140 



The Liquor Question. 



the grapes into Pharaoh's cup, and then deliver the cup into Pharaoh's 



Four hundred years B. G. Plato ordained that boys should never 

 taste wine at all, and men of thirty years of age should drink spar- 

 ingly, if at all, but those who are forty should feast at large banquets 

 and invoke the gods, especially Bacchus, since he gave wine as an 

 antidote against the austerity of old age. Here we may observe, is a 

 very eminent and ancient authority for prohibition, regulation and 



There is a Grecian legend that contains some suggestive thoughts, 

 and, at the same time, describes the consequences in ancient times of 

 immoderate wine-drinking, that so closely resemble the experience 

 in modern times that I venture to reproduce it: "When Bacchus 

 was a boy he journeyed through Hellas to go to Naxia; and, aa 

 the way was very long, he grew tired, and sat down upon a stone 

 to rest. As he sat there, with his eyes upon the ground, he saw 

 a little plant spring up between his feet, and was so much pleased with 

 it that he determined to take it with him and plant it in Naxia. He 

 took it up and carried it away with him; but, as the sun was very hot, 

 he feared it might wither before he reached his destination. He found 

 a bird's skeleton, into which he thrust it, and went on. But in his 

 hand the plant sprouted so fast that it started out of the bones above 

 and below. This gave him fresh fear of its withering, and he cast 

 about for a remedy. He found a lion's bone, which was thicker than 

 the bird's skeleton, and he stuck the skeleton, with the plant in it, 

 into the bone of the lion. Ere long, however, the plant grew out of 

 the lion's bone likewise. Then he found the bone of an ass, larger 

 still than that of the lion. So he put the lion's, containing the bird's 

 skeleton and the plant, into the ass's bone, and thus he made his way 

 to Naxia. "When about to set the plant, he found that the roots had 

 entwined themselves around the bird's skeleton and the lion's bone and 

 the ass's bone ; and, as he could not take it out without damaging the 

 roots, he planted it as it was, and it came up speedily, and bore, to his 

 great joy, the most delicious grapes, from which he made the first 

 wine, and gave it to men to drink. But, behold a miracle. When 

 men drank of it, they first sang like birds ; next, after drinking a little 

 more, they became vigorous and gallant like lions ; but, when they 

 drank more still, they began to behave like asses." 



Every school-boy is familiar with the excesses of the ancient 

 Romans. 



