The Preface. 
n>e may well conclude , that the Inhabitants as 
well.as the Air o^Great Britain aretemperate^ 
not too prone to thofe Vices other places arefub- 
je 3 unto ; and may jnjlly give them the chara¬ 
cter that Teas given to the Perlians, That Tern-* 
perance is their chiefeji Virtue : yet not to be 
abfohitely exenfedj for in the bejl Gardens 
fome weeds grow, and amongjl the mojl civile 
fome rude and debauch d are to be found "There 
is fcarcc any part of the world , but fome of its 
Inhabitants are additled to the drinking of 
int oxi eating Liquors-yphich Nature hath prom¬ 
pted them untoy hereby to jufj'ocate the thoughts 
offuturity, proper only to Mankind. The very 
Africans, Americans, and Indians delighted 
in them, although they were not very exquifite 
in then- preparation 5 but mojl of the Americans 
infiead of Liquors itfed the fume of a Plant, 
that produced the fame effect ; whom we think , 
no d/fl.wnour to imitate , even to excefs^ and it's 
probable out-do them in their own Invention , 
not efieeming it a Vice. The Mahometans, 
which pojfefs agreatpart of the world (it's true ) 
on a fuperjlitious account forbear the drinking 
of much I Vine 5 becauje that a young and beau¬ 
tiful Woman being accojied by two AngelsQ hat 
had intoxicated themfelves with it) taking the 
advantage of their Ebriety , made her efcape , 
and was for her Beauty and Wit prefer'd in 
Heaven , 
