bounteous Liberality fomething that is comfortable, either to eat or to drink, or to restore him to his former Profperity and good State of Health; well-knowing, that the liberal Soul fhall be made fat, and flourish by the meritorious Action. You may take it for granted, upon my Veracity, or the Word of God, that if the liberal Use of good Wine,

or