Therefore (except in some great, extraordinary case of necessity) it is not so much the present, as the future foreseen effects, which must direct you to know your measure. Reason can foresee, though appetite cannot. Future effects are usually great and long; when present effects may be small and short. He that will do that which tendeth to the hurt of his health for the present easing or pleasing of his thirsty appetite, doth sin against reason, and play the beast. You should be so well acquainted with your bodies, and the means of your own health, as to know first whether the enduring of the thirst, or the drinking to quench it, is like to be the more hurtful to your health, and more a hinderance to your duty.
And for the present alacrity which strong drink bringeth to some, you must foresee that you purchase it not at too dear a rate, by a longer dulness or disablement afterwards: and take heed that you take not an alien, counterfeit hilarity, consisting in mere sensual delight, for that serenity and just alacrity of the spirits as doth fit you for your duty. For this also is a usual (and wilful) self-deceit of sensualists: they make themselves believe that a cup of sack or strong drink giveth them a true assistant alacrity, when it only causeth a sensual delight, which doth more hinder and corrupt the mind, than truly further it in its duty: and differeth from true alacrity as paint from beauty, or as a fever doth from our natural heat.
You see then that intemperance in drinking is of two sorts: 1. Bibbing, or drinking too much. 2. Drunkenness (in various degrees). And these intemperate bibbers are of several sorts. (1.) Those, that when they have over-heated themselves, or are feverish, or have any ordinary diseased thirst, will please their appetites, though it be to their hurt; and will venture their health rather than endure the thirst. Though in fevers, dropsies, coughs, it should be the greatest enemy to them, yet they are such beastly servants to their appetites, that drink they must, whatever come of it: though physicians forbid them, and friends dissuade them, they have so much of the brute and so little of the man, that appetite is quite too hard for reason with them. These are of two sorts: one sort keep the soundness of their reason, though they have lost all the strength and power of it, for want of a resolved will; and these confess that they should abstain, but tell you, they cannot, they are not so much men. The other sort have given up their very reason (such as it is) to the service of their appetites: and these will not believe (till the cough, or gout, or dropsy, &c. make them believe it) that their measure of drinking is too much, or that it will do them hurt; but say, that it would hurt them more to forbear it; some through real ignorance, and some made willingly ignorant by their appetites.
(2.) Another sort of bibbers there are, much worse than those, who have no great, diseased thirst to excuse their gulosity, but call it a thirst whenever their appetite would have drink; and use themselves ordinarily to satisfy such an appetite, and drink almost as oft as the throat desireth it, and say, it is but to quench their thirst; and never charge themselves with intemperance for it. These may be known from the first sort of bibbers by the quality of their drink: it is cold small beer that the first sort desire, to quench a real thirst; when reason bids them endure it, if other means will not quench it. But it is wine, or strong drink, or some drink that hath a delicious gust, which the second sort of bibbers use, to please the appetite, which they call their thirst. And of these luxurious tipplers, next to stark drunkards, there are also divers degrees, some being less guilty, and some more.[433]
1. The lowest degree are they that will never ordinarily drink but at meals: but they will then drink more than nature requireth, or than is profitable to their health.
2. The second degree are they, that use to drink between meals, when their appetite desireth it, to the hindering of concoction, and the increase of crudities and catarrhs, and to the secret, gradual vitiating of their humours, and generating of many diseases; and this without any true necessity, or the approbation of sound reason, or any wise physician: yet they tipple but at home, where you may find the pot by them at unseasonable times.
3. The third degree are many poor men that have not drink at home, and when they come to a gentleman's house, or a feast, or perhaps an alehouse, they will pour in for the present to excess, though not to drunkenness, and think it is no harm, because it is but seldom; and they drink so small drink all the rest of the year, that they think such a fit as this sometimes is medicinal to them, and tendeth to their health.