their language, so inferior in numbers, harmony, and copioufnefs, to ours for poetry and eloquence, is far better adapted to converfation and dialogue; but all the French, efpecially of the higher ranks *, pique themselves on fpeaking their own language correctly and elegantly, the women especially. It was not till of late years with us that the language has been correctly spoken even in both houfes of parliament. Before Addison and Swift, ftyle was fcarce aimed at even by our best au thors. Dryden, whofe profe was almost as harmonious and beautiful as his poetry, was not always accurate. Lord Shaftesbury proved that when a man of quality foared above his peers, he wrote bombaftly, turgidly, poetically.

Lord Chatham gave the tone to fine language in oratory. Within these very few years, our young orators are correct in their common converfation. Our ladies have not yet adopted the patronage of our language. Thence correct language in common converfation founds pedantic or affected. Mr Gray was fo circumspect in his ufual language, that it feemed unnatural, though it was only pure English. My inference is, that attention to the ftyle in comedy

runs a rifk of not appearing eafy. Yet I own the Careless Husband and Vanbrugh are ftandards-and the School for Scandal and the Heiress have fhewn that difficulties are no impediments to genius; and that, however paffions and follies may be civilifed, refined, or complicated, subjects for comedy are not wanting, and can be exhibited in the pureft language of eafy dialogue, without fwelling to pedantry, or finking to incorrectnefs. The authors of these two comedies have equalled Terence in the graces of ftyle, and excelled him in wit and character: confequently we have better comedies than Greece or Rome enjoyed. It is even remarkable that the Grecians, who perfected poetry and eloquence, and invented tragedy and comedy, fhould have made fo little progrefs in the laft. Terence's plays, copied from Menander, convey little idea of that author's talent; and when so many of the farces of Ariftophanes have been preferved, it is difficult to conceive that only a few fcraps of Menander would have been tranfmitted to us, if his merit had been in proportion to the excellence of their tragic writers. Moliere will probably be as immortal es Corneille and Racine.

IT

is in general with whole nations, as with individuals; the more noble and generous they are, fo much the more moderate are they in the enjoyments of fenfe; and, on the contrary, the more base and ignoble, fo much the more preponderant and un

conquerable is their propenfity to fenfual pleatures of the groffer kinds. One main branch of fenfuality is an inclination to intoxicating or ftupefying liquors and drugs; and this inclination augments, in whole nations, allowing for fome particular exceptions,

Ed. Mag. Jan. 1799.

tions, in equal proportion with the decline of fuperior mental powers, and the difpofition to great virtues and fignal exploits. Accordingly, all Sclavonian nations have ever been, as in general, more fenfual, fo alfo more intemperate in the ufe of ftrong liquors, than the Not-Sclavonian; and the former are again, in regard to gluttony, beyond all comparifon exceeded by the Mongolian nations.

here pafs by the Oriental nations, neither fhall I collect together the univerfal teftimony of travellers concerning the gluttony of each particular Sclavonian nation, the Poles, the Illyrians, Moldavians and Vallachians. I confine myfelf principally to the Ruffians, becaufe I find the moft express and accurate accounts of them in writers of the higheft credit, fufficient to convince every one that the gluttony of the other Not-Sclavonian nations was never fo great as among the common Ruffians.

When the elder Gmélin was on his travels through Siberia, between the years 1733 and 1743, there happened no religious festival, no civil anniverfary, no family entertainment, which was not celebrated by all who affited at them by a general intoxication. This rage for drinking in the Ruffians of Siberia, Gmelin knew not how to compare to any thing but a contagious burning fever, that attack ed every age and rank and fex, which, though it had its intervals, foon returned at ftated periods, with equal, or increased fury. This drinking fever always broke out more violently and univerfally on the high feftivals, and therefore alfo in the Christmas week. From Christmas to the Epiphany, and frequently for a week longer, it was extremely rare to see a perfon fober. The Siberians were not fatisfied with being intoxicated once a day, but the drinking and the tiot continued night and day almoft inceffantly. During all this time it was not poffible, either by intreaties

or bribes, or by any other means, but open violence, to induce artificers and labourers to work, and when the travellers arrived at any place on this or any the like drinking feftival, their foldiers, and the rest of their attendants, notwithstanding all the threats they could employ, got drunk as immoderately and continually as the inhabitants of the place, and they had nothing to do but to wait there in patience till the paroxyfm was over. Not only men, but women likewise, frequently drink themselves to death; and it is affirmed by Bruce, that in what is called the Butter-week, feldom a morning paffes in Mofcow, but from ten to twelve perfons are found dead in the ftreets, who have fallen down, and been frozen. Of fuch mortal intoxications we can the lefs doubt, on reading that a fingle boor will frequently drink in one day brandy to the amount of five rubles. (about 22s. 6d.)

Not lefs licentious than the Chrift. mas week, were the Butter-week, as it is called, or the week before Lent, the Eafter week, every faint's day, every harveft or threshing feast, every confecration of a church, and all other folemn occafions. Such feftivals and folemnities often followed fo clofe on each other, that they were drunk for a whole month together, particularly in October, from one feltival to another. At thefe times, when the Ruffians of Siberia were once fallen into this rage, it coft them inexpreffible efforts to return to their ufual way of life, and to be completely drunk only once in about every four days.

The ordinary liquor for this purpofe, ufed by the Ruffians of Siberia, is bad brandy, and when this is wanting, a fort of beer, which they frequently render more inebriating by infufing a handful of the ephedra monoftachya. This herb has the peculiar property of producing fuch a furprifing intoxication, that those who

are

ftrong liquors. The most univerfal drink of the original Americans, is that which bears the name of chica, which indeed is prepared a great many different ways, but the moft ufual is from maize, or Turkish wheat. Some foak the maize in water, even in feculent water. But commonly it is chewed by old women, and as often by young children, who fpit it out. altogether into a veffel, where it is left ftanding till the whole mafs has fermented. The Americans give feveral reasons why the maize is beft chewed, and why this maftication fhould be performed by old women and young children. Namely, they pretend that it is a common obfervation, that the chica never more perfectly ferments. Even the Europeans accuftom themfelves to the chica prepared in this manner; yet they would take care not to drink it, if a living toad were thrown in and diffolved in it, as Gage faw done with his own eyes among the Indians of Guatimala.

When the Americans have prepared a due quantity of this chica, they invite their friends to a jovial drink ing bout. Indeed there are particular diftricts where the women abftain from drinking at these scenes of riot, and when their husbands have had enough, carefully to put them to reft; but ufually the women and children take part likthe men, in these drunk en frolics, and the women even a good doze of chica to their children at the breast. When the Americans have once begun to caroufe, they ob ferve no bounds, but drink till they fall, bereft of their fenfes, on the earth. The drunkards refift with all their might any attempts to carry them off, and return with a kind of fury to the field of battle and this, fays Ulloa, is not peculiar to Americans of any particular districts, but in this they are every where alike. The most violent vomitings not only do not in the leaft abate the drunk

:

en rage of the Americans, but rathe inflame it more; and when they are relieved, and fomewhat freshened by it, they fall to it again with redoubled avidity. Such drinking-bouts. laft not only three or four days, during which every American drinks as much as would fill a large cafk, but at times, for ten or fifteen days, nay, for three or four months, almoft without intermiffion. When any one falls, there he remains, whether in a heavy shower of rain or in a morafs, or in a heap of filth, till he comes to himself, without letting any thing difturb him. When a man feels the heat too ex

ceffive, he makes great wounds in his head, in the temples, or the breast, or sticks a knife in the calf of the leg, in order to eafe himself a little from the confuming fire by a copious lofs of blood. It almost always happens that fome of them die from the exceffive draughts they take; and still more frequently that they come to bloody conflicts, in which feveral are either killed or wounded. All acts of manflaughter and maiming committed in fits of drunkenness, appear to the Americans as perfectly innocent, and are never revenged, either by the maiftgrate, or by the relations, or even by the wounded perfon himself.

Ever fince the American favages have been acquainted with European brandy, or with the rum prepared by the Europeans, their eagerness after intoxication is much increased by a new incentive. They themselves confefs that the fire-water kills them before their time, that it reduces them to poverty, that it undermines their activity and vigour; but they add, that it is impoffible for them to abftain from it, and complain of the Europeans for having introduced among them fo dangerous and irrefiftable a liquor. For procuring brandy in South America, they fell all they have, even their wives and children; and in northern Louisiana it has of

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