The Drunkards Character, Section 20 – Section 21
§ 20.
Drunkennesse the cause of adultery▪NOW as drunkennesse is the cause of murther, so it is no lesse the cause of adultery yea, as this sinne is most shamefull in it selfe, so it maketh a man shamelesse in committing any other sin; whereof lu…t is none of the last, nor none of the least. Yea, saith Ambrose, the first evill of drunkennesse, is danger of chastity; for Bacchus is but a pander to Venus: hereupon Romulus made a law, that if any woman were found drunke, shee should dye for it; taking it for granted, that when once drunke, it was an easie matter to make her a whore.
The stomach is a Limbeck, wherein the spirit of lust is distilled; meates are the ingredients, and wine the onelyonly fire that extracts it. For as the flame of mount Aetna is fed onelyonly by the vapours of the adjacent sea: so this fire of lust is both kindled and maintained by surfeiting and drunkennesse. When the belly is filled with drinke, then is the heart inflamed with lust, and the eyes so filled with adultery, that they cannot but gaze upon strange women, as Salomon Shewes, Prov. 23. 33. whereas love, saith Crates, is cured with hunger.
You know when the Iron is hot, the Smith can fashion it to his pleasure: and wine tempers the heart like wax, for the divels impression: when a man is drunk, Sathan may stamp in his heart the soules… sinne, but lust will admit no denyall. Yea, drunkennesse inflames the soule, and fills that with lusts as hot as hell; high diet is adulteries nurse. They rose up in the morning like fed Horses, saith the Prophet, (and what followes, every man neighed after his neighbours wife) Ier. 5. 8. which is more then true with us, for drunkards like the Horse and Mule which have no …nderstanding, no shame, no conscience, &c. especially your brazen brain'd, and flinty foreheaded clownes, can no sooner spie a woman, or maide, chast, or unchast, even in the open streets, but they will fall to imbraceing and tempting her with ribaldry, scurrility, & turning every vvord she speakes to some lascivious & obscene sense, vvhereof they are not a little proud, though it vvould make a vvise and modest man, even spue to heare them. But to goe on.
When Lot is drunke, hee is easily drawne to commit incest with his owne daughters; not once perceiving when they lay downe, nor when they rose up, Gen. 19. 32. to 36. Rarò vidi continentem, quem non vidi …bstinentem, saith St. Austin, you shall rarely see a man continent, that is not abstinent: and it's a true rule, for that heate which is taken at the Taverne, must be alaid at the brothelhouse; the blood which is fired with Bacchus, must be cooled with Venus; and soe Sathan takes two Pigeons with one beane. And the Divell should forget both his office and malice, if hee did not play the pander to Co…cupiscence, this way for idlenesse, makes way for loose company; loose company, makes way for wine; wine, makes way for lust; and lust makes worke for the Devill; Venus comes out of the froth of this Sea.
I will never believe that chastity ever slept in the Drunkards bed; for, although I cannot say that every whormonger is given to drunkennesse; yet I may truely say, that there are no Drunkards but are either given over, or greatly inclined to whoredome.
This sinne fills the heart, and eye (both eyes) if not the whole life, with horrible filthinesse, naturall, unnaturall, any: this is so cleare a truth, that darknesse it selfe saw and confest it; even a Poet of the Heathens could call eating and drinking the fuell that maintaines the fier of Lust; for Lust, saith hee, is quenched by abstinence, kindled by excesse, and nothing sooner kills this tetter then that fasting spittle of abstinence; for how should the wieke burne without tallow, or the lampe without oyle?
That Wine is an inducement to Lust, David well knew, or else hee had spared those superfluous cups: but when hee would have forced Vria… to lye with his wife, that so shee might have a colour for her great belly, and the child might appeare legitimate, hee first made him drunke, 2 Sam. 1 1. 13. Even as Ice is ingendered of water: so is Lust of intemperance. The Drunkard is like a Salamander stone, which fires at the sight of every flame: yea, if hee but see a whore, and shee him, like the Weesell and Ba…iliske, they poyson each other with their sight, Pro. 7.
One Devill is ready to helpe another in mischiefe: hee that tarrieth long at the wine, saith Salomon, his eyes shall looke upon strange women, and his heart shall speake lewd things, Proverbs. 23. 33. and St. Paul witnesseth, that the fruits of gluttony and drunkennesse, are chambering and wantonnesse, Rom. 13. 13.
Yea, as drunkennesse is the onelyonly businesse of loyterers: so lewd love is the onelyonly businesse of Drunkards; for while they are awake they thinke and speake of it, and when they are asleepe (even when other mens thoughts lye at Anchor) they nothing but dreame of it; and what is it a Drunkard loves halfe so well as a whore?
Yea, Wine so inflames the Drunkard with Lust; that were his power equall to his desire, were his dreames and wishes all true, hee would not leave a Virgin in the world; might but his acts answer the number of his desires, nature could scarce supply him with severall objects; or could his wishes, take effect, Popery might have many Nuns, it should have no maids.
Now what decayes health, and strength, and consequently shortens a mans dayes more then whoredome? when so many dye of the Pox, a disease which slayes thousands, though they will not be known of it; for, because of the whorith woman, a man is brought to a morsell of bread, Pro. 6. 26. yea, shee causeth many to fall downe wounded, and all the strong men are slaine by her, her house is the way unto the grave, which leadeth downe to the chamber of death, Pro. 7. 26. 27.
And so much of the drunkards body.
§ 21.
SEcondly, if wee dive deeper into him,Drunkennes Beastiates the soule. and Search into his soule: what one sinne more mangles and defaces Gods Image, and mans beauty, then this? how doth it damme up the head and spirits with mud? how doth it infatuate the understanding, blind the judgement, pervert the will, and corrupt all the affections? how doth it intrap the desires, surprise the thoughts and bring all the powers and faculties of the soule out of order? which occasioneth one to say, where drunkennesse raignes as King, there reason is banished as an exile, the understanding is dulled, counsell wandereth, and judgment is overthrowne. And with this accordeth Seneca, who defines drunkennesse to be a voluntary madnesse, or a temporary forfeiture of the wits: yea, the Holy Ghost affirmes, that the excesse of wine makes men mad, foolish, and outragious, Pro. 20. 1. for being worse then the sting of an Aspe, it poysoneth the very soule, and reason of man.
Yea, wee finde this and a great deale more by experience: for many a man drinkes himselfe out of his wits, and out of his wealth, and out of his credit, and out of all grace and favour, both with God and good men.
Neither is the Scripture lesse expresse: for Salomon calls wine a mocker, and tells us that strong drinke is raging. And Hosea affirmes, that wine takes away the heart, Chap. 4. 11. And wee reade elsewhere, that wine makes men forget God, and his lawes, Pro. 31. 5. Yea, utterly to fall away from God, and to be incapable of returning, for it is commonlie accompanied with hardnesse of heart, and final impenitence, Esa. 5. 11. 12. and 56. 12. Pro. 23. 35.
For admonish such as are bewitched and besotted with the love of wine, you speak to men senseles, past shame, and past grace. Tell them of some better imployment, they will say as once Florus (an idle fellow) was wont, I would not be Caesar, alwayes marching in armor: to whom Casear replyed, and I would not be Florus, alwayes drinking in a Taverne. Yea, being wrapt in wine, and warme cloathes, they so like their condition, that they would not change upon any termes, no, not to be glorified Saints in Heaven: as those swine, and other brutish creatures, which Circe transformed, would by no meanes be perswaded to become men againe, though they were put to their choice by the said goddesse (or forceresse rather) upon the earnest request of Vlysses. You shall never perswade a Drunkard, that the water of life is the best wine. In a word, by long custome they turne delight into necessity, and bring upon themselves such an insatiable thirst, that they will as willinglie leave to live, as leave their excessive drinking: in regard whereof, St. Austin, compares drunkennesse to the pit of Hell, into which when a man is once fallen, there is no redemption.
Yea, this vice doth not onelyonly rob men of reason, but also of common sense; so as they can neither prevent future danger, nor feele present smart.
But of this enough: having already proved them as much worse then beasts, as beasts are better then Devills. Besides, I shall occasionallie treate more of the soules Character, in sundry particulars which follow.