HISTORY OF THE GRAPE VINE. xiii 



ings of the promised land, ' a land of wheat, and barley, 

 and vines,' etc, 



" At what exact period the vine was first cultivated in 

 England, is uncertain ; but we conclude it was as early 

 as about the tenth year, A. D., as, at that time, the Eo- 

 mans had possession of a great part of this island, and 

 had introduced the luxuries of Italy wherever they set- 

 tled. Many authors are of opinion that it was not intro- 

 duced into this country until about the year 280. 



" That we are indebted to the Eomans for the first in- 

 troduction of the vine is generally allowed, although it is 

 possible it might have been introduced at a much earlier 

 period than we have stated, as the Phoenicians are said 

 to have planted the vine in the isles of the Mediterranean 

 Sea, as well as in several parts of Europe and Africa ; 

 and as we have accounts of their trading to Britain, for 

 tin, they might have planted it on the English coast 

 also. But this must remain a matter of conjecture any 

 farther than as it confirms the vine to have been origi- 

 nally brought from Palestine. In the Book of ISTximbers 

 we find that the meii whom Moses had sent to spy 

 the land of Canaan, returned with a bunch of grapes 

 which they bare between two, upon a stafi". 



•' The Damascus grapes, at the present time, are often 

 found to weigh upwards of twenty-five pounds the 

 bunch. In the accounts from ^dEgidus Yan Egmont, en- , 

 voy from the States to the King of ISTaples, and John 

 Hevnian, professor of the oriental languages in the uni- 



