❀ An invective against drunkenness.  Prover. 20. A 
Wine maketh a man scornful, and drunkenness maketh a man unquiet, he that delighteth therein, shall never be wise.   
johel. 1. A 
Awake up you drunkards, weep & mourn you wine suppers, because of your sweet wine: for it shall be taken out of your mouth.   

I dread it much lest that such as be sober should scornfully deride me for my discourse and inveighing against them the be drunken, 
The proemy.  as light and labour lost and trifled time in vain for they will say, that such castigation/ as to sober men it needeth not so unto drunkards it bootheth not: which wallowing in vain can neither hear any man's voice, understand his fryendlye admonition, nor feeleth the poygnant sharpness of any rebuke. For in like case, as a dead corpse can with no vehement pricking, be made to feel: no more can the mind of a drunkard be stirred up with any admonishments. And albeit it were to be wished, that men's labour should not be lost in chastening of them that are so wedded to their vice & wilfulness that all hope of amendment utterly is excluded, yet that not with standing, for as much as some there be which otherwhiles & betwixt times, as it were awaking out of the deep sleep of that so great an evil 〈…〉 them selves and declare themselves no less, but to be in case to be helped in that they do acknowledge some time their own disease: I will even for their sakes, now as briefly as I can, declare what outrage & enormity is in this foul vice contained: for as there is nothing more beautiful, 
Contra … 〈…〉  than a sober man ●est and ready 〈…〉 hang in what so ever time and place you will have him: so is there no monster more huglye than a drunkard whose hands & feet, as Terence saith, can neither of them do their duty And first of all, I can much praise the wisdom of the Greeks, 
The ety mologie of the word.  who in the propriety of their language do manifestly express how great a virtue and how exellent is sobriety for to th'intent they might declare, that the mind of man can not continue in his dignity with out sobriety, they have called this virtue by a good  name, SOPHROSYNE, which signifieth nothing else but the preservation of the mind that in how much man doth excel all unreasonable Creatures in worthiness of mind so much should this virtue be esteemed above all other excellent & albeit, that certain Philosophers of the sect of zeno hold opinion, that he that hath one virtue, wanteth not the residue: yet nevertheless, it is often seen by experience, that he hath had fortitude which hath not kept the laws o● Almytie. But without the foundation of sobriety, was never man yet, endued with other virtues. For in like case, as that eye only can judge best the diversity of colours, 
like.  which is clear without any blemish of evil humour or other infection: so can that mind discern in every thing, what is to be esc●●●●d, & what is to be followed, which the temperancy of meat and drink, keep the clear from any burden This unto wise men is mother of all good Counsels. This putteth in execution, all witty devices. This maketh common well thes to flourish. And with out this the chief things decay. So that even hereof is it manifest, how great a mischief in a commonne wealth, is a drunken citesyn, 
Declaration.  which as he is clean without all virtue and honesty: so can he neither in doubtful matters give any counsel himself, nor follow that shall be given him of others, as one that neither can remember things passed, neither understand that which is present, neither fore ●ee things to come: finally, who is nothing else, but as the Poet sayeth of idle persons, Telluris mutile pondus, an unprofitable burden of the earth. Furthermore, 
It feigned person.  paint in your mind with the Pensyll of your thought, such a man's life from evening till it be far forth nights, There is crying, there is dryneking, there is playing there is singing, there is talking of bawdry, There is hod ling, there is Chiding there is fighring and brawlynge, there is breaking of pots there is vieng & vomiting, the shame it is to hear. Then are some taken with sleep so heavy as it were even death: some are troubled with spirits & other things most terrible in their dreams. Then ensueth the just punishment of drunkenness, great headache and debilitation of all the members. On the morrow, ache and wine not as yet digested, keepeth him in bed till none. But & if he have any urgent business to do, he goeth there about as it were a man worn and half dead. And who shall ever do any thing purposely in a matter of weighty importance, whereunto he cometh with so evil a will, so faint, and weak in his limbs? What thing can he dispatch being himself laden? What thing strongly can a weak man do? What labour can he endure which with drinking over night, was not only weakened and wearied: but also clean over thrown? Must he touch any thing? His hands have the paulsy. Must he go any whither, his legs stagger, 
Comparison.  so he reeleth, and maketh indentures. Doth the matter require eloquence His tongue stamereth, his voice will not let him speak, and to be short, amongst all kind of diseses (where unto the miserable condition of man is subject, there is none at all to be found, that so wholly take the man from all use of himself and overthroweth both body and mind as doth this vice of drunkenness. For all other diseses, what tim they do assail the body or any part thereof yet dare they not attempt, to pierce the mind, the immortal part of man.  
For some have the cra●●● and some the gout, some hot diseses and some cold: yet have they styh the use of reason in her chief perfection. But the self same thing which we have common and all ●one with God, whereby, both we are, and so be rightly called, men▪ wherein 〈◊〉, we differ from brute beasts, drunkenness both can and is also accustomably wont to confound & bring to nought. 
Falling sickness  The falling sickness is undoubtedly a cruel and a dreadful disease, wherein many are wont often times to destroy themselves, whilst they beat their own membres, tear their heir, and wallow themselves in the mire. But no man is able with words to express, how much more beastly and detestable, drunkenness is: for whom so ever the falling sickness taketh, it leaveth him by and by, and restoreth unto him the use of his mind again. But the drunkard after that he hath long & much been turmoiled with drunkenship, and hath both done & suffered many things full shamefully (unless he were by and by as often times it chanceth utterly extinguished therein) and hath lain two or three days like a dead man, scarcely then cometh again to himself. The other man's disease is less evil for this cause, that nothing is committed through his fault, but through the vehemency of his disease. He repenteth that he hath said and done: but this man hath a double evil, the he can lay the blame upon none other, and that such things do more grieve men which chance unto them with out desert. Again, amongst the diseases of the mind, there is none so hurtful, 
Things annexed.  nor where upon groweth and ensueth so much wickedness to be found. For once, what thing is so abominable that drunkards dare not do? 
Consequentes  Nothing ought amongst men to be more reverently observed, than faith and counsel keaping: but thou mayst commit nothing in credit to a dronckarde: for he bloweth it abroad and can keep no counsel, be it never so reverent a thing, never so holy, never so much need to be kept secret, but if he be provoked unto such folly by any drunken companion of his, 
The cause.  he bewrayeth and betrayeth the high dignity of his mind: for what thing is it that he will not dyscloose which is so ready and so greedy at the foolish request and affection of oothers, to lose that thing that he hath in this world dearest. 
Effects.  And to whom is it unknown that drunkenness is an overflowing founteyn and wellspring of all mischiefs, of contention, strife and debate, wounding of men, ravishing of women, murdre & adultery. It is evidently known, that the great fight of the Lapiths (as Horace maketh mention) arose only upon wine, & we now at this day have to many examples thereof: and did not Tharquinius king of Romans, after that he had in his cups, go and ravish that good woman Lucrece, and lost thereby his kingdom? Who knoweth not, that great Alexander king of Macedonia, in all other things a prince most excellent and a famous conqueror, in his drunkenness would slay his most dear & familiar friends, and so lost the love of his Lords thereby, that in fine, he was poisoned. 
A brief peroration.  But men may impute to me great folly, which go about with the shortness of speech to comprise anne endless matter, whose mischief stretcheth so far, that in case I had an hundred wits with as many tongues, & a mouth of brass or iron, yet were I no thing able to utter the evils that arise of drunkenness.   

Imprinted at Ippiswiche by me John Oswen.   

Cum privilegio ad Imprimendum solum.