AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1 253- 



I 



Of their drinkes, and how they provoke one 



another to drinking. Chap. 4. 

 N winter time they make excellent drinke of Rise, of 

 Mill, and of honie, being well and high coloured like 

 wine. Also they have wine brought unto them from farre 

 countries. In summer time they care not for any drinke, 

 but Cosmos. And it standeth alwaies within the entrance 

 of his doore, and next unto it stands a minstrell with his 

 fidle. 1 sawe there no such citerns and vials as ours com- 

 monly be, but many other musicall instruments which are 

 not used among us. And when the master of the house 

 begins to drinke, one of his servants cryeth out with a 

 lowde voice HA, and the minstrell playes upon his fidle. 

 They use the And when they make any great solemne feast, they all of 

 h ice custom e in t^gj^ d^p their hands & daunce to the noyse of musique, 

 the men before their master and the women before their 

 mistresse. And when the master hath drunke, then cries 

 out his servant as before, and the minstrell stayeth his 

 musique. Then drinke they all around both men and 

 women : and sometimes they carowse for the victory very 

 filthily and drunkenly. Also when they will provoke 

 any man, they pul him by the eares to the drinke, and so 

 lug and draw him strongly to stretch out his throate 

 clapping their handes and dauncing before him. More- 

 over when some of them will make great feasting and 

 rejoycing, one of the company takes a full cuppe, and 

 two other stand, one on his right hand and another on 

 his left, and so they three come singing to the man who 

 is to have the cuppe reached unto him, still singing and 

 dauncing before him : and when he stretcheth foorth his 

 hand to receive the cuppe, they leape suddenly backe, 

 returning againe as they did before, and so having 

 deluded him thrice or fower times by drawing backe 

 the cuppe untill he be merie, and hath gotten a good 

 appetite, then they give him the cuppe, singing and 

 dauncing and stamping with their feete, untill he hath 

 done drinking. 



238 



