Athenaeus saith, That the Vine was first found neere vnto the Mount Etna, and that a
dogge passing that way, plucked vp a little branch of a Vine tree out of the earth, and
that Oresteus, sonne of Deucalion, which raigned in that Countrey, caused the same
branch to be planted againe, vvhereout there sprang manie shoots of Vines, vvhich
he called Oenus, of the name of the dogge which had pluckt the same branch out of
the ground: vvhereupon also the auncient Greekes called Vines Oenas. The Latines
say, That the Vine is called Vitis, quasi vita, because that vvine doth quickly restore
the vitall spirits being wasted and spent, and doth comfort, repaire, encrease, and
strengthen the naturall heat that is weakened, vvhich is the principall instrument of
life, insomuch, as that by the vse of vvine it is made more freely disposed than it was
before to performe all manner of actions requisite for the life of man. Old Writers
are not of one mind concerning the first originall and inuention of the Vine, for eue∣rie
one of them almost hath his seuerall opinion. But as concerning my selfe, I thinke
that the Vine was brought forth of the earth, as other grasse, hea••bes, and trees were
from the beginning of the world, and that it brought forth grapes of it selfe with∣out
any tilling or dressing, and those like vnto them which the wild Vine (called of vs
Labrusca) doth now bring forth, but that the first fathers did not so quickly know
the vse and profit of the Vine. For in America, Florida, and the new-••ound Coun∣tries,
there are great store of Vines growing plentifully, and in great aboundance,
without any art or industrie of men, although the vse of wine be as yet vnknowne to
the inhabitants of those Countries. Plato in his C••atylus saith, That wine is called
in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quasi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is to say, iudgement, consideratenesse, and aduised∣nesse,
because it furnisheth the intellectuall part with iudgement and aduise, because
by his quicknesse it restoreth the spirits, whereby it strengtheneth the mind as well
as the bodie, as Mnestheus hath verie well reported of it. Some likewise say, That the
Greekes call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quasi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is to say, profit and vtilitie, because it is infinitely
profitable. The Latines call it Vinum •• vi, by reason of the violence it offereth to
the spirit of man, when it is taken out of measure. The cause likewise why the old
Writers called it Temetum, was because the immoderate vse thereof holdeth captiue
and corrupteth the mind, that is to say, the vnderstanding. We will define wine to
be a iuice extracted and pressed out of ripe grapes, purified and fined, contained in
vessels sit for the receiuing of the same, conuenient and agreeable vnto mans life, and
therefore the liquors of the grape newly pressed out, is not to be called wine, because
it is not fined, neither yet doth veriuice deserue the name of wine, because it is pressed
out of grapes as yet not ripe.