Fragment VIII: Never oblige your company to stay

Never oblige your company to stay !
Never detain a man; nor send away,
Nor rouse from his repose, the weary guest,
That sinks upon the couch with wine opprest !
These formal rules enfore’d, against the will,
Are found offensive—let the bearer fill
Just as we please—freely to drink away ;
Such merry meetings come not every day.
For me ;—since for to-night my stint is finish’d,
Before my common sense is more diminish’d ;
I shall retire (the rule, I think, is right)
Not absolutely drunk, nor sober quite.
For he that drinks beyond the proper point
Puts his own sense and judgment out of joint,
Talking outrageous, idle, empty stuff
(The mere effect of wine more than enough);
Telling a thousand things, that on. the merrow
He recollects with sober shame and sorrow:
At other times, and in his proper nature,
An easy, quiet, amiable creature.
’ Now you, Simonides, mind what I say !
You chatter in your cups and prate away,
Like a poor slave, drunk on a holiday.
You never can resolve to leave your liquor,
The faster it comes round, you drink the quicker—
There’s some excuse—“ The slave has fill’d the cup,
A challenge—or a pledge ”—you drink it up!
“Tis a libation”—and you're so devout,
You can’t refuse it !—Manly brains and stout
Might stand the trial, drinking hard and fast,
And keep their sense and judgment to the last.
Farewell! be merry ! may your hours be spent )
Without a quarrel or an argument,
In inoffensive, easy merriment ;
Like a good concert, keeping time and measure,
Such entertainmeiits give the truest pleasure.