Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-08-03
GrnrraI 1HtscfIlanu.
From the Boston Journal.
WINE DRINKING IN ENGLAND.

man conquest vineyards increased IN number,
and by the middle of the twelfth century they
extended over large tracts of the country
But the climate rendered the cultivation too
uncertain and too costly for the native wines
long to withstand the competition Of more
favored countries, and the vine gradually dis
appeared to make way for more profitable
crops. Mead and ale were the favorite drinks
of Anglo-Saxons, but the rich among them
appreciated the vntages of France, brisk
trade in which sprang up after the conquest.
The consumption of French wines spread
rapidly, and was large source Of revenue to
the British Kings, who frequently fixed the
prices at which they should be sold. In the
reign Of Richard II, Malmsey, the fashionable
wine, sold at cd per gallon Vernage, red
Tuscan wine at Is Crete, Provence, Gambia,
Mount Rose, Trubidiane, and Claire, at ls
Bhsnish at Sd and kind Of vin ordiaairc
as low as 4d per gallon.
The wines Of this period being more or
less harsh and acid, it became customary to
mix spices, sugar and honey with them
These articles were termed "pimcnts,' and a
banquet without pment would have lacked
its greatest essential indeed, it was consider
ed such luxury that the clergy were forbid
den to taste it except on high holidays. The
consumption of wines in the houses Of the
mobiles was something extraordinary. The
retainors of the Earl of Leicester consumed
three hundred aud seventy-one pipes a year,
and other mobiles displayed a like prodigality;
but they were accustomed to a regal protusion
in those days, and were in the habit of giving
feasts at which roasted oxen. calves. sheep,
&c, were consumed By the score and of
course goodly quantity Of liquor was esteem
cd necessary to wash down the edibles.
Bluff King Hal vainly attempted to keep
down the price of wines by royal enactment.
and did Edward w. The latter monarch
endcavored to limit the use of the juice Of
the grape by iorbdding any but mobiles. the
sons Of mobiles, and gentlemen with a thou
sand marks, TO keep above ten gallons Of wine
in the house. Cranmer did his part by issu-
ing an ordinance to restrain the table cxtrav-
aganccs Of the clergy, which was obeyed for
two months and then unanimously disregard
ed by the reverend lovers Of good living
Queen Mary, like true daughter Of the
church, instead Of putting the clergy on short
allowance, sought to protect them against the
knaveries of the dealers who were severely
punished i. caught aduteratng liquors.
According to all accounts the English ma
ton had hitherto borne the honorable reputa-
ton Of being the nobest of the northern ma
! tions. Unfortunately, the army sent by Eli
zabeth into the Netherlands learned there to
drown themselves with drinking, and their
example was followed too readily by their
countrymen. Under James the national char
acter was anything but improved. The King
himself drank the strongest of wines, and set
an example that had no lack Of imitation
When the King of Denmark paid visit to
England. in honor of the guest the court
{ adopted the Danish custom of drinking the
: health of every person present in rotation,
till both the gentlemen and ladies Of the
2 court got exceedingly drunk. The court of
his successor was rather better ordered
] There was not much carousing at the court Of
. Cromwell, but. spite of puritanism, the
proach OF drunkenness was not by any means
! removed. writer Of this period calls his
cauntrymen the grape suckers of the earth,
and declares that many even of the fair sex
would "quaf with the most rotous and give
pledge for pledge and take off cup for cup"
When royalty was restored. the ladies had
/ not improved, and Mrs. Aphfa Behn says they
drank hard according TO their quality "Bour
citizens wives simper and sip and will bo
{ drunk without doing credit to the treater
but in their closets they swiugo it away,
whole slashes, j iaith and egad, when
woman drinks by herself, glasses come thick
o"'uAs I NNl StuAltWouhu Ut your littAc lAuN
drink hathaway, and think, in point Of good
manners, she must leave some at the bottom
: but your thorough bred woman of honor
drinks all" Charles himself loved the rosy
beverage quite well enough
At the period of the revolution, when
, James II took refuge in France, the English
government imposed a prohbitive duty on
French wines because the French monarch
sided with James They were soon super
seeded by the wines of Spain and Portugal
and the reign of Port begun 1t was not re-
ceiyed with much favor in London at first
Italian wines were also introduced With
Queen Anne, French wines came in again
In 703 treaty negotiated by which, in
consideration Of Portugal iavoring English
wooens, England bound herself to impose
33 ID per cent. higher duty on the wines OF
France than that levied on the Portuguese
vintagos, which had the effect of closing the
French market to English manufacturers. and
compelling English wine drinkers to buy
worse wines at higher price. Under this
treaty the importations of Port increased
with great rapidity, and a monopoly Of the
trade having been granted to a company Of
English wine merchants, enormous prices
were charged and obtained for inferior wines
This monopoly lasted till the year S52, when
II was broken up after repeated remonstrances
from the British government, who also equal
lied the duties on all imported wines In
1859 the imports of wine into England from
all countries amounted to 1902, 800 gallons.