GRAPE. 



209 



came under the ecclesiastical ^overDment of the 

 Pope of Rome, and when that powerful potentate 

 established colonies of Italian monks in various parts 

 of these kingdoms, that they introduced, for their 

 own personal gratification, every species of their 

 own native fruit and vegetables which had any 

 chance of succeeding in Britain. Among the rest, 

 the vine was not forgotten. This was not only 

 planted against the wails which surrounded the mo- 

 nasteries ; but considerable portions of the most 

 suitable land belonging to them were planted and 

 inclosed as vineyards, for the production of fruit 

 only. Some of these inclosures remain to this day, 

 though the vines have long ago been rooted out. 

 That vineyards were planted by, and in possession 

 of, laymen in those days, is also evident, from exa- 

 mination of some tithe-rolls belonging to ecclesias- 

 tical establishments, in which the tithes of wine or 

 grapes are particularly mentioned. 



Now although we are informed that vineyards 

 were planted and' yielded fruit in great quantities in 

 those early times, we need not suppose that the 

 grapes were fully ripe. Excellent wine can be made 

 from unripe fruit, and might very well suffice for 

 the cloistered monks, as well as for our own hardy 

 barons, before commerce had opened to them the 

 wine vaults of the continent. 



But that vineyards may and have succeeded in our 

 own times, is beyond a doubt : that at Painshill, 

 planted by Mr. Hamilton, answered well; he selling, 

 in some years, hundreds of pounds worth of wine ! 



p 



