212 



small quantity of new milk. The folly of 

 this fashion was no sooner seen, than good 

 brown sherries returned into favour. The 

 Africans of old used to mitigate and allay 

 the tartness of their wines with a kind of lime 

 plaster, while the Greeks of the same day 

 quickened their's with clay and marble pow- 

 dered, or with sea water. 



The Romans admired the flavour of pitch, 

 which was often added to their wines ; thus 

 we find it has ever been the study of the 

 wine-merchant to suit the taste of the times, 

 but at no period has it been found necessary 

 to add baneful drugs. 



Grapes furnish the French with another 

 article of commerce, almost equal in import- 

 ance to their wines; namely, brandy. It is 

 computed that their exportation in this 

 liquor is not less than 50,000 pipes or pieces 

 per $nn. which, at the average of five shil- 

 lings per gallon, produces them nearly two 

 millions sterling annually. 



The brandies imported into this country 

 are principally from Bordeaux, Rochelle, and 

 Cogniac ; but they are very inferior to those 

 made in the neighbourhood of Nantes and 

 Poictou, from whence private families in the 

 city and suburbs of Paris supply themselves, 

 and they are very careful to obtain the best 

 quality of this spirit. All brandies are ori- 



