LETTERS TO BROTHER JOHN. 261 



that is : " What need has man of more than two 

 things only bread and water?" But the fact is, 

 my dear John, the rogues like it, and will have it, 

 right or wrong ; or, if they be blind, they are, at 

 all events, determined not to be cured. They had 

 rather not see the evils they incur, than sacrifice 

 the pleasure of incurring them. What they really 

 want, is some rule which shall enable them to con- 

 tinue to enjoy the table and the bottle, and yet 

 escape the consequent evils. They want a sort of 

 impenetrable armour a kind of philosopher's stone 

 some magic elixir, which shall confer on them a 

 talismanic immunity from the evils of intemperance. 

 They would fain discover some Styx, wherein to 

 baptize themselves, and become invulnerable to 

 disease. If a thousand men were to read this Let- 

 ter, there probably would not be one but would 

 see, and feel, and acknowledge, that its doctrines 

 are true ; but it is no less probable that every man 

 of them would close it when he had done, and call 

 for his brandy-and-water with as much composure 

 as though he were doing the most sensible thing 

 in the world. Or perhaps they would each remark : 

 " Well ! I have drunk brandy-and-water for these 

 twenty years, and I do not see that it has done me 

 any harm ; so I shall e'en go on as heretofore." 



