CHAP. XI.] CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE. 359 



364. I shall be told, that men in the harvest 

 field must have something to drink. To be 



sure, where perspiration almost instantly carries 

 off the drink, the latter does not remain so long- 

 to burn the liver, or whatever else it does burn. 

 But, I much question the utility even here; and 

 I think, that, in the long run, a water-drinker 

 would beat a spirit drinker at any thing, pro 

 vided both had plenty of good food/ And, be 

 sides, beer, which does not burn, at any rate, is 

 within every one's reach in America, if he will 

 but take the trouble to brew it. 



365. A man, at Botley, whom I was very se 

 verely reproaching for getting drunk and lying 

 in the road, whose name was JAMES ISAACS, 

 and who was, by the by, one of, the hardest 

 workers I ever knew, said, in answer, " Why, 

 " now, Sir, NOAH and LOT were two very good 

 " men, you know, and yet they loved a drop of 

 " drink" " Yes, you drunken fool," replied I, 

 " but you do not read that Isaac ever got 

 " drunk and rolled about the road." I could 

 not help thinking, however, that the BIBLE 

 SOCIETIES, with the wise Emperor Alexander 

 and the Holy Alliance at their head, might as 

 well (to say nothing about the cant of the thing) 

 leave the Bible to work its own way. I had 

 seen ISAACS dead drunk, lying stretched 



