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alarming the timid, and bringing a respectable 

 body of men into contempt. I am surprised 

 that any person should make so severe an 

 accusation as that of stating to the world 

 that poisonous drugs are employed by the 

 wine-merchants, without giving one instance 

 to make good their assertions. 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 hun- 

 dred 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 I 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 is often done, and thereby 

 defrauding both the revenue and his cus- 

 tomers. This latter charge can be refuted by 

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



p 



