EDWARD ANTILL 17 



ty for 1771. and ir covers over eighty quarto 

 Antill seems to have been Inspired with a 

 patriotic devotion t<> the welfare of his country, and 

 his treatise bears the marks of that broad and pro- 

 phetic vision which is bo characteristic of the latter 

 pari of the last century. "Nothing but the love of 

 m> country and the good of mankind," In- writes, 

 "could have tempted me t<» appear and expose myself 

 to public view." "When I first undertook a vine- 

 yard," he explains, "I can without the least spark <>i 

 vanity say, I <li<l it for the good of my country, and 

 from a principle of love to mankind ; I consider that 

 too many of the people of America were unhappily 

 drawn into great exc< ss< s in the use of distilled spirit- 

 nous liquors, which ruin their constitutions, and soon 

 render them unfit for the service of God and their 

 country, as well as for that of their own family and 

 friends. Wine, on the contrary, is a more homog 

 <>us Liquor, more wholesome, and much better adapted 

 to the spirit, and constitution of man: and although 



men will ran into exc< in the use of it. yel it 



works itself off better, and does u..t destroy the natural 

 vital heat and animal spirits, in bo great a degree and 



i sudd. -ii a manner, as fiery, distilled Liquors do; 

 for these reasons I wenl on, and endeavoured t<> make 

 myself master of tin- Bubject, and by man} experi- 

 ments t<> satisfy myself of the truth of tin: It 



Antill ' s ambition, then, to grow grapes for wine 

 and not for eating. Hi> treatise i- founded largely 

 upon European practice, and there is onlj tin- most 



• r reference to any American experience. Be 

 still quotes Columella He says in bis introductory 

 letter that the industry is "yet new to America, though 

 n 



