y
believe, that wine gave those sages an eloquence necessary to convert
the people of Melinda, and them a necessary penetration to discover the
truth through the thick veils of their ignorance.

Books of travels farther inform us, that "the priests of the kingdom of
Tibet, whom they call Lamas, drink a good quantity of wine on their days
of fasting and devotion, that they may have, to use their own words, the
tongue prompt and ready to say their orisons[2]."

According to this doctrine, Palingenius was much in the wrong to say,
that wine makes churchmen uncapable to perform the duties of their
function.

Nec bene tractabit vinosus sacra sacerdos[3].

No priest, who tipples wine that's good,
Will do his duty as he should.

Surely our author never conversed much with the religious. The friers
would have told him, they never perform their office without taking a
choir cup. Experto crede Roberto, as the saying is. There is no false
Latin in this, says a good monk to me once upon a time, drawing from
under his cassock a double flask. You are much in the right on't,
brother Peter, said I, I believe as the church believes, and so--my
service to you, and here's to the pious memory of St. Boniface. And
indeed the vehicle proved capaciously orthodox.

In relation to what hath been said I shall add a remark of the famous
M. Bayle. "It cannot be denied," says he, "that the christians of Europe
are subject to two great vices, drunkenness and lewdness. The first of
these reigns in cold countries, the other in hot. Bacchus and Venus
share these two climates between them. We find that the reformation
having divided this portion of christianity, that part which was subject
to Venus continues as it was, but the greatest part of what was subject
to Bacchus has renounced popery[4]."

But you will say, what coherence has this remark with the matter in
question? Have a little patience, and you shall presently see the
application. I say then, that a thorough true blue hearty Protestant
would conclude from this quotation, that wine bestowed so much eloquence
and penetration to these northern people, as to put them into that happy
state, to discover the truth, and conquer all prejudices against it
whatsoever. But of this enough.

Pon, pon; pata pon: tara rara, pon pon[5].

[[Footnote a: Horace, _Epistulae_ I.v.19. (_Same passage as note
2:9b._)]]

[Footnote 1: Rem. sur Rabel. t. i. lib. 1. cap. 5.]