INTRODUCTION. xvii 



wife and family, that he gives way to the 

 indulgence of drinking. On the contrary 

 the amusement (of whatever nature) passing 

 before him, occupies his mind and withdraws 

 his thoughts from less innocent gratification. 

 Among continental nations, where intoxicating 

 liquors can be obtained at the most trifling ex- 

 pense, we find the vice of drunkenness almost un- 

 known, even among the very lowest classes ; and 

 this is accounted for, chiefly by the numerous 

 places of cheap public amusements, which every 

 where abound, were the mechanic passes his even- 

 ing with his family or friends, and at which the 

 presence of modest females of his own class, gives 

 a proper tone to society; *' emoUit mores et non 

 sinit esse foeros." 



Such is the perverseness of our saints in this 

 respect, that so far from encouraging similar places 

 of harmless entertainment they either obstinately 

 refuse, or do all they can to prevent the obtaining 

 of music and dancing licences to public houses, 

 and thus drive the poor man to the monotonous 

 solitude of the tap-room, or to the vitiated society 

 of its frequenters, when in either case drinking 

 forms his only resource. 



The following just observations of our late re- 

 vered monarch, on the subject of racing, cannot be 

 too generally known. 



When, in 1836, on a deputation from the town 



