303. [Exod. xx. 1.] The code of laws, translated by Sir WILLIAM JONES, from the Sanscrit of Menu, affords the best and most authentic system of Hindoo policy and manners. Although their chronology and history extend far beyond our computation of time, we must allow this book to be one of the most antient records any where extant. (Orient. Memoirs, vol. iii. p. 17.)-Hence came that wisdom among the Egyptians, which Moses learnt and adopted under Divine direction. Acts vii. 22.

304. [Gen. ix. 4.] Colonel Dow, in his elegant translation of Ferishteh's history, derives Hindoo from Hind, a supposed son of Ham. Hence perhaps the reason why the Brahminical priesthood is almost an exact counterpart to that of the Levitical. The Levites were particularly forbidden wine; so are the Brahmins. The Levites were more than others enjoined to avoid the contact of all uncleanness; so are the Brahmins. The Levites were to assist the magistrate's judgment in difficult cases; so are the Brahmins. And, in every other respect, the resemblance might well authorise a suspicion, that they had originally some affinity to each other.

HALHED'S Preface to Gentoo Laws, pp. 21, 69.

305. [Gen. ix. 3, 4.] And God said, Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things: but flesh, with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

The blood is not necessary to life, except so far as a constant supply of it is necessary for the maintenance of the functions of the vital organs.-These organs are primarily, the brain and the nervous system; secondarily, the heart and the alimentary canal.

Phil. Trans. for 1812, part i. pp. 210, 213.

306. [Gen. ix. 3.] The vine is a noble plant or shrub of the reptile kind, first brought from Asia to Europe by the Phoenicians.

Wonders of Nature and Art, vol. i. p. 149.

The vine being a creeper, whose name in Latin is serpens, improperly translated from the Antient authors serpent, great mistakes have arisen in consequence: it has been supposed that the serpent, instead of the "creeper," the vine, was considered as indispensable in the worship of the Antients. In Genesis ix. 3, 4., where Noah and his sons are allowed to eat grapes of every kind, but prohibited the use of wine when made into an intoxicating liquor; instead of creeper, we read “the moving thing that liveth," and are thereby led to suppose that permission was then given to eat such animals of the reptile kind as are expressly forbidden in Levit. xi. 41. This vulgar error has induced thousands to believe, that the blood of animals, and not "the blood of the grape” (Deut. xxxii. 14.), is there intended; and they in consequence have not understood, that the latter is disallowed only, when it has acquired a "life" or spirit by suffering the "flesh with the blood," the Pulp with the Juice to stand together in their crushed state, till they have spon taneously fermented, and actually produced inebriating wine.

311. [Gen. iii, 15.] Two sculptured figures are yet extant in one of the oldest pagodas of the Hindoos; the former of which represents Chrushna, an incarnation of their mediatorial God Vishnu, trampling on the crushed head of the serpent; while in the latter it is seen encircling the deity in its folds, and biting his heel. (See MAURICE'S Hist. of Hindostan, vol. ii. p. 290.)-This is a curious representation of bruising the serpent's head, and wounding the heel or sole of the foot, in treading the wine-press; an important part of the Priest's office. See No. 213.

312. [Isai. Ixiii. 3.] The manner of pressing grapes is as follows: Having placed them in a hogshead, a man with naked feet gets in and treads the grapes; in about half an hour's time the juice is forced out; he then turns the lowest grapes uppermost, and treads them for about a quarter of an hour longer this is sufficient to squeeze the good juice out of them, for an additional pressure would even crush the unripe grapes, and give the whole a disagreeable flavor.

KALM'S Trav. in N. America.-Pinkerton's
Coll. part liii. p. 497.

313. [Gen. ix. 4.] The particles which, in pressing, disengage themselves from the vine-berry's external coat, give the wine its red tincture.

It will never indeed appear white, if once the juice of the husks, from whatever cause, intermingle with that of the pulp.

The stone, and the gout, which are epidemical in most wine countries, are seldom known where the wine is but moderately tinged with the husky, acid particles; a sufficient reason for the prohibition in Gen. ix. 4.

See Nat. Delin. vol. ii. pp. 257, 267.

318. [Gen. ix. 4.] About eleven hundred years before Christ, a Chinese emperor, at a solemn assembly of the states, forbade the use of (intoxicating) wine, as what proves the cause of almost all the evils which happen on the earth. See Modern Univer. Hist. vol. viii. p.396.

314. [Deut. xxxii. 14.] If the juice (or blood) of grapes be fermented, it will yield on distillation, inflammable spirit, which the must did not yield before fermentation. If the same liquor be further fermented it will yield vinegar, which could not be obtained from the liquid before, either in its original or vinous state. This is, therefore, called the acetous fermentation. The third state of fermentation is putrefaction, by which the substance is converted into mucilage, and afterwards into calcareous earth. Dr. ELLIOT.

315. [Gen. xl. 9—13.] In Egypt, a distinction made between wine and must put it in the power of their kings and people of opulence, to drink fresh grape-juice. This, according as it is or is not fermented, has very different effects. In the grapes, it has no inebriating quality. In the state of must, it soon would inebriate slightly. By fermentation, it passes from must, to intoxicating wine. Now, as the Hebrew word, schachat, signifies to mix wine with water, we hence learn how the king of Egypt drank his grape-juice, in JoBeph's time. The butler, in his dream, thought he took grapes, and after mixing their juice with water in the cup, presented it (as usual, no doubt) to Pharaoh.-As to the Mahometans, who are so strictly forbidden wine, but allowed grapes and raisins; even they press the juice from their vine-berries through a linen cloth, pour it into a cup, and drink it (under the name of Sherbet) exactly as Pharaoh did.

See SMITH'S Michaelis, vol. iii. p. 131.

316. [Gen. ix. 4.] The Muscogulges, and other American Indians, eminently deserve the encomium of all nations, for their wisdom and virtue in abstaining wholly from spirituous liquors. In all their treaties with the white people, the first and most cogent article is, that there shall not be any kind of spirituous liquors sold or brought into their towns; and the traders are allowed but two kegs, of five gallons each, for a company, as sufficient to serve them on the road: if any of this remain on their approaching the towns, they must spill it on the ground or secrete it on the road, for it must not come into the towns.

BARTRAM'S Trav. p. 490.

317. [Lev. iii. 2.] PLUTARCH, in his treatise, " De Iside, et Oseride,' sect. 6.. says, Beforet he time of Psammeticus the Egyptians neither drank (fermented) wine nor used it in their offerings.

319.

From the Arabic MS. of Levinus Warnerus, cited by Spanhemius, it sufficiently appears, that the more devout pagan Arabs totally abstained from (such) wine long before the birth of Mahomet.-But Mahomet, by forbidding the use of inebriating wine, and establishing stated days of fasting, it is said, has shewn himself an intelligent medical legislator; and proved that he possessed a profound acquaintance with the nature of the human frame. Hence his disciples, by following his rules, are, in general, remarkable for their health and strength, and the dignity of their form. See PINKERTON's Recollections of Paris, vol. ii. p. 356.

321. [Prov. xxiii. 29, 30.] Wine and other physical exhilarants during the treacherous truce to wretchedness which they afford, dilapidate the structure, and undermine the very foundation of happiness. No man, perhaps, was ever completely miserable, until after he had fled to alcohol for consolation. The habit of vinous indulgence is not more pernicious, than it is obstinate and pertinacious in its hold, when it has once fastened itself upon the constitution. It is not to be conquered by half measures. No compromise with it is allowable. The victory over it, in order to be permanent, must be perfect. As long as there lurks a relict of it in the frame, there is imminent danger of a relapse of this moral malady, from which there seldom is, as from physical disorders, a gradual convalescence. The cure if at all must be effected at once; cutting and pruning will do no good; nothing will be of any avail short of absolute extirpation. The man who has been the slave of intemperance must renounce her altogether, or she will insensibly re-assume her despotic power. With such a mistress, if he seriously mean to discard her, he should indulge himself in no dalliance or delay. He must not allow his lips a taste of her former fascination.

Webb, the noted pedestrian, who was remarkable for vigor both of body and mind, lived wholly upon water for his drink: He was one day recommending his regimen to one of his friends who loved wine, and urged him with great earnestness, to quit a course of luxury by which his health and his intellects would equally be destroyed. The gentleman appeared convinced and told him that he would conform to his counsel, and though he could not change his course of life at once, he would leave off strong liquors by degrees.” "By degrees! (says the other with indignation) if you should un

326. [Num. vi. 2, 3.] From the Statical Experiments of Dr. HALES we learn, that fixed air constitutes nearly one third part of the solid contents of the heart of oak. It is found to bear the same proportion in peas, beans, and other vegetable substances. Heat and fermentation render it elastic. It is again capable of being absorbed and fixed:-He thus discovered it in the Vine, ascending with the sap in the bleeding season.—Were the whole air of the universe brought at once into an elastic and repulsive state, every thing would suffer a sudden dissolution. Were it entirely fixed, then all things would be reduced to an inert lump. ALMIGHTY PROVIDENCE has in a wonderful manner, argues Dr. HUNTER, provided against these extremes in nature, and by “PROHIBITING fermented liquors" would preserve the balance in man. (Georgical Essays, p. 79.)-When Vines get wounded at the bleeding season in the spring, it is astonishing, says Mr. EVELYN, that some trees should, in a few hours, "weep more than they will weigh."

Every apartment, devoted to the circulation of the glass, may be regarded as a temple, set apart for the performance of human sacrifices. And they ought to be fitted up, like the antient temples in Egypt, in a manner to shew the real atrocity of the superstition that is carried onwithin their walls.

K

BEDDOES'S Hygëia, vol. ii. Essay viii. p. 118.

ever, its enervating effects, when used improperly, it should be known that neither the Chinese, Japanese, nor any other Eastern nation, will drink it either so strong, in such quantities, or so hot, as we do in England; but use it rather as their common drink, and without any sugar, or other sweetener. They commonly keep, especially in large families, a boiler, or some other vessel, over a fire; and, whenever they are thirsty or faint, they put a few leaves of it in a basin, pour on the hot water, drink it when cooled sufficiently, and return to their business. The custom of sitting at the tea-table, so long as we do, is unknown to them; and is only an idle, luxurious refinement (or rather abuse), we have made on their way of using it. (Modern Part of Univer. Hist. vol. viii. p. 228, Note.)-Tea, as a beverage, has been made use of for ages, by millions of people in various parts of Asia.

Sir JOHN SINCLAIR'S Code of Health, vol. i. p. 287.

341. The first discoverers of the Floridas used sassafras, to correct the saltness of the water. (Dr. GEDDES.)— The sassafras, which forms part of the materia medica of America, is a yellow wood, of a brisk aromatic scent, the produce of a shrub or tree, very abundant in Florida, as also in Virginia and other English provinces. It is, in decoction, principally of use in removing obstructions and strengthening the internal parts. It is reckoned a sovereign remedy for catarrhs; and is esteemed in the gout, and sciatica. In some families also it has (used in shavings or raspings) become of late a common tea.-It yields by distillation an extremely fragrant oil of a penetrating pungent taste, so ponderous (notwithstanding the lightness of the drug itself) as to sink in water. See Wonders of Nature and Art, vol. vi. p. 47.CARVER'S Travels in North America, p. 336.— And London Dispensatory, p. 223.