THE VINE AND CIVILISATION. 27 
moral activity that the diminished wine production and the 
inquisition had left surviving. The failure in strength that 
followed the discovery of America, the policy of the House of 
Austria, and that of the Bourbons, the Jesuits, the inquisition, 
the English—as apt to paralyze the maritime activity of nations 
as the Jesuits are to paralyze their moral activity—have, with- 
out doubt, had their influence in the obscure role that modern 
Spain plays at this day.’’ 
‘* To-day (1840) Spain is miserable, depopulated ; without 
credit, without a fleet; its people living in idleness and ignor- 
ance. Let her reéstablish her vineyards, and, notwithstand- 
ing her guerrillas, her monks, her socialists and her royal 
Isabellas, before the end of a century Spain will have recon- 
quered her rank among the first of European societies. 
‘France received, as a legacy from Greece and Italy, the 
plants of her vineyards, and with them their intellectual su- 
premacy in the world. The culture of the vine produced its 
good influences, and while wine was in honour in all classes of 
society, the French people, by its brilliant qualities, remained 
the first people of modern times; loyal and generous courage, 
gaiety and suavity of intellect, patriotism, eloquence, an exqui- 
site sentiment of personal dignity associated with extreme 
politeness, were the principal traits of its character. 
‘‘Four elements dominated in the history of France — the 
people, the Gallican Church, the French kings, and wine. 
This union lasted to 1567, an evil epoch, when Charles IX., 
a sickly prince, issue of the misalliance of a noble royal race 
with astute, impure and ultramontane women of the House of 
the Florentine Medici’s, misled by their ambitious views and 
perfidious councils he endeavoured to extinguish the moral 
activity of the French, to favour the usurpations of the court 
