Eating^ Drinking^ and Sleeping* 251 



Tydall, drink in their herborizing tour through Kent ? Why- 

 punch ! and so much were they dehghted with it, at Winchel- 

 sea, that they made a special note in their journal, in honour 

 of the Mayoress, who made it, that the punch was not only 

 excellent, but that *^ each succeeding bowl was better than 

 the former!" 



Captain John Graunt, in his Observations on the Bills of 

 Mortality, says, that of 229,250 persons, who died in twenty 

 years, only tivo are put to the account of excessive drinking. 

 But, perhaps, if the matter were truly stated, a great many of 

 the dropsies, apoplexies, and palsies, ought to have been placed 

 under that head. It is not impossible that those who had 

 the charge of rendering these accounts, might have entertained 

 the opinion of old Dick Baldwyn, who stoutly maintained that 

 no man ever died of drinking. " Some puny things," said he, 

 '* have died learning to drink, but no man ever died of drink- 

 ing !" Now, this was no mean authority ; for he spoke from 

 great practical experience, and was moreover many years 

 treasurer of St. Bartholomew's hospital. 



III. — Sleeping. 

 All agree in the value and necessity of sleep — 



Sleep, that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care ; 



The birth of each day's life, sore labour's bath, 



Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, 



Chief nourisher in life's feast — 

 as Shakspeare has it — all of which is confirmed by philoso- 

 phers, and poets, as well as by Sancho's homely opinion, that 

 ♦* it wraps round the heart like a blanket," for which he very 

 emphatically exclaims, ** blessed be the man who invented it.'* 

 With some, going to bed, and going to sleep, are synony- 

 mous terms ; these persons, in nursery language, are said to 

 ** sleep like a top ;" whilst others ** sleep like a watch-dog," 

 and count the clock from midnight till morn : amongst the 

 most profound adepts of the former class, may be reckoned 

 the guardians of the night. 



Though the necessity of sleep for the refreshment of the 

 body be admitted, yet it is possible for a person to sleep a 

 long night through, and be none the better for it, as is the case 



