Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 



A contrary operations ;the one procureth flecpe^the other caufeth watching. Among them there 

 is a vine called Thcriacc, the grape whercofj as alfo the winc^curcth the flings and biting of fer- 

 pentSj as it were a moft elpeciall Treacle. As for the vine Libanios, it carrieth the odor and flnell 

 of FrankinccnfCj and therefore is ufed in facrifices to the gods. But contrariwife another named 

 Afpendiosj is utterly condemned for that purpofe, and no wine thereof is employed at the al- 

 tar : they fay alfo^that no Foulc will touch the grapes thereof.Thcre is a kind of grape in iEgypr, 

 which they callThafiajexceedingfwect it is,andloofeth thebellie. But contrariwife there be in 

 Lycia^, that bind asmuch andeaufe coftivenclfe. The grapes Ecbolides in ^gypt, if they bee 

 catenjcaufe women with child to be delivered before their time . Some wines there be ^ that as 

 they lie in the verie cellar, will turne and proove fower about the tifingof the Dog-ftarre ; but af- 



B terwards will recover their verdure, and become quick andfielhagaine. In like manner there be 

 winesjthat upon the fea will chaunge : howbcit the agitation thereofjcaufeih thofe wines that 

 dure it to the end, to feeme twice as old as they be indeed, 



(" Chap, xix, 



^ what frines they be that may not be ufed in Sacrijices ; and what mies 

 ^ thei^e are tofephijlicate new wines, 



W' TlOrafmuch as our life ftandeth much upon religion and divine fervice, wC are to underftand j 

 r '^^^^^ " ^^^^ unlawful to offer unto the gods before facrifice^the wine of any vine that haih 



C not been cut and pruned, or that hath been finitten and blafted with lightningjor ftanding 

 neareto a jebbitortree whereon a man hath hanged dead 5 or the grapes whereof have been 

 trodenbymenwhofcieggsor feet have been wounded 5 neither is that wine allowable for diis 

 purpofc5which hath been prefTed and run from the refufe of grape-ftones and skins once brui- 

 fed and crufhedin the preffe 5 or laft of all,! if the grapes have been filed by any ordure or d ung 

 falne from above thereupon. Moreover, Greeke wines are rejected from this holy ufe, becaule 

 they have water in them. Furthermore the vine it felfe is holden good to be eaten, namely, when 

 the burgens and tendrils bee firfl fodden, and afterwards preferved and kept in vinegrejbiine, or 

 pickle. Over and befides, it were very meet and convenient to Ipeakealfo concerning the man- 

 ner of preparing and ordcringwine,feeingthatthe Greekeshave travailed in that point feve- 

 D rally, and reduced the rules thereto belonging, into the forme of an Art 5 and namely, Euphro- 

 nitiSy^riflomachmfomades^mA Bkefmy arc therein great profelTors.Thc Africans ufe to mi- 

 tigate and allay the tartneffc of their wines with plaftre, yea and in fome parts of their countrey, 

 with lime.The Greeks contrariwiie doe fortifie and quicken them with dayjwith powder of mar* 

 blcj with fait, or fea water. And in fome places of Italy ,they uie (to the fame effe^) the (havin gs 

 andfcrapingsofftone-pitch. Alfoic is an ordinarie thing in Italy and the provinces thereto 

 confining, for to condite their new wines and to feafon them with rofin : yea and in ibme places 

 they mingle therewith the lees of other old wine or vinegre.Oftentimes alfo they make flibber- 

 fauccsof It felfe without any other mixture j namely, when they boilc new Wine fufficiently to 

 the proportion of the ftrength,untill the hardnefle doevaporate^and that it wax mild andfweet: 

 E but being thus ordered,it will not laft (ihey fay) above one yeare. In fome countries they ufe to 

 lecth their new wine to the confumpiion of a third part, and make itcuit, with which they are 

 wont to delay the iharpnelTe and f^rcngth of other wines,and make them pleafant , B ut both in 

 thiskindof wine and in all others^the veflels ought to be prepared for the purpofe, and feafoned 

 with pitch : the treatife of which,we will put off unto the next booke, where wee purpofe to treat 

 theteof, and the manner of makingit* 



CflAf. XXi 



^ of divers kinds of Pitch And Koftm , The mnner of the feafoning and 

 con fe^ im of new Wines, aUo of Vincgre and Salt, 



AMong trees that yceld from them a liquid fubftancc, Ibmctherebcin theEaftcountriesj 

 and others in Europe, which ingender Pitch and Rofin. Afia likewife between both^ hath 

 of either fide of it,fome fuch trees. As for the Eaft^thc Terebinths put out Turpentine,thc 

 I beft and cleerell; Rofin of all others : next to thera^the Lentiskes alfo have th^k Rofin , which 

 " ~ Go ij they 



