GRAPE-VINE. 179 



drink wine, and, by the aid of an emetic, throw it up 

 again, in order to sharpen their appetites for supper. 



Plato, who strictly restrains the use of wine, and se- 

 verely censures the excess, says that "nothing more ex- 

 cellent or valuable than wine was ever granted by God to 

 man." 



Amphitryon is said by the Athenians to have been the 

 first who diluted wine with water ; and on this account 

 the fable was invented of Bacchus having been struck by 

 a thunderbolt, and cast, all inflamed, into the nymphs' 

 bath to be extinguished. 



At what exact period the vine was first cultivated in 

 England is uncertain : but we conclude it was as early 

 as about the tenth year A. D., as at that time the Ro- 

 mans had possession of great part of this island, and had 

 introduced the luxuries of Italy wherever they settled. 

 Augustus was then emperor, and it was common to send 

 the sons of the British nobles to Rome to be educated ; 

 from this intercourse it seems unlikely that the culture of 

 the vine should have been neglected at this time, though 

 many authors are of opinion that the vine was not intro- 

 duced into this country until about the year 280, when 

 Probus, who greatly encouraged agricultural pursuits in 

 all the provinces under Rome, was emperor. 



It appears that license was granted to the provincials to 

 plant vineyards about the year 280 ; and the Britons are 

 expressly mentioned by Vopiscus among the nations who 

 partook of it From this we should certainly conclude, 

 that the vine had been previously planted in this island. 



Again, we are informed that the planting of vineyards 

 in Italy had so much increased about A. D. 85, that agri- 

 culture was thereby neglected ; on which account Domi- 

 tian issued an edict prohibiting any new vineyards to be 

 planted in Italy, and ordered at least one half of those in 



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