The Drunkards Character, Section 96 – Section 97
§ 96.
3 THirdly, drunkards censure and slander such as are sober and conscionable, to incite and stirre up others to doe the like: as those ancient enemies of the Gospell, clad the Martyrs in the skinnes of wild beasts, to animate the Dogs to teare them: which is an old and cunning practice of theirs.
We reade that Maximinus set certaine vile persons on worke, to accuse the Christians of heinous crimes, that so he might persecute them, with more shew of Reason: and what any one of them does, is a law to the rest. For as one Dog sets many Dogs on barking; or as one Beacon set on fire, occasions many to be kindled: so one tongue set on fire from Hell, (as St. Iames speakes) sets many others on fire.
The ignorant multitude (as if, with the Zigantes, And the multitude like a flock of sheepe if they see but one take a wrong way all the rest will follo…they fed onelyonly upon Apes flesh) are just like so many Apes, which will imitate any thing they see others doe, though it be to the cutting off a lim: they are like a Kennell of hounds, for if they but heare a good man censured, slandered, or but nicke-named, Puritane, they runne away with the Crye, and barke out the terme against every honest man they meete, to the disgraceing even of vertue and true Religion.
The force of Example prevaileth strongly to produce the likenesse of manners in any; much more with that ignorant fry, the multitude, who can scarcely discerne betweene their right hand and their left, as it fared with those six score thousand Ninivites, Iona, 4. 11. And whose judgments are so light, that (like Philetas Chous, Of which many examples.who was faine to tye lead to his heeles, or the bird Cepphus) every least wind that blowes, is enough to carry them away: for like a flocke of sheepe, which if they see but one take a wrong way, all the rest will follow, and it's easier to drive a flock of them, then one single, as Cato Censorius once spake of the Romans. As for example, let Corah but kindle a fire of conspiracy, two hundred and fifty Captaines will bring wood to encrease it; let but Demetrius the Silversmith begin a quarrell against Paul and his companions, for preaching against Idolatry; when he perceiveth his profit to cease, and his craft in danger to be set at nought, all the workemen of like occupation will joyne with him, and others with them, till the whole City be filled with uproare and confusion, every one taking Diana's part, and not one taking part with God, Act, 19. 23. to 41. you know a stone throwne into the water, makes of it selfe but one circle, but that one begets a hundred: in a word, if but some godlesse persons in Sodom assault just Lot, and his two Angells, before night all the men of the City, from the young even to the old, from all quarters, will compasse the house round about, revile him, and seeke to breake open the dore upon him, yea, though they are strucken with blindnesse, they will still persist, till they have wearied themselves, and feele fire and brimstone about their eares, Gen. 19. 4. to 25.
We give but a touch here (when we could be large) for I speake to those that understand; and plaine things, which our selves are dayly witnesses of, neede no proofe. It is but too well knowne how many blaspheme and persecute the Godly, because they see others doe so; as many will yawne, when they see others yawne; and make water, when they see others doe so before them; that most men yeeld themselves (like dead Images, or engines) to be mooved onelyonly with the wheeles of custome and example.
Like so many fooles, they know their heads are insufficient to direct them, and therefore they resolve that custome shall: whence it is that we are censured, laughed to scorne, and counted silly fooles of the greatest number, that we are made the But of every ones malice, and the subject of all their discourse: for should the world be barred this practice, should we, or could we gag people from censuring, talebearing, slandering, detractions, &c. there would be silence at our boards, silence at our fire …ides, silence in the Taverne, silence on the way, silence in the Barbers shop, in the Mill, in the Market, every where silence, yea, our very Gossips would have nothing to whisper.
Indeed, every visible act of vice, should be our encouragement to vertue; but woe is me, we are Cesternes to sinne, Sives to grace.
§ 97.
Fourthly,4That they may mitigate their owne shamewith our discredit. our infamous drunkards censure and slander us, that they may mitigate their owne shame, with our discredit; having lost their owne, they so vex, if they heare or mee…e another which hath got a good name, that presently they will set upon him, and seeke by all meanes to take it away, as Panus having lost his Boate, sued every one for it that he met.
Their cunning is to condemne others, that themselves may be justified: as Caligula tooke off the heads from the images of the gods, to set up his owne: or as Merchants, who to raise the prices of their owne commodities, beate downe the prices of others: we know the twinkling starres at the approach of the Sunne lose their light, and after regaine it not, untill darkenesse be upon the deepe.
Bad natures, whom they cannot reach by imitation, they will endeavour to doe by detraction: and doe so in some measure, for by making vertue contemptible, and depraving the Godly, they seeme to be upon the same ground with them; being out of hope to attaine to the vertues of the Religious, they seeke to come at even hand, yea, have the better, by depressing them: for like Gamesters at play, what the one loseth, the other wins; or like two buckets in a Well, as the one dryeth, the other dippeth. Yea, their dealing with us, is like that of a Theife, who meeting with a full purse, not onelyonly takes it away, but returnes a stab.
Pride was ever envious and contumelious; thinking she adds so much to her owne reputation; as she detracts from others. And is it not good policy, for a swinish drunkard, or a beastly liver, to fling dirt in a holy mans face, seeing any colour seemes the fairer, when blacke is by?.
But let these depravers take heede, least imitating the fact of Censor Fulvius (who as the Heathens feigne, untiled Iuno's Temple, to cover his owne house) they partake not of the like judgement, runne mad and dye despairing.