his disciples having prevailed upon him to come to a sacrifice,
he drank so much pure wine, that he died five days afterwards. There are
other authors, however, will have it, that he died of immoderate
laughter, seeing an ass eat figs out of a dish, and upon which he
commanded they should give him drink.

[Footnote 1: Solonem et Arcesilaum credunt indulsisse vino.]

[[Footnote 1a: Horace, _Odes_ III.xxi.11-12.]]

[Footnote 2: Hist. Sep. Sap.]

[Footnote 3: Lib. ii. 2.]

[Footnote 4: Hudibras.]

[Footnote 5: Bayle Dict. Art. Xenoc.]

[Footnote 6: Lib. de Fab.]

CHAP. XIV.

OF POETS THAT USED TO GET DRUNK.

As wine is the poet's great horse, so it must not be wondered at, that
the major part of them fuddle their noses; for, in reality, they cannot
properly be said to be mounted on their great horses, till they have
drunk pretty heartily. These gentlemen speak then on horseback, for the
discourse of poets is quite opposite to that of orators, which Horace
says, is a discourse on foot[1], but when they drink nothing we can only
say, that they are mounted upon.

The attachment that Homer had to wine, appears in the frequent eulogiums
he gives that liquor. And if we examine Anacreon never so little, we
shall find his inclinations, as well as his verses, were divided between
wine and love. As much delicacy and fine turns as one finds in his
works, an honest man cannot see without indignation, but that they tend
absolutely to debauch. One must drink, one must love. The moments that
are not employed in the pleasures of the senses are lost. Pausanius
tells us, that he saw at Athens the statue of Anacreon, which
represented him drunk and singing.

The poet Philoxenus wished he had a neck as long as a crane, that he
might the longer have the pleasure of swallowing wine, and enjoy its
delicious taste.

Ion, the poet of Chios, was not much more sober in respect of wine,
according to AElian and Euripides.

Horace must by no means be forgotten, whose satires derive from the
grape their sprightfulness and gaiety.

Timocreon of Rhodes, a comic poet in the 75th Olympiad, was a great
drinker. Athenaeus has given of him this epitaph:--

Multa bibens et multa vorans, mala plurima dicens
Multis hic jaceo Timocreon Rhodius.

To these we may add Alceus and Eunius, of whom we have already made
mention; but what signifies this enumeration, since it is most certain,
that almost all