by ancient records that some towns in this shire paid rentwines in great proportions; so that England, though it does. not ferre vinum, is ferar vini, capable (especially in a hot summer) to produce it to good perfection." The same author in the next page will also vindicate Malmsbury about the Higra in the Severn, on which see also Drayton's Poly-Olbion there cited. The notion of persons dying of poison was so prevalent in early times, and the fact so difficult to ascertain, that Robert de Sigillo, Bishop of London, and his company, might as well have died of a surfeit by eating ripe grapes, especially as, if we may judge from the election of his successor in October the same year, his death probably happened in the season of ripe grapes. We might presume that these grapes were the growth of London, notwithstanding the objection that "this great city, which was so many ages ago so considerable, seems to be a most ill chosen spot for such a kind of husbandry." Why might not a Bishop of London have a vineyard at his palace, as well as a Bishop of Ely strawberries in his London garden? temp. R. 3. I believe nobody doubts the great areas occupied by the noblemen's houses and gardens in London so lately as Queen Elizabeth's reign. Add to this, that the great monasteries in London probably had their vineyards, as well as in other parts of the kingdom; and that the places which still retain the name of vineyard were without the walls of London*. Whoever attends to the stout walls which inclosed the ancient gardens, will think no difficulty in keeping a mob out of the most enticing vineyard, whose extent could not be comparable to a modern turnip or pea-field. Dr. James's vineyard must have been as much terra firma for an orchard, as for a vineyard. But this is only a single instance against many. The site of the monastic buildings at Croyland is too much altered to trace the vineyard there: but a warm south west bank at Denney Abbey, situate, like Croyland, in the fens near Cambridge, still retains the name of the vineyard. Without insisting on the wine produced at Winchester, or the derivation of the naine of that city from it, the order to make ale for the Duke and Duchess of Saxony will no more prove that they drank no English wine, than that they drank no wine at all. * Vine-street, East Smithfield, Hatton-garden: others in St. Giles's in the Fields, and in Piccadilly.-The Vineyard by Houusditch; that in Southwark, opposite the Tower; a street in Richmond, and elsewhere in Surry. I come now to Mr. B.'s strongest arguments against our native wines, that our Saxon ancestors had no name for the grape or the fruit of the vine. This he proves from the Latin word uvas being retained in the Saxon version of Matth. vii. 16. But in Fox's edition of the four gospels, in Saxon, 1571, 4to. this text stands thus: Cwyst thu gatherath man winberian of thornum, oththe fic apla of thyrncinnum. and in the Pentateuch (Gen. xi. 10. Deut. xxxii. 32) winberie and winberige are used for grapes, as well as in other authors cited in Lye's Dictionary. The citation under consideration is from a barbarous mongrel Saxon version, taken notice of by Hickes**. Allowing, however, that area was retained in one place, can we suppose the Saxons, who made so frequent use of the word win, in compounds, relative both to the vine and the liquor produced by it, and called the wine press wincole, knew nothing of any wine made from the vines of this country, or neglected to culti vate them from any other reason than because, like the other northern nations of the continent, they preferred, or were more familiarized to, liquors made from corn. Mr. B. does not even suppose the Saxons winberie to be our native ribes, though he seems to hint the monk might latinize the ribes into vitis. But, surely, this is to suppose a monk of the 12th century as good a botanist as Mr. Ray: whereas, by Mr. B.'s own account, the vitis and the ribes appear to be different genera. But it is not for me to contend with botanists. My intention was only to vindicate the import of vinea, and to shew that it had one common application in the earliest and the latest, the purest and most barbarous, Latin writers. I shall only add, in confirmation of what has been already advanced, that there was not the least reason for applying it otherwise. Our records and our historians were as well acquainted with the words pomarium and hortus, as we can be with orchard and garden. Du Cange himself shall justify this assertion. "Pomerium est ubi poma nascuntur." Will. Brito in vocab. "Horticellus in quo sunt arbores pomorum." Cart. A. D. 1197, ap. Ughel. t. vii. p. 1272; and, which seems decisive, the Donationes Salisburg. c. 13, say, "Tradiderunt casam et curium, et vineam unam cum pomario et alio parvo territorio super lacum:" and the charter of Bishop Gennadius, in Yepez Chron. Ord. S. Benicti, t. iv. "Edificia *Thes. V. I. p. 94. instruxi, vineas et pomares." Our word orchard is derived from the Saxon orceard, and that from an elder word ortgeard; q. d. weort-geard, a plantation of herbs*; so that its application to fruit-trees is of later date. 1775, Nov. MR. URBAN, R. G. I HAVE read with great satisfaction the controversy lately agitated concerning the culture of the vine in our island. But who shall decide, when such difference of opinion appears amongst men of approved abilities and eminent fame? Much may be said on the subject; yet as the disputants seem at present in perfect good humour with each other, perhaps more light may shortly be thrown upon the subject. Your intelligent correspondent Mr. G. has favoured us, in Nov. Magazine, with several observations new to me at least. I admire his ingenuity and critical sagacity; yet I apprehend he has committed a slight mistake in supposing that the carme, or vineyards, of Engeddi, were only what he calls proper vineyards, by which phrase your readers must understand plantations appropriated solely to the culture of the vine: on the contrary, Dom. Calinet asserts, Engeddi, formerly Hazazon Thamar, that is to say, the City of Palm-trees, received its name from the great number of that species of tree which flourished in the place, and the vines of Cypress were not only found there, but several shrubs which produced balsamt." 66 that A traveller, who was the contemporary of Calmet, and is not less distinguished for extent of erudition than accuracy of observation, the late Dr. Shaw, supposes the albanneh to be the cypress of the Canticles, common in Engeddi, and cultivated usually with the vine and other aromatic shrubs; a plant still in frequent use in oriental climates, and one of the cosmetics employed by the fair of the east, who, like the modern fine ladies of Britain, are solicitous to improve their personal charms, even at the expence of their health, though their ideas of beauty seem very different from those generally adopted here. * Lye's Dictionary. + Vide Dictionaire de la Bible, edit. Geneve; 1750; tome 2, p. 543, art. Engeddi.-Josephus Antiq. 1. 9. c. 1, where Engeddi is said to produce not only the palm-tree, but the opobalsamum.-Pliny (lib. 12. c. 24.) describes the last-mentioned plant, which was brought into Italy by one of Vespasian's generals. Herodotus says, that the beverage of the Egyptians was barley, the vine not being introduced into the country. He lived about 400 years before the building of Rome; but having forfeited credit as an historian, by the misrepresentation of facts, his testimony in this particular is less to be believed. Mr. G. is of opinion, that the French word vigne is always understood to mean a vineyard; and that it is by no means clear, that it should ever signify "a house including a small garden." If he will take the trouble to consult the learned lexicographers of that nation, I am apt to believe he will alter his opinion. Even Boyer, by no means the most diligent of compilers, has given us the word in this sense: vigne, Maison de Plaisance au tour de Rome. Others say, On appelle Vignes les Maisons de Plaisance aux environs de Rome, et de quelques autres villes d'Italie: Vigne Pamphile, Vigne Aldobrandine, Vigne Borghese, La Vigne de Madame aupres de Turin. To cite all the authorities of writers in justification of this sense of the word would tire the reader's patience. The names of streets in London and its suburbs, adduced by Mr. G. as proofs that vineyards were common to our ancestors, seem to prove much. Our city was not then so populous and well built as at present: many of the citizens had gardens annexed to their houses, especially those who resided at a distance from the centre of the metropolis; and our summers at that time ripened the grapes more kindly. Dr. Bulleyn, who died in 1576, relates that there was excellent fruit of this kind at Bloxhall, in Suffolk, of which parish he was rector from 1550 to 1554; and Suffolk, is well known to be a northern county. The attempt to cultivate the vine in this island, perhaps, has been rendered abortive as much by the unpropitiousness of the soil, and the unskilfulness of the managers, as by the unfavourableness of this northern climate. The gloomy suburbs of London, indeed, appear a very improper site for a vineyard, " fuliginously black" with the smoke of a thousand chimnies; yet, only a few years since, a gentleman of Southwark is said, now and then, to have entertained his guests with wine extracted from his own grapes; and even those who were well acquainted with the wines of France, have commended it. His vineyard was not far distant from the banks of the Thames; but, after much time and money had been spent, the scheme, which yielded its projector a rational entertainment, and employed some of the indigent part of the community, was obliged to be relinquished. No vestige of this vineyard at present remains, though I am not certain whether it did not give name to the street mentioned by Mr. G. in his note. If so, his descendants have converted the spot " where the vine once dropped her purple clusters through the green," to a purpose far more lucrative. These few observations may appear like "gleanings of grapes when the vintage is past," and, perhaps, by the malignant critic may be thought unnecessary; however, if they are not too much out of season, be so kind as to communicate them to the public, and particularly to Mr. G.I would not willingly give offence to him, or any of the gentlemen engaged in the dispute, nor can suppose any offence will be taken by their insertion. I acknowledge myself not violently attached to either party; but cannot avoid expressing my pleasure to see a controversy which promises innocent delight, if not obvious utility, conducted by persons of extensive knowledge as antiquaries, and singular politeness as gentlemen. And it would be happy for mankind, if every dispute was managed with as much temper, candour, and good-breeding. 1775, Supp. H.D. LXXXIII. A Sa'nt whose emblems are naked Boys in a Tub. MR. URBAN, THE very ingenious writer of Observations in a Journey to Paris, in Aug. 1776, just now published in 2 vols. 8vo. at p. 122 of vol. 2, begs to be informed, through the channel of your Magazine, who is the saint whose emblems are two naked children in a bathing-tub, and what these circumstances allude to? The saint, no doubt, is St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Mira in Lycia, of whom I have a very large and fine French print, with the children and tub before him. I have also in my possession an Italian Life of this saint, on the title-page of which 4to. book is the same picture: it is thus intituled, "Historia della Vita, Miracoli, Traslatione, e Gloria dell' illustrissimo Confessor di Christo S. Nicolo il Maguo, Arcivescovo di Mira. Composta dal Padre Antonio Beatillo da Bari, della Compagnia di Giesù, Terza Editione. In Napoli. 1645." I think I have discovered the occasion of the boys addressing themselves to his patronage at p. 73 of the book, where we are told the following story, which fully satisfied Isaiah 24, 13.-The ancient prophets and poets frequently mention vineyards their allusions are too frequent to be transcribed here, but every person acquainted with the sacred writings will easily refer to them. : |