“Great men, when they write their memoirs, never say enough about the influence of a good dinner upon their state of mind.
I’m very much down to earth in this respect – always provided that my digestion does not wreck the favourable effect which Ceres or Bacchus has produced. But even so, would it not be true to say that all the time one is dining and perhaps for some time afterwards, one’s brain sees things in a different light? This is a grave question, and humiliating for the people who believe, or would like to believe, that they are something more than mere men. This inspiration born of the bottle takes us further than we could go without its help. We might just as well resign ourselves to it, for not only is it a fact but a very agreeable one into the bargain. (139)