Qu'il faut, à chaque mois,
S'enivrer au moins une fois.
Which has been improved by some, on this side the water, into an excuse
for getting drunk every day in the week, for fear that the _specific
day_ should be missed. It would, however, startle some of our sober
readers, to find this made a question of grave argument--yet, "whether
it is not healthful to be drunk once a month," is treated on by Dr. Carr
in his letters to Dr. Quincy.--_Brande's Jour._
[5] Cato allowed his slaves, during the Saturnalia, four bottles
of wine per diem.
[6] Two congii are seven quarts, or eight bottles!
[7] An eminent house-painter in the city, a governor of St.
Bartholomew's Hospital, got a receipt for the Painter's Cholic
(cholica pictonum,) which contained all sorts of comfortable
things--the chief ingredients being Cogniac brandy and spices.
It did wonders with the first two or three cases; but he found
the success of the remedy so increased the frequency of the
complaint, that he was compelled to give up his medical
treatment; for as long as he had the _Specific_, his men were
constantly making wry faces at him.
* * * * *
It is somewhat curious that two illustrious members of the Royal Society
should have distinguished themselves on _Angling_. Nearly 200 years ago,
Prince Rupert studied the art of tempering _fish-hooks_; and the other
day Sir Humphry Davy published a volume on _Fly-fishing_.
* * * * *