This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1800 Excerpt:...blood; and particularly were the drunk' en addicted to these excesses: their drunk"enness, however, was not occasioned by "wine, as among ourselves, but by the intoxi"eating influence of Pleasure. This was "the liquor supplied by the Gods, with a view "of detecting the disposition of each individual "among the guests. "Two cup-bearers also were appointed j a "male, and a female: the name of the former "was Understanding; of the latter, In"Temperance. The wise accordingly ap"plied themselves to the male cup-bearer, and "would receive no potion but from his hands, "and that rarely, in small cups, and very "safely (m) tempered. There was one large "goblet, that ul Sobriety; and a great num K S "ber in the middle, very various in taste, as if "filled witlva variety of wines, both gold and "silver goblets, with animals embossed through ' the whole circumference of their surfaces, "and circumvolutions of plants and flowers "curiously graven (o): but the goblet of Sobriety "was unembossed of no great size, and ap"parently made of brass; whence, by fre"quent mixtures and in small portions, "draughts of moderate pleasure were derived. "To his votaries Understanding performs the "office of a cup-bearer with fear and caution, "lest perchance by an unguarded mixture he '.' should cause his guest to stumble and fall "prostrate: whilst Intemperance was pouring "out to the majority of guests Pleasure in "unmixed potions, without the least infusion "of Sobriety; to some indeed with a very rt small infusion, for the sake merely of the "name: but the effect was scarcely discernible "at first, and soon totally dis...