I cannot eat but little meat, My stomach is not good; But sure I think that I can drink With him that wears a hood.

-Anonymous
c.1575  Song, included in the play Gammer Gurton's Needle, act 2. 'Him that wears a hood' is either a monk or a scholar.

   Boire sans soif et faire l'amour en tout temps, Madame, il n'y a que  c° a qui nous distingue des autres be"  tes. We drink when we are not thirstyand make love at any time, Madam. These are the only things which distinguish us from other animals.

-Beaumarchais, Pierre Augustin Caron de
  Le Mariage de Figaro, act 2, sc.21.

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

-Bible (Old Testament)
Ecclesiastes 9:7.

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

-Bible (Old Testament)
Isaiah 5:11.

And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

-Bible (Old Testament)
Isaiah 22:13.

And whosoever shallgiveto drinkunto one of theselittle ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

-Bible (NewTestament)
St Matthew10:42.

   The Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said,Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying,This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

-Bible (NewTestament)
Corinthians11:23^6.

What advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die. See Parker 638:61.

-Bible (NewTestament)
Corinthians15:32.

   The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life: Drink this in remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for thee, and be thankful.

-Book of Common Prayer
Holy Communion.

Thy rebukehath brokenmy heart;Iam full of heaviness: I looked for some to have pity on me, but there was no man, neither found I any to comfort me. They gave me gall to eat: and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.

-Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 69:21^2.

This world's no blot for us Nor blank; it means intensely, and means good: To find its meaning is my meat and drink.

-Browning, Robert
  Men and Women,'Fra Lippo Lippi'.

Whene'er to drink you are inclin'd, Or cutty sarks run in your mind, Think, ye may buy the joys o'er dearö 172 RememberTam o' Shanter's mare.

-Burns, Robert
  'Tam o' Shanter.  A  Tale'.

   Eat, drink, and love; the rest's not worth a fillip.

-Rochdale
Sardanapalus, act1, sc.2.

I am willing to taste any drink once.

-Cabell,James Branch
  Jurgen, ch.1.

No animal ever invented anything so bad as drunkennessöor so good as drink.

-Chesterton, G(ilbert) K(eith)
  All Things Considered,'Wine When It Is Red'.

Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. The very deep did rot: O Christ! That ever this should be! Yes, slimy things did crawl with legs Upon the slimy sea.

-Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
  'The Rime of the  Ancient Mariner', pt.2.

Fill all the glasses there, for why Should every creature drink but I, Why, man of morals, tell me why?

-Cowley, Abraham
  'Drinking'.

I spent $3m on drink and $3m on gambling, but I wasted the rest.

-Daly,John
  On spending his winnings. Quoted in The Independent, 23 Dec.

'Orses and dorgs is some men's fancy. They're wittles and drink to meölodging, wife, and childrenö reading, writing and 'rithmeticösnuff, tobacker, and sleep.

-Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam
^50  Man on the Canterbury coach. David Copperfield, ch.19.

I revere the memory of Mr F. as an estimable man and most indulgent husband, only necessary to mention Asparagus and it appeared or to hint at any little delicate thing to drink and itcame likemagic ina pint bottleit was not ecstasy but it was comfort.

-Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam
^7  Flora Finching. Little Dorrit, bk.1, ch.24.