196 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



times past. Those liquors least intoxicating are now 

 preferred ; and the quality of the wines given at table is 

 at present more attended to than the quantity, which has 

 introduced cheerfulness and good sense around the de- 

 canters, in exchange for boisterous disputes. In an age 

 that has advanced so far towards refinement, there can 

 be no need to set up the alarm of poison, or condemn all 

 the wine-merchants as murderers, as has lately become 

 the fashion of some authors, which can answer no other 

 purpose than that of alarming the timid, and bringing a 

 respectable body of men into contempt. We are sur- 

 prised that any person should make so severe an accusa- 

 tion as that of stating to the world that poisonous drugs 

 are employed by the wine-merchants, without giving one 

 instance to make good the assertion. About the year 

 1426, when Sir John Rainwell was lord-mayor of London, 

 he having received an information of the mal- practices 

 of the Lombard merchants in adulterating their wines, to 

 the great prejudice of the health of his Majesty's subjects, 

 caused one hundred and fifty butts of that pernicious 

 liquor to be seized in divers parts of the city, the heads 

 whereof being knocked out, the wine, or putrid matter, 

 ran into the street channels, and emitted such a very 

 noxious smell, that it infected the air to a great degree. 

 It will be observed that this was an imposition practised 

 by foreign merchants ; and we do not recollect having met 

 with any instance where an English wine-merchant has 

 been detected in this infamous practice, or of the charge 

 of mixing his wine with perry (as has been stated to be 

 often done), and thereby defrauding both the revenue 

 and his customers. This latter charge can be refuted by 

 the best of all possible reasons, viz. : it is against the in- 

 terest of a wine-merchant so to do ; for he has more 

 difficulty in procuring superior wines, than he has in ob- 

 taining ready sales at high prices. The best wines are 



