by trifling with me, but were honourably serious, I was willing to avoid giving them offence, and I therefore gave them answers suitable to their pretensions, as far as my poor abilities would permit me: do not think, therefore, that you have miraculously gained a prize; but accept favourably my candid acknowledgement, that I had no reason to triumph in the effect of my charms, till our happy union was accomplished." I dare not trespass farther on your patience, Mr. Editor; I apprehend you already see, that discord,infidelity, and divorce, ensues from connections with the conquerors of mankind, who think it an act of the greatest condescension to give their hand at the last to a worthy man, after a thousand coquetish airs; and that the most blissful situation on earth is the result of receiving the hand of a woman who has a modest sense of her own worth, who decently comprehends the design of her creation, looks upon the favourable preference given her, as a sufficient recompence for her charms, and neither boasts of past, nor seeks for future conquests, but upon an equal and fairfooting, agreeable both to the laws of nature and of civil society, blesses and is blessed, in the virtuous endearments of conjugal affection.

H.

FOR THE COILA REPOSITORY.

THE BON-VIVANT,

at my

friend

A few days ago, I was invited to a dinner party Tom Brown's. Tom is what in common slang is called a DEVILISH GOOD FELLOW, and was never known to flinch over a bottle. His general character is highly respectable, and his manners amiable. There is a winning familiarity about him which all his particular friends can instantly recognize, but which is not so perceptible to a common acquaintance. Tom is a welcome companion to all but the ladies; their presence throws a degree of restraint and awkwardness over him, which it is most difficult to reconcile with his usual hilarity of disposition and conciliatory address. A lady can make nothing of Tom-need I add, Tom is a bachelor.

His sister, an amiable and sensible woman, has the management of his domestic concerns. With a heart capable of feel. ing all the good and amiable qualities of her brother, she is not

insensible to his foibles. Knowing the happy influence of my friend and Miss Brown in producing an agreeable party, adieu la botique, says I, and prepared myself for the enjoyment of the night. At five we sat down to a well covered table, three and twenty in number, and each seemed already to participate in the pleasure glowing from the countenance of our host at the foot of the table-an expression that few are capable of resisting.

During dinner my friend's favourite propensity early evinced itself in pledging the whole circle before him, by pairs, in a glass of excellent Port wine. This becoming example was soon followed by all the gentlemen present; and I, ere drams and so forth, were over, found my ideas already beginning to flow. It was the second time only that I had mixed in a dinner party since coming to and having been accustomed to consider the presence of ladies, in most cases, as a protection from HARD drinking, I did not hesitate to follow what seemed for the moment the general feeling. After dinner we had flowing bumpers to the King, Queen, Royal Family, &c. &c. till my cheeks glowed, and finding myself just happy enough, I was glad to observe a move from the ladies to withdraw, expecting to be allowed, if I chose, shortly to follow. This habit, however, it seems is not admissible at Tom's table, for to my utter dismay he called soon after, with the general consent of the company, for a tremendous family punch bowl filled with sparkling liquor. This, I knew, in my present state would soon do me up; so I naturally, as much as possible, evaded my glass. This accommodation, however, I enjoyed only for a short time, as Tom, seemingly under the apprehension that some hesitation existed, called to the gentlemen at a distance from him, to draw closer to the font of pleasure, and in a few moments we were set, seventeen in number, as eagerly to empty the contents of the bowl as if we expected to find at the bottom a receipt for relieving the general distress of the country. During the movement of seats I endeavoured to reach the door, but my friend observing me turned bolt round, "Dick, my boy, none of your flinching; leave milk and water to the ladies, and show yourself a man--no one I hope will stir here till we empty the bowl"-at the same moment turning in another decanter of brandy.-Seeing no resource I resumed my seat, and joining the general feeling, nobly resolved to try the strength of my head. In the progress of this bowl we had considerable enjoyment, from the irresistable wit and humour of my friend.-A third was soon

filled, during which the ladies were entirely forgot, and by the end of it, we would have made rather awkward company for them. By this time I also was ready to join my consenting voice to a fourth bowl; glad of any excuse to keep me where then was: during this, the effects of intoxication began to appear, and I could observe Tom setting himself with singular drollery to count the candles.-I must spare the description; however, suffice it, that we broke up about eleven o'clock, and got home the best way we could, one and all most manfully drunk.

So ho! thinks I, next morning, turning myself round,—a night at Tom's-faith! "The feast of reason and the flow of soul," I muttered with a yawn. The spirit of hilarity had evaporated, and I threw myself among those reflections which are apt to follow an evening, such as I had last spent; fortumately I had not the fascination of my friend before me, and I began to ruminate on the cause of such excessive drinking.

During the first and second bowl, I remembered, we had considerable enjoyment but enjoyment reeled from her seat in the third, and was literally suffocated in the FoURTH. In vain I attempted to fix on ONE particular cause for such thoughtless profusion.-The causes are many, and will be found in the construction and habits of existing society.Intemperance is confined to no particular situation in life; from the palace to the ale-house we find it operating in all its protean forms and shapes.

Severe drinking has become so much a system, and is so universally prevalent after diner parties, that any attempt to depart from, or resist the custom, meets with the same feeling from the company that any breach of good breeding or good fellowship deserves. Instead of resorting to wine as a wholesome relaxation, and considering it merely as a beverage calculated, and wisely calculated, to exhilarate the spirits and cheer the heart, it is made the means of shortening life, or rendering it miserable to many, and uniformly the cause of dissatisfaction and unhappiness in the domestie circle. How many can date their addiction to so unfortunate a propensity, from their first yielding unheeding compliance with existing

custom.

One part of this system is the practice of drinking healths, and giving toasts and sentiments-a custom, which, though harmless enough in itself, becomes pernicious when it is generally hinted or expected that a bumper must follow.

Taking drams during, or after dinner, is another part of

this system, though decidedly a vulgar one, and is, I believe, peculiarly a Scotch custom.

The practice of drinking from one bowl, is another, and perhaps the most fatal of all. It is here the young man learns the habit of protracted drinking, and that the lover of intoxicating draughts finds countenance and support. This habit, however, one would hope, will quickly get into disrepute. There is doubtless a charm of sociality peculiar to the punch bowl-but this charm constitutes its danger: it lulls a proper reserve to sleep, and brings the weak and timid heads of the company too much under the influence of the stronger and more resolute, and induces a rivalry by no means honourable. It is difficult to conceive, on any abstract principle, reconcilable with the common feelings of humanity, what gratification arises from persuading any person to drink more than gives him pleasure, or more than certainly does him good; yet there are those who find enjoyment in doing so. It is often done, however, without any direct design, and from the most pardonable motive.

Were the contrary practice universally adopted, of allowing a perfect freedom at such parties, no person of common discretion, in any respectable society, would allow himself to be found tipsy before his neighbour; very soon drunkenness would be a rare occurrence; and the time would come when such sights would be witnessed only in the lowest ranks of society, and even there among the thoughtless and stupid alone. Where such a habit prevails it is ever an effectual barrier to all improvement. The noblest pursuits, domestic happiness, and general respectability of character, are often coldly sacrificed on the altar of this modern Molech. Would to God its consequences ended here.-If, as is believed, we take with us. into another state of being our feelings, and the habits of the soul, one is apt to wonder how the habitual or even occasional drunkard is to enjoy himself in a state where sensual habits and pursuits are unknown.-The greatest good surely that one can wish such a being, however amiable he may be in his general intercourse with society, is, that some change may take place in his vicious propensities ere the cold hand of death set the seal of eternity upon them.

GREENOCK, 1817.

2

FOR THE COILA REPOSITORY.

AN ATTEMPT TO PROVE THAT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS THE MOST ANCIENT IN THE WORLD.

WHAT was the first language of the world, or the language spoken by our great ancestors of the antedeluvian age, is a problem which all the learning and ingenuity of philologists have not been, as yet, able satisfactorily to solve. Some have maintained that it was the Hebrew, others the Arabic or Syriac, a third class have contended for the Chinese, while a fourth have pretended to have discovered that the Sangscreet alone can lay claim to that honour. My present attempt however, in opposition to all their arguments, is to assert the superior antiquity of our own English language, which I shall undertake to prove by irrefragable arguments, hath been spoken with little variation for these four or five thousand years past. My proofs shall be drawn from etymology, particularly from the etymology of the names of places and persons which, antiquarians well know, often retain their original names,long after the language which imposed them hath been forgotton.

In the prosecution of this subject I shall begin with the Hebrew. I shall prove beyond the possibility of a doubt that many of the proper names in that tongue are clearly derived from the English.

The first I shall mention is Adam, the great progenitor of the human race. Fvery school-boy, who can read the third chapter of Genesis, will be at no loss to perceive the meaning of his name. Having eaten the forbidden fruit, he and all his descendants, were condemned to punishment, from which arose his name, "All damn," or as it is more literally in the Scotch, "A damn," from which two words being joined together was derived the name Adam. The name also of his wife Eve was clearly imposed upon her, because she was brought to him in the eve, or evening, just before he went to bed.

The name of Noah also is plainly derived from this circumstance of his life. When employed in building the ark, his father and friends often urged him to discontinue so preposterous an undertaking, and to their remonstrance he uniform