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THE FLOWING BOWL
efFect, then they also begin to make peace. One
compliments in a very high degree, another tells
stories, but all are extremely ridiculous both in
their w^ords and actions." And after mentioning
other liquors which they use, he adds, "It is
difficult to find in Persia a man that is not
addicted to one of these liquors, without which
they think they cannot livebut veryunpleasantly."
Anything nastier than hot laudanum as a restora
tive I cannot imagine.
It sounds curious to read that France and
Spain were censured by that universal provider of
knowledge, Pliny, for their drunkenness with
beer and ale, "wines not being in that age so
frequent." What was the world like before the
invention of port wine, I wonderFor in
Pliny's time Italy exceeded all parts of the world
for her luscious and curious vintages, being re
sponsible for 195 different sorts of wines.
Their Names and Kinds innumerable arc,
Nor for their Catalogue we need not care ;
Which who would know as soon may count the
Sands
The Western Winds raise on the Libyan Strands.
At a much later date, in the seventeenth
century, Italy still held her own in the matter of
the juice of the grape ; and then, as now, their
Chianti and Lachrymae Christi were justly cele
brated. Strange to say at the same period the
Germans, we read, " are much given to drunken
ness, as one of their own countrymen writes of
them; theydrinksoimmodestlyandimmoderately
at their Banquets that they cannot pour their beer