54 



" is a settled maxim with these people, that " no crime can 

 " ever he committed hy a man when he is drunk." 



On the night of this Debauch, it chanced that one of 

 the Burgomasters, mistaking a window in Ms own house 

 for a door, fell through and broke his neck. I witnessed, 

 says our author, " the solemn ceremonial of his funeral." 

 " All the attendants were stained with black dye, and wore, 

 "in the place of their customary garlands of vine-leaves, a 

 " cypress wreath. The corpse was not placed upon a bier 

 •' or funeral-pile — but was immersed in a pipe half- filled 

 " with wine; and in place of the Eoman custom of throwing 

 upon the body sweet smelling odours and flowers, each 

 " poured upon it, as a farewell offering, a bottle of wine." 



On the third morning, our traveller was reminded hy 

 his friend that he must make the prescribed sacrifice to 

 Bacchus ; but being fearful of the consequences, he departs 

 clandestinely, and turns his steps towards a more Northerly 

 division of Yvronia called Pvnenia or Whisky land. There 

 he finds no rivers or wells, so that it is impossible to dilute 

 the fiery beverage commonly used ; and to add to Iris dis- 

 tress, at every third mile-stone he is forced (under pain of 

 being turned back,) to drink from a cup of it, which is 

 placed beneath a sacred arch, by the road-side. He falls 

 in with a miserable wretch clothed in filthy rags, bare-footed 

 and bare-headed, who tells him he is bound on a pilgrimage 

 to the Sacred Bladder or Still of Schlauchberg. He is in- 

 formed, that in this city of Schlauchberg there stands a 

 temple dedicated to the "fiery Bacchus," the roof glittering 

 with carbuncles and flames of gold — from which a perpetual 

 stream of hot smoking spirit is seen to distil into a mighty 

 Cistern beneath. To this liquor the most extraordinary 

 virtues are ascribed. He is led on hy his pilgrim friend 

 through extensive wastes, and forests, and bogs, and arrives 

 at the small port of Aqua Fortis.* There they embark, bur 



* Q. Waterford ? 



