136 / 248
136
THE FLOWING BOWL
the foundations for much of the trouble at this
end of the century. Still there be doctors who
actually recommend port wine as a gout-fuge.
And it is certainly safer to drink a little good
port — matured in the wood, and innocent of
beeswing—an you be a podagric subject, than
some ofthe clarets which, thanks to the enterprise
of the late Mr. W. E. Gladstone, are within the
reach of the slenderest purse.
Do not smoke whilst drinking claret, or port,
either. Nothing destroys the flavour of red
wine so effectually as the flavour of a cigar.
One of the greatest " sells " ever experienced
by an expectant party of claret judges—ofwhom
I posed as one—was after this fashion.
Our
host had inherited a pipe of Chateau Lafitte '64,
which had been duly bottled off.
We had
enjoyed a nice plain little dinner — a bit of
crimped cod, a steak, and a bird—in order the
better to taste the luscious wine. After dinner
bottle number one made its appearance ; and as
they sipped, and prepared to sing hymns of
praise, the jaws of the guests fell. And a great
cry uprose ; " Pricked ! "