' I said,
drinking wine was a pleasure which I was unwilling to give up, 'Why,
Sir, (said he,) there is no doubt that not to drink wine is a great
deduction from life; but it may be necessary.' He however owned, that in
his opinion a free use of wine did not shorten life; and said, he would
not give less for the life of a certain Scotch Lord (whom he named)
celebrated for hard drinking, than for that of a sober man. 'But stay,
(said he, with his usual intelligence, and accuracy of enquiry,) does it
take much wine to make him drunk?' I answered, 'a great deal either of
wine or strong punch.'--'Then (said he,) that is the worse.' I presume
to illustrate my friend's observation thus: 'A fortress which soon
surrenders has its walls less shattered than when a long and obstinate
resistance is made.'
I ventured to mention a person who was as violent a Scotsman as he was
an Englishman; and literally had the same contempt for an Englishman
compared with a Scotsman, that he had for a Scotsman compared with an
Englishman; and that he would say of Dr.
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