Another poet of a later date used also to give himself up to immoderate drinking. His wife advised him to moderate his passion. He asked for five jugs as the price of this sacrifice, and when he had drunk them he went to sleep. On waking, he asked for five more jugs of wine, and having emptied these, he wrote the following quatrain for his wife:—
“Heaven has created Liou-Ling, Who cannot live without wine; And as to the advice given him by his wife, He should pay no attention to it.”
Grape-wine is unknown in China, and the only allusion to it that I know of is to be found in the following lines, which were written by a warrior who lived in the north of China, under the reign of the Yang family:—
“Grape-wine gleams in the glasses at night— I should like to drink but the guitar urges me to go. Do not laugh at me if I fall asleep on the field of battle, For since ancient times how many warriors have returned from war?”
Li-Tai-Pe made an abusive use of wine. He found friends everywhere, even when he was alone, for then the moon and his shadow were his friends. But in spite of that, he knew how to associate with the pleasure of drinking the most delicate sentiments and very lofty philosophical views, as may be seen in the following poem:—
“What has become of the towers and the flags of King of Tsou which formerly were accumulated on the tops of hills now deserted? When drunkenness elevates me, I lower my paint brush, and my songs shake the five mountains. I am glad, and am proud, and I laugh at all greatness. Power, wealth, honours, before your duration shall be sufficient to merit my esteem. The Yellow River will be seen starting from the west to flow towards the north.”
Since that time a kind of drinking game has been invented. A tube, in the shape of a cylinder, is placed on the table. It contains a number of ivory rods, each of which is inscribed with an ancient verse. Each player draws one of these rods, and according to the verses on them, it is decided which player is to drink. Here are some examples:—
“Alas! Where is the handsome face to-day? (The most bearded player has to drink.) In love with a shadow or a sound. (It is the shortsighted man’s turn to empty his glass.) We see each other without hearing our voices. (The deaf man drinks.) There is still half the time left for contemplation. (The player who wears spectacles drinks.) The beaded blinds hide the faces of the roses. (The pock-marked player drinks.) He who is in love with the flowers regrets that they have no voices. (The silent man drinks.) The cries of modern ghosts mingle with the cries of ancient spectres, (The doctor drinks.)”