large/7215/natural_history_3_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/naturalhistory3_22_pliny_64kb_32
large/7215/natural_history_3_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/naturalhistory3_22_pliny_64kb
English
7215
It is in the exercise of their drinking powers that the Par  thians look for their share of fame, and it was in this that Alcibiades among the Greeks earned his great repute. IT IS IN THE EXERCISE OF THEIR DRINKING POWERS THAT THE PARTHIANS LOOK FOR THEIR SHARE OF FAME AND IT WAS IN THIS THAT OUR SABITES AMONG THE GREEKS EARN HIS GREAT REPUTE
. From wine, too, comes that pallid hue,56 those drooping eyelids, those sore eyes, those tremulous hands, unable to hold with steadiness the over- flowing vessel, condign punishment in the shape of sleep agi- tated by Furies during the restless night, and, the supreme reward of inebriety, those dreams of monstrous lustfulness and of forbidden delights. Then on the next day there is the breath reeking of the wine-cask, and a nearly total obliviousness of everything, from the annihilation of the powers of the memory. And this, too, is what they call " seizing the moments of life!'r67 whereas, in reality, while other men lose the day that has gone before, the drinker has already lost the one that is to come. They first began, in the reign of Tiberius Claudius, some forty years ago, to drink fasting, and to take whets of wine before meals ; an outlandish68 fashion, however, and only pa- tronized by physicians who wished to recommend themselves by the introduction of some novelty or other. ICH HIS LIFE OF DRINKING IS MADE ALL THE SHORTER FROM WINE TOO COMES THAT PALLID HUE THOSE DROOPING EYELIDS THOSE SORE EYES THOSE TREMULOUS HANDS UNABLE TO HOLD WITH STEADINESS THE OVERFLOWING VESSEL CONDIGN PUNISHMENT IN THE SHAPE OF SLEEP AGITATED BY FURIES DURING THE RESTLESS NIGHT AND THE SUPREME REWARD OF INEBRIACY THOSE DREAMS OF MONSTROUS LUSTFULNESS AND OF FORBIDDEN DELIGHTS THEN ON THE NEXT DAY THERE IS THE BREATH REEKING OF THE WINE CASK AND A NEARLY TOTAL OBLIVIOUSNESS OF EVERYTHING FROM THE ANNIHILATION OF THE POWERS OF THE MEMORY AND THIS TOO IS WHAT THEY CALL SEIZING THE MOMENTS OF LIFE WHEREAS IN REALITY WHILE OTHER MEN LOSE THE DAY THAT HAS GONE BEFORE THE DRINKER HAS ALREADY LOST THE ONE THAT IS TO COME THEY FIRST BEGAN IN THE REIGN OF TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS SOME FORTY YEARS AGO TO DRINK FASTING AND TO TAKE WETS OF WINE BEFORE MEALS AN OUTLANDISH FASHION HOWEVER AND ONLY PATRONIZED BY PHYSICIANS WHO WISHED TO RECOMMEND THEMSELVES BY THE INTRODUCTION OF SOME NOVELTY OR OTHER
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