Most fruitful [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martyr Vermil Florentine, professor of divinity,…Most fruitfull [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martir Vermil Florentine, professor of deuinitie,…

It taketh away the burden from careful minds, it teacheth arts. Whom have not full cups made eloquent? and whom being in extreme poverty, have they not made careless?¹ And Plato in his first book de Legibus, toward the end saith thus: When a man drinketh wine, at the first it maketh him cheerfuller: afterward the more he drinketh, the greater and better hope he is in, and feeleth him self stronger. Then, as though he were wise, the man is filled with that confidence, liberty and audacity, that without fear he both saith & doth whatsoever pleaseth him. The same Plato in his .vi. Dialogue de Legibus, sayth: He which is filled with wine, is stirred up with a woodness, both of mind and body, and both draweth, and is drawn every where. And a drunkard is as a man out of his wit.

It taketh away the burthen from careful mindes, it teacheth artes. Whō haue not full cups made eloquent? and whom being in extreme pouertye, haue they not made careles?¹ And Plato in his first booke de Legibus, toward the ende saith thus: When a man drinketh wine, at the first it maketh him cherefullyer: afterward the more he drinketh, the greater and better hope he is in, and feeleth him selfe stronger. Then, as though he were wyse, the man is fylled wyth that confidence, liberty and audacity, that without feare he both saith & doth whatsoeuer pleaseth him. The same Plato in his .vi. Dialogue de Legibus, sayth: He which is fylled wyth wine, is stirred vp with a woodnes, both of mynde and body, and both draweth, and is drawen euery where. And a dronkard is as a man out of hys wyt.

1. 1Plato.

¹Seneca in his third book of Natural questions, the .20. chap. saith, that drunkenness till it be dried up, is madness, and with overmuch heaviness is brought on sleep. And in his .60. Epistle to Lucillus toward the end: One hours drunkenness recompenseth his long madness, with the weariness of a long time. And in the .84. Epistle: Drunkenness draweth out all vice, and kindleth it, and detecteth it. It putteth away all shamefastness, whose nature is to resist evil endeavours. Where to much power of wine possesseth the mind, whatsoever evil lay hidden, bursteth forth. Drunkenness maketh not vices, but brinketh them to light. In drunkenness, he that is proud, his pride increaseth, cruelty in the cruel man, malice in the envious man, & all vices are detected & brought to light. By it a man forgetteth himself, speaketh doubtful and stammering words, it causeth unconstant eyes, a reeling pace, dizziness in the head, and the house to seem to go round about, torments in the stomach, when the wine boileth, & it distē death even the bowels. Cruelty for the most part followeth drunkenness, for M. Antonius, wonderfully rejoiced at the heads and members of the banished men, that were brought him at a feast. Also in the .20. chap. of the Proverbs it is written: Wine maketh a mocker, and strong drink a troublesome fellow. Whosoever erreth in it, shall never be wise. But because there are some which boast that they can drink a great deal of wine and be still sober, & of a sound judgement, I desire them to hearken unto Seneca in the Epistle now alleged, who saith: Let such men also say that by drinking of poison they shall not dye, and by taking of poppy they shall not sleep,