The Merry Past 



in it, within the space of six hours and a half ; on 

 their taking leave of each other for home, one of 

 them declared he was still thirsty, and stopped, 

 smoked a pipe, and drank a pint more to himself. 



As late as 1812 an auctioneer having a public- 

 house to dispose of in the metropolis, frankly stated 

 in his advertisement that it was situated near the 

 " Seven Dials," " a noted gin-drinking neighbour- 

 hood." 



Many of the upper classes drank just as much as 

 the lower, and a number of anecdotes attest their 

 prowess in this direction : a well-known one is that 

 of the Duke who, going to a fancy ball, asked Foote 

 what character he should adopt. " Go sober," was 

 the reply. 



Fox-hunters, in particular, prided themselves upon 

 their capacity for swallowing large quantities of 

 port. One of these, not unnaturally indisposed, went 

 to consult a doctor. " There is not much the matter 

 with you," said he ; " and if you will only drink 

 three glasses of wine a day, instead of a bottle, which 

 you fox-hunters often do, and take a little of this 

 medicine, you will live to be a hundred." " Your 

 medicine, doctor, I will take," said the toper, " but 

 the other part of the prescription is quite out of the 

 question." 



The clergy of that day do not appear to have viewed 

 intemperance as a vice, for they did little to impress 

 their parishioners with principles of sobriety. 



A certain country clergyman, noted for his con- 

 vivial habits, being informed that drunkenness was 



222 



