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CHAPTER XII
Definition of the youth—The valley of the Marne—An Arch
bishop in sparkling company—All is not cham. that
fizzes—Beneficial effects of Pommery—Dire memories of
the Haymarket—The bad boy at York—A hair of the
canine—The good boy—Gout defied—Old Roman cellars—
A chronic bombardment—Magnums to right of 'em—
Duties of the disgorger—Simon the cellarer—Fifteen millions
of full •bottles—^Pro-dig-i-ous!—Gooseberry champagne a
myth—About Medoc—The ancients spelt claret with two
"r's"—Hints on adulteration—"Chateau Gubbins"—New
wine—Gladstone claret—" Pricked ! "
" See how it sparkles, this drink divine,"
sings Girofle, in Lecocq's opera; and although
the sparkling liquor therein is described in the
text as " punch "—which does not sparkle much
as a rule—I have no doubt whatever that what
Lecocq, or his librettist meant, was the grateful
liquid which is described in different circles of
societyas "fiz," "Simpkin" (the nearest approach
a Mahomedan table-servant can make to " cham
pagne") "a bottle," "golden pop," and "the
Boy."
Here let me interpolate the commonly-received