sensual gratification. The transitory pleasures of sense often engage the attention and captivate the affections, while the nobler and more durable enjoyments of intellectual cultivation, are but too little estimated or relished. The excessive toil and care which are so generally the lot of the humble classes of mankind, may be considered as other powerful auxiliaries to intemperance. The lives of a large proportion of the operative part of the community are in general passed in mere animal exertion, having few opportunities or even motives for moral or intellectual improvement. The habitations of the same class are too frequently found devoid of those domestic comforts which other branches of society possess. The duty of providing for a numerous family often presses heavily upon them, and often too, is there but a scanty supply of labour for furnishing still scantier means of support. Under circumstances of this description it can excite little surprise, that in too many instances, these unfortunate individuals resort to such attractive means of temporary relief from their distresses, as may opportunely be presented to their notice, and placed within their reach. Fascinating inducements to intemperance, are held out at houses established and licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquors. At these seductive abodes, the infatuated votaries of strong drink, endeavour, for a few moments, to banish the cares and sorrows with which they are depressed. An intelligent writer observes, "that the moral inducements for drinking inebriating compounds, are much more prevalent than even the physical pretences." "The desire," he further remark, "for oblivion of care, of irksome business and of laborious thought; expectation of drowning sorrow, and of repelling misfortune; the wish to feel ourselves prosperous, or to be flattered by pleasing hopes, are the chief reasons for desiring strong liquors."* Individuals more elevated in the scale of society, it is to be feared, endeavour to obtain relief from toil and care by undue indulgence in sensual pleasure. It has been correctly observed, that exhausting toils unfit the mind to withstand temptation, and a great portion of mankind are but too willing to alleviate the ills of life with so soothing

* Lecture on Fermented Liquors, by Sir A. Carlysle.

but deceitful an antidote as is presented to them in the form of intoxicating liquors.

?

Another cause of intemperance among the poor and labouring classes, is the general sensuality and earthliness of the community. "There is indeed," remarks a recent writer, "much virtue, much spirituality, in the prosperous classes, but it is generally unseen. There is a vastly greater amount in these classes of wordliness, of devotion to the senses, and this stands out in bold relief. The majority live unduly for the body. Where there is little intemperance in, the common acceptation of that term, there is yet a great amount of excess. Thousands who are never drunk, place their chief happiness in pleasures of the table. How much of the intellect of this community is palsied, how much of the expression of the countenance blotted out, how much of the spirit buried, through unwise indulgence! What is the great lesson, which the more prosperous classes teach to the poorer Not self-denial, not spirituality, not the great Christian truth, that human happiness lies in the triumphs of the mind over the body, in inward force and life. The poorer are taught by the richer, that the greatest good is ease, indulgence. The voice which descends from the prosperous, contradicts the lessons of Christ and of sound philosophy. It is the sensuality, the earthliness of those who give the tone to public sentiment, which is chargeable with a vast amount of the intemperance of the poor. How is the poor man to resist intemperance? Only by a moral force, an energy of will, a principle of self-denial in his soul. And where is this taught him? Does a higher morality come to him from those whose condition makes them his superiors? The great inquiry which he hears among the better educated is, what shall we eat and drink, and wherewithal shall we be clothed? Unceasing struggles for outward, earthly, sensual good, constitutes the chief activity which he sees around him. To suppose that the poorer classes should receive lessons of luxury and self-indulgence from the more prosperous, and should yet resist the most urgent temptations to excess, is to expect from them a moral force, in which we feel ourselves to be sadly wanting. In their hard conflicts, how little of life-giving truth, of elevating thought, of heavenly

aspiration, do they receive from those above them in worldly condition !” *

The spirit of excitement which is natural to man, constitutes, when improperly directed, a powerful auxiliary to the formation of intemperate habits. The spirit of excitement, usually accompanied by the pride of emulation, is strongly exhibited in the customs and practices connected with drinking, as will be amply illustrated in the ensuing pages. No class of causes has so greatly contributed to foster intemperance as the vitiated customs and practices of society. Man is, to a great extent, the creature of habit. He adheres with almost invincible tenacity to the associations by which he has been surrounded from early years. It is, therefore, of infinite importance that youth should be early initiated into the acquisition and practice of good habits. Evil habits easily and naturally increase in strength. A poet remarks:

Ill habits gather by unseen degrees,

As brooks run rivers, rivers run to seas.

The association of indulgence in the use of intoxicating liquors with the intercourses of social life, forms a powerful inducement to the formation of intemperate habits. This injurious mode of cultivating the pleasures of society has unfortunately prevailed in almost all civilized countries, and in every age and climate of which the records have reached our own.

In the present day scarce any important event can be passed over without the introduction of what is called "The Social Glass." Each progressive period in the life of man, commencing from his birth, and extending to his death, is more or less associated with the introduction of alcoholic liquors. Marriage is seldom celebrated without the seductive aid of the spirit or wine bottle;+ the birth of a child is hailed by the introduction

* An Address on Temperance, by Wm. E. Channing, D.D. + History presents to us many examples of serious evils arising from the use of intoxicating liquor at marriage feasts. Stowe relates, that in the year 1446, there was a wedding near Zeghebuic, celebrated with such intemperance, that no less than nine score persons, men and women, died of excessive eating and drinking.

of the social glass; the several events of christening, coming of age, and other equally important periods in

*

In the beginning of the seventeenth century, a riot took place at Thurgau, Switzerland, which originated in a drunken brawl at a wedding. Very considerable mischief was occasioned thereby, and for the time being, the law and constituted authorities were set at defiance.-Zschoke's Switzerland, p. 220.

Illustrations of Intemperance at marriage feasts might be multiplied to a considerable extent. The reader no doubt is acquainted with examples of a more familiar character.

*Coming of age. The following awful occurrences took place, July, 1830, in a certain part of Scotland. A gentleman of large estates, whose name in charity is screened from public notice (although announced in the papers of the day,) gave a large feast on his coming of age; of which the workmen and certain others partook. A large ox was roasted and placed in the middle of the square. "The company took their seats about two o'clock in the afternoon, and then commenced the cutting up and distributing of the ox to which was added an unlimited supply of porter, strong ale, and whiskey. Four half hogsheads of porter and six of strong ale, with about sixty gallons of whiskey were provided for the occasion. When the party had sufficiently regaled themselves, and had often devoted copious libations to the happiness of their generous employer and his amiable lady, they quietly dispersed. No sooner had the company already mentioned left their seats, than the spectators took possession of them, and the work of jollification went on briskly. Nor were the intoxicating draughts confined to those who encompassed the immense rustic table; pitchers of whiskey mixed with strong ale and porter, were served out in the most liberal manner to all who chose to participate in them. The consequence was, that in a very short time hundreds were in a state of deep intoxication, and handbarrows and carts were instantly put in requisition to convey them to their several habitations. On the roads from Bannockburn Muir, in every direction people were found lying perfectly helpless. One man states, that between Bannockburn and Stirling, he loosened the neckcloths, and placed in elevated positions, no less than eight individuals, evidently in danger of suffocation. But the scene around the table baffles description. Some ran thither to assist fathers-others to help sons; -some to aid brothers-others to succour husbands-and not a few husbands to bring away frail wives. It frequently happened too, that those who proffered assistance to others were prevailed on to "taste the liquor," and therefore soon stood as much in need of aid themselves as those to whom they meant to extend it. Men, women, and children, were to be seen staggering about in inimitable confusion, tumbling over each other with the utmost unconcern, and lying by scores in every direction, neither able to tell their names nor their residences. On Sunday morning, parties were out in all directions, looking for relations and friends, and removing them from the highways that they might not be observed by people going to church."

the life of man, are similarly celebrated; and even the last solemn ceremony of burial is too frequently desecrated by vinous indulgence. These occurrences have,

*

"No fewer than three individuals died from the effects of excessive drinking, not to mention several others who narrowly escaped a similar fate from the same cause, having been obliged to be repeatedly bled, and afterwards attended by medical men. The three victims to this debauch were all stout young men in the prime of life.”—Public Papers, June 7th, 1830.

The following melancholy picture is extracted from a work published in Scotland, entitled, "Some Account of the State of Morals and Religion in Skye, in 1805, and the period immediately previous to it :"

Assemblies for dancing were frequent among them, and as they were accompanied with the drinking of ardent spirits to excess, they almost invariably ended in quarrels and scuffles. Nothing can serve to give a clearer idea of the extent to which the vice of drunkenness abounded among them, than a description of the barbarous manner in which their funerals were conducted. Some were free enough to acknowledge that they experienced delight at hearing the death of a man or woman, because of the prospect it afforded them of getting their fill of whiskey. The friends of the deceased were particularly anxious to solemnize the funeral with great feast. This was what they called burying their deceased friend with decency. Hence they wasted, not only unnecessarily, but most wantonly, a great quantity of liquor and victuals on those occasions. This woeful and barbarous practice was so general, and of so long standing, that persons, when arrived at old age, manifested a great anxiety to lay by a certain sum of money against their funeral. And upon their death-beds, while indifferent upon the state of their souls, they would not forget to order matters regarding their funerals; often expressing, "that they could not be happy unless men were drunk and fought at their funerals." Their surviving relations would not neglect to attend to their dying requests. For honour's sake this barbarous custom must be complied with. Not to do so, was incurring much disgrace. Hence, many who were poor in circumstances, in order to attend to it, ran themselves deep into debt, which some of them were never able to discharge. Surely, it was a spectacle calculated to awaken deep regret in the bosom of an enlightened and benevolent Christian, to behold the distressed widow in the most destitute circumstances, going without shoes or head-dress with six, seven, or eight ragged and starving children; while perhaps her only cow must be disposed of to procure whiskey to make her neighbours drunk, and fight one another. Although the people, on other occasions, would walk twenty or thirty miles without either food or drink, yet, at funerals, the persons assembled must be treated to excess, though the place of interment should not be a mile distant. Scores of men must be invited; and every man served with four or even five glasses of strong whiskey, and some food before