TO VIENNA. 405 
and the ivater is detestable, from one end of chap. 
the country to the other. It is rare, indeed, to ^. ^- > 
meet with a wholesome spring; so generally 
impregnated are all the fountains with acids, 
saline substances, or other mineral ingredients : 
and with regard to the generality of its wines, 
these are little suited to the palates of more 
northern nations. They would have been rather 
adapted to what the taste was in our country, 
when Sack and Malmsey were the delight of our 
convivial tables, than to the vitiated palates of 
Englishmen, habituated, as they now are, to a 
factitious astringent beverage, received, by 
common consent and courtesy, under the name 
of Port. But, after all that can be said of the 
Hungarian wine, the opinions of different indivi- 
duals are so opposite, that one traveller will 
probably condemn what another has extolled. 
Perhaps, therefore, the best judgment may be 
afforded by comparison. The finest wine of 
Tokay is very like that of Cyprus : it has the 
same sweetness; and it is also characterized by 
that slight effervescence, from which the Com- 
mandar'ia of Cyprus is never exempted. To 
compare it with other preparations brewed by 
English housewives, it is something like Mead, 
or very luscious old Raisin wine ; and therefore 
we ventured to pronounce it bad. The wine 
oi Buda, we thought, was better; because it 
