Sir Toby Butler was a famous lawyer in England in the 17th century, whose powers of oratory were great but needed stimulating. Once, a client, very solicitous about the success of his cause, requested Sir Toby not to drink his accustomed bottle on the morning his case was to be heard. Sir Toby promised on his honour he would not. He went to the court, pleaded, and gained a verdict.
The client met him exulting in the success of his advice. To his astonishment, Sir Toby assured him that if he had not taken his bottle, he should have lost the cause. "But your promise, Sir Toby?" "I kept it faithfully and honourably. I did not drink a drop. I poured my bottle of claret into a wheaten loaf and ate it. So I had my bottle, you your verdict, and I am a man of my word."
十七世紀英國著名律師托比．巴特勒爵士辯才無礙，但須激而發之。有一次，他代表的與訟人求勝心切，要求他在案件審判那一天的早上，不要照常喝酒，他也以人格保證不喝，上到法庭，滔滔雄辯，裁判得償所願。
那與訟人認為「不要照常喝酒」的安排奏效，和巴特勒爵士見面時，得意洋洋，不料巴特勒爵士說，當天早上他假如沒有進酒，訴訟恐已失利。「巴特勒爵士，你不是許下了諾言的嗎？」「我沒有違諾，沒有失信。我的確滴酒不喝，只是把紅葡萄酒注入小麥麵包之中吃掉。於是我三酉*得嘗，你訴訟得勝，而我也恪守言諾。」
*「三酉」即「酒」，指「三點水加酉」。