CONCERNING ODOURS, 9-11 



1 For the two senses of taste and smell being akin to 

 one another, each provides in a way for the enjoy- 

 ment of the other : wherefore it is through things 

 which appeal to the taste, as well as those which 

 appeal to the sense of smell, that men try to discover 

 fragrant odours. 



The question may perhaps be raised why perfume 

 and other fragrant things, while they give a pleasant 

 taste to wine, 2 yet have not this effect on any other 

 article of food, but in all cases spoil food, whether it 

 be cooked or not. The explanation we must take 

 to be that this is what happens the perfume if 

 mixed with solid 3 things is in any case powerful 

 enough to deprive them of their proper taste, and at 

 the same time it makes obtrusive its own taste, 

 which is astringent and somewhat bitter, all per- 

 fumeries having that character, while, if one bites 

 up the food, this effect is even 4 more apparent 

 because the food is crushed and broken up, and also 

 because it remains longer in the mouth. But on 

 wine neither effect is produced, since in this the 

 taste is very strong and too generally diffused to be 

 overpowered : also wine does not linger on the 

 palate for any length of time, but merely touches it, 

 so that, while it makes one conscious of its own 

 pleasant taste, it does not make the palate feel the 

 bitter unpalatable taste of the perfume : in fact the 

 odour of this acts as a sort of relish 5 to the draught. 

 This effect indeed c it has on wine which is sweet 

 and specially needs the addition of perfume, because 

 it has no ( relish ' of its own ; while with other wines 

 the reason is that, as the effect of the mixture, the 



5 Sc. ' bouquet.' 



6 I have restored yap, omitted by Sch. and W. 



337 



VOL. II. Z 



