John Trapp on Proverbs 20:1

CHAP. XX. Verſ. 1. Wine is a mocker, &c.]

FOr (firſt) it mocks the Drunkard, and makes a fool of him, promiſing him pleaſure,Decepit ebrietas Lotum quem Sodoma non decepit. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. but paying him with the ſtinging of an Adder, and biting of a Cockatrice, Chap. 23.32. (See the Note there.) Wine is a comfortable creature, Judg. 9.12. one of the chief lenitives of humane miſeries, as Plato calls it; but exceſs of wine, 1 Pet. 4.3. is (as one well ſaith) Blondus daemon, dulce venenum, ſuave peccatum; quam qui in ſe habet, ſe non habet; quam qui facit, non facit peccatum, ſed totus eſt peccatum. That is, a fair ſpoken Devil, a ſweet poiſon, a ſin which hee that hath in him, hath not himſelf, and which hee that runs into, runs not into a ſingle ſin, but is wholly turned into ſin. Secondly, It renders a man a mocker, even one of thoſe ſcorners, for whom judgements are prepared, as Solomon had ſaid in the fore-going verſe. See Hoſ. 7.5. Iſa. 28.1. 1 Sam. 25. Abigail would not tell Nabal of his danger till hee had ſlept out his Drunkenneſs, leſt ſhee ſhould have met wich a mock, if not with a knock.

Strong drink is raging] All kinde of drink that will alienate the underſtanding of a man, and make him drunk; As Ale, Beer, Sider, Perry, Metheglin, &c. Of this Pliny cries out, Hei, mirâ vitiorum ſolertiâ inventum eſt quemadmodum aqua quoque inebriaret. Portentoſum ſanè potionis genus! Lib. 14 cap. ult. quaſi non ad alium uſum natura parens humano generi fruges dediſſe videatur. So witty is wickedneſs grown now, that there is a way invented to make a man drunk with water; a monſtrous kinde of drink ſurely! as if Dame nature had beſtowed corn upon us to ſuch a baſe a baſe. See the Note on Chap 23.29. Saint Paul very fitly yoaketh together Drunkards, and Raylers, 1 Cor. 6.9.

And whoſoever is deceived thereby is not wiſe] For when the wine is in, the wit is out. They have a practice of drinking the Out's, as they call it; all the wit out of the head, all the money out of the purſe, &c. And thereby affect the title of Roaring Boyes, by a woful Prolepſis (doubtleſs) here for hereafter.