The ancient Goths of Germany , who (the learned Cluverius is positive) were first seated in the country between the Vistula and the Oder , and who afterwards incorporated the Herculi , the Bugians , and some other Vandallick clans to ’em—had all of them a wise custom of debating everything of importance to their state, twice; that is,—once drunk, and once sober:⸺Drunk,—that their councils might not want vigour;⸺and sober—that they might not want discretion.
Now my father being entirely a water-drinker,—was a long time gravelled almost to death, in turning this as much to his advantage, as he did every other thing which the ancients did or said; and it was not till the seventh year of his marriage, after a thousand fruitless experiments and devices, that he hit upon an expedient which answered the purpose;⸺and that was, when any difficult and momentous point was to be settled in the family, which required great sobriety, and great spirit too, in its determination,⸺he fixed and set apart the first Sunday night in the month, and the Saturday night which immediately preceded it, to argue it over, in bed, with my mother: By which contrivance, if you consider, Sir, with yourself, * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
These my father, humorously enough, called his beds of justice ;⸺for from the two different counsels taken in these two different humours, a middle one was generally found out which touched the point of wisdom as well, as if he had got drunk and sober a hundred times.
It must not be made a secret of to the world, that this answers full as well in literary discussions, as either in military or conjugal; but it is not every author that can try the experiment as the Goths and Vandals did