of Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. Creo ae 
A Likewife,the Muft,whereof cuit is made,is more pleafant than the reftjand caufeth lefleheadach; 
As touching the fundrie kinds of wine, which are exceeding many, as alfo the vertues and 
properties of every feverall fort in manner by itfelfe; I have fufficiently difcourfed ina former 
Treatif. Neither is there any point more difficult tobe handeled,or that affourdeth greater va- 
rietieof matter, Anda man cannotteadily fay; Whether wine be more burtfull orholefome for 
our bodies ?configering the doubrfull event and iflue prefently upon the drinking therof, for that 
fometime itis.a remedie and helpe,otherwhiles it proveth to bee amifcheefe and avery poyfon. 
For mine owne part, according tomy firft deffigne and purpofe,l am to treat only of fuch things 
as Nature hath broughtforth for the health and prefervation of man, Well I wote,that U4 /éie+ 
piades hath made one entire volume expreflely,of the manner how to give wine in drinke. Vpon 
B. which Treatife or booke of his,an infinit number there were who have written their Commenta- 
ries. As for me,according to that gravitie which befeemeth Romanes.and to thew affeCtion and 
love toall liberal! Sciences, ] will nor difcourfe thereof asa Phyfician but with great care and di- 
ligence write fo deftin@lly,as a deputed judge or arbitrator delegat to determine of mans health; 
and the prefervation thereof. To difpute and reafon of every feverallkind,were an endles peece 
of worke,and fo intricat,as 1 wot not howa man fhould rid himfelfe out of it, if he were once en- 
wed;forepugnant and contrarie are the Phyficians oneto another in that argument... Ng 
To begin firft with the wine of Sutrentum,our ancients have held it fimply for the beft above 
allothers, But our later and more moderne writers, have made greater account of the Albane 
and Falerne wines. In fumme,every one hath judged of the goodnefle of wine,aceotding to his. 
C owneconceit and fantafie: a moft unequall courfe of proceeding without all reafon and congru- 
itie,to pronounce definitively unto all others that for beft,which pleafed and contented his own 
taft moft. And yer fet the cafe and fay, they were all agreed and of one opinion as touching the 
moft excellent wines ; Howis it poffible, that the whole world fhould enjoy the benefit thereof, 
fince that greatlordsand princes themfelves have’ much adoe to meet with pure and perfect 
wines,without one fophittication or other? In good faith,the world is growne to this abufe, that 
wines be bought and fold now atan higher or lower price according to the name and bruit that 
goeth onely of the cellars from whence they come : whereas in truth,the wines were marred and 
corrupted at the firft in the very preflé and vate, prefencly afterthe vintage and grape- gathering, 
And therfore it is,chat now adaies(a wonderfull thing to be {poken) the {malleft and bafeft wines | 
Dp 2t¢ ofallothers leaft fophifticat & moft harmleffe. Well, howfoever it be,and admit that the no- 
bleft kinds of wine aremoft fubje& to thefe bruings &fophiftications which make indeed the ods 
that is; yet thofe wines beforenamed, to wit,the Falerne ,Albane,and Surrentine,do ftill import, 
and cari¢ away the victorie and prife from all the reft, by the generall voice & conftant fentence 
of al] writers. As touching the Falerne wine,it is not holefome for the bodie,either very new, or 
over old; amiddle ageis beft, and chat begins when itis fifteene yeares old,and not before. This 
~ § wine isnothurtfull toa cold ftomacke: but cannot fay fo of a hos ftomacke.lf itbetaken alone’ 
and pure of itfelfe in a morning, and drunke fafting, it dooth much good untothem who have 
been troubled with along cough,or vexed with a quartane ague, And verely there isnot a wine 
__ that ftirreth the bloud and filleth the veinesfo much as this. It ftaieth the laske, and nourifheth 
E the bodice. Howbeit,generally received andbeleeved it is, That this wine dimmeth the eyefight, | 
and doth no good to the bladder and netvous parts. And indeed , the Albane wines agree better 
with the finewes, And yet the {weet wines that come out of the Vineyards of the fame tra& are . 
not fo holefome to the ftomacke : but the harthand hard auftere wines of thiskind,bee in that 
regard better than the Falerne wines abovefaid. And in one word,thefe Albane wines help dige- 
ftion butlittle,and infome fort ftuffe and fill the ftomacke, Butthe Surrentine wines charge not 
the ftomacke any jot,nor yet fume up into the head: nay,they doe reftrain and repreflecherheu- 
maticke fluxions both of ftomacke and guts. As forthe wines of Cecubum,they bee nowpaft 
date,and none of them are made any mote. Butthofe of Setinum,which remaine ftill and be in 
fome requeft,doemightily aid concofion,and caufe the meat for to digeft. Ina word, Surren- 
F tine wines havemoft ftrength,the Albane drinke harder, and the Falerne bemore mild and no- 
thingfopeircing asthe reft. 
The Statane wines come not farre behind thefe abovenamed. As for the Signine wine, out of 
all queftion it is fimply the beft to bind the bodie,and {top a vehement flux, Thus much for wines 
and their propertiesin particular.It remaineth now to {peake of their vertues in general. he 
i 
