WINE. 623 



elude that it could have been purchased at such low rates 

 unless there was a very general consumption at least among 

 the middle classes, and especially among the inhabitants of 

 towns. I do not pretend to say the wine was used by the 

 farmers or peasantry, though its price did not preclude its 

 reaching persons even in the humbler conditions of life on 

 exceptional occasions. We have seen before that the bargain 

 for the Cuxham millstones was concluded in London over 

 five gallons of wine, and there is, I think, no reason to doubt 

 that it was generally accessible. 



The warden and fellows of Merton, during their northern 

 journey in the year 1331, purchase wine at several of the 

 stages, as at Alreton, Esyngwold, York, Durham, Cane, Ponte- 

 land, and Grantham. No quantity is given, but the sum 

 expended for the refreshment of the warden and his two 

 attendant fellows is not large, that is, from id. to 2^., but 

 generally i\d. It is most likely that the travellers ordered 

 not less than a quart, perhaps sometimes half-a-gallon, and 

 that they found it readily at all their stages, either in the 

 town inn or at some wine-seller's shop. Perhaps if the com- 

 piler of the account, instead of giving the gross sum of each 

 day's charges in the course of the journey, had supplied us 

 with particulars, we should find the cost of each day's con- 

 sumption through the whole of those midland counties which 

 they traversed on their route. Generally, however, even when the 

 cost of drink is given, it is mentioned under the generic name 

 of c potus,' and probably therefore includes beer for the ser- 

 vants. On one occasion, when these officials give a great 

 feast to the parishioners of Ponteland on Sunday the i9th of 

 January, 1331, they provide (besides 66 gallons of beer, 21 of 

 which are at i|</., the rest at id. the gallon) wine to the 

 value of 4*. i \d. 



The wine was probably rough, and generally new. But it 

 must have possessed body and spirit sufficient to bear the 

 carriage. Many growths of French wine are, we are told, 

 too thin to be transported to this country, even by the con- 



