THE VINE AND CIVILISATION. 41 
fine, spirituous and sweet; the grapes from which these wines 
are made are partially dried before pressing. 
‘*Brandy. A portion of the produce of the vines, amount- 
ing to 115 millions of gallons, is distilled into brandy, and 
yields 16} millions of gallons of spirit, and from ‘the murk is 
distilled 814 thousand gallons of pure alcohol. Of French 
brandy, that exported from Cognac is generally the most 
esteemed. Distillation was a process unknown to the ancients ; 
we are indebted to the Arabs for the invention about the year 
900. The main object of distillation with the French is to dis- 
engage the spirit speedily, with as much purity as possible, 
together with the aromatic principle, belonging to the sub- 
stance distilled, so strongly marked is the spirit with the taste 
of the wine from which it is distilled, that persons of experience 
can easily tell from what wine district it came, and from what 
species of grape. Spanish brandy ranks next in quality to 
that of France. 
WINES OF GERMANY. 
‘‘ The vine was introduced later into Germany than France ; 
the first vineyards being on the Rhine in a cleared portion of 
the Black forest. The Rhine, the Moselle, the Neckar, and 
the Maine, are gardens of the vine. While many of their 
writers ascribe its introduction to the Emperor Probus and his 
legions about the year 280, others go up to the Asiatic Bac- 
chus, and pretend that Bacharach, in the vicinity of which so 
many excellent vineyards are found, derived its name from the 
deity of wine. A stone still exists in the river which they call 
Bacchus’ altar. It matters very little whether the territory of 
Treves poured out its abundance in the time of the Romans or 
of Charlemagne, the Germans have enjoyed it since the year 
400. The German loves his glass of cheerful wine, and while 
