and other Fermented Liquors. 



155 



their accuracy from this cause. It is therefore probable, that in 

 most of the wines which were examined by Mr Brande and by my- 

 self, the whole amount of alcohol was due to the fermentation of 

 the must. The differences in this amount depended upon the 

 kind of grape, and upon the influence of climate, soil, and cul- 

 ture. These facts being assumed, we shall have some guide in 

 our subsequent inquiries. 



The wines of Palestine are generally represented by mo- 

 dern travellers as being of excellent quality. The sweet wines 

 are particularly esteemed in the East, because they are grate- 

 ful to the taste, very exhilarating, and will keep, some of 

 them, for a long time. They were therefore preferred by 

 those addicted to drinking, and commonly selected for the 

 tables of kings. {Paoctorfs Illust?~ations.) The prophet Joel, 

 accordingly, describes a state of great prosperity by the figure 

 of mountains dropping down new, or, more correctly, sweet 

 wine, (c. iii. v. 18.) Their inebriating quality is alluded to by 

 the prophet Isaiah : "I will feed them that oppress thee, with 

 their own flesh ; and they shall be drunken with their own 

 blood, as with sweet wine," (c. xlix. v. 26.) And the privation 

 of this enjoyment is placed by the prophet Micah among the 

 judgments which the Almighty threatened to bring upon his 

 ancient people for their iniquity : 44 Thou shalt tread the vin- 

 tage of sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine," (c. vi. v. 16.) 



Thus the testimony of travellers, concerning the spiritous 

 nature, of the wines of Palestine., accords with that of the sacred 

 writers. The ancient wines are said to have been mixed with 

 water for common use ; but it is evident that this practice did 

 not prevail among the Jews, for Isaiah, in mentioning a mixture 

 of wine and water, evidently means to express, by the phrase, 

 the degenerate state of his nation. " Thy silver is become 

 dross, thy wine mixed with water," (c. i. v. 22.) It is observed, 

 by Thevenot, that the people of the Levant never mingle water 

 with their wine at meals, but drink by itself what water they 

 think proper for abating its strength. While the Greeks and 

 Romans, by mixed wine, understood wine united and lowered 

 with water, the Hebrews, on the contrary, meant by it wine 

 made stronger and more inebriating, by the addition of power, 

 ful ingredients, as honey, spices, &c, or wine inspissated, by 

 boiling it down to two-thirds, or one-half of the q'uantitv, myrrh . 



