of drunkenness, either in general, or upon parti cular constitutions, are, in all, or in men of fuch conftitutions, nearly as criminal, as if committed with all their faculties and fenfes about them. If the privation of reafon be only partial, the guilt will be of a mixt nature. For fo much of his felf-government as the drunkard retains, he is as refponfible then, as at any other time. He is entitled to no abatement, beyond the strict proportion in which his moral faculties are impaired. Now I call the guilt of the crime, if a fober man had committed it, the whole guilt. A perfon in the condition we defcribe, incurs part of this at the inftant of perpetration; and by bringing himself into fuch a condition, he incurred that fraction of the remaining part, which the danger of this confequence was of an integral certainty. For the fake of illuftration, we are at liberty to fuppofe, that a man lofes half his moral faculties by drunkennefs: this leaving him but half his refponfibility, he incurs, when he commits the action, half of the whole guilt. We will alfo fuppofe that it was known beforehand, that it was an even chance, or half a certainty, that this crime would follow his getting drunk. This makes him chargeable with half of the remainder; fo that, altogether, he is refponfible in three three-fourths of the guilt which a fober mai would have incurred by the fame action. I do not mean that any real cafe can be reduced to numbers, or the calculation be ever made with arithmetical precifion: but thefe are the principles, and this the rule, by which our general admeafurement of the guilt of fuch offences fhould be regulated. The appetite for intoxicating liquors appears to me to be almost always acquired. One proof of which is, that it is apt to return only at particular times and places; as after dinner, in the evening, on the market day, at the market town, in fuch a company, at fuch a tavern. And this may be the reason that, if a habit of drunkennefs be ever overcome, it is upon fome change of place, fituation, company, or profeffion. A man funk deep in a habit of drunkennefs, will upon, fuch occafions as thefe, when he finds himself loofened from the affociations which held him faft, fometimes make a plunge, and get out. In a matter of fo great importance, it is well worth while, where it is in any degree practicable, to change change our habitation and fociety, for the fake of the experiment. Habits of drunkenness commonly take their rife either from a fondnefs for, and connection with, fome company, or fome companion, already addicted to this practice; which affords an almoft irrefiftible invitation to take a fhare in the indulgences which those about us are enjoying with fo much apparent relifh and delight: or from want of regular employment, which is fure to let in many fuperfluous cravings and cuftoms, and often this amongst the rest: or, laftly, from grief or fatigue, both which strongly folicit that relief which inebriating liquors administer, and also furnish a specious excufe for complying with the inclination. But the habit, when once fet in, is continued by different motives from thofe to which it owes its origin. Perfons addicted to exceffive drinking fuffer, in the intervals of fobriety, and near the return of their accuftomed indulgence, a faintnefs and oppreflion circa præcordia, which it exceeds the ordinary patience of human nature to endure. This is ufually relieved, for a fhort time, by a repetition of the fame excefs and to this relief, as to the removal of every long continued pain, they who have once experienced it, are urged almoft be yond yond the power of refiftance. This is not all : as the liquor lofes its fimulus, the dose must be increased, to reach the fame pitch of elevation, or ease; which increase proportionably accelerates the progrefs of all the maladies that drunkenness brings on. Whoever reflects upon the violence of the craving in the advanced stages of the habit, and the fatal termination, to which the gratification of it leads, will, the moment he perceives in himself the firft fymptoms of a growing inclination to intemperance, collect his refolution to this point; or (what perhaps he will find his best security) arm himself with fome peremptory rule, as to the times and quantity of his indulgences. I own myfelf a friend to the laying down of rules to ourselves of this fort, and rigidly abiding by them. They may be exclaimed against as stiff, but they are often falutary. Indefinite refolutions of abftemioufnefs are apt to yield to extraordinary occafions; and extraordinary occafions to occur perpetually. Whereas, the ftricter the rule is, the more tenacious we grow of it; of it; and many a man will abftain rather than break his rule, who would not eafily be brought to exercise the fame mortification from higher motives. Not to mention, that when our rule rule is once known, we are provided with an anfwer to every importunity. There is a difference, no doubt, between convivial intemperance, and that folitary fottishness which waits neither for company nor invitation. But the one, I am afraid, commonly ends in the other and this laft is the bafeft degradation, to which the faculties and dignity of human nature can be reduced. CHAP. |