Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

The temperature of Wine, and of the liquor newly pressed out of the grapes.

THe new pressed iuice of the grape is of temperature hot in the first degree, but wine is hot in the second degree, yea in the third, if it be old: it is likewise of drinesse proportionable to his heat. It is true, that according to the regions, grounds, inclination, and disposition of the yeare, and such other differences, which doe alter and change his temperature very much, it falleth out to be sometimes more, some∣times lesse, hot. The wines that Spaine, Italie, Langu••doc, the Countrey of Nar∣bone in France, Gascoigne, and other hot Countries doe bring forth, proue hot and drie in the end of the second, yea in the beginning of the third degree, especially when the constitution of the yeare falleth out to be hot and drie, and when they are of a middle age. But such wines as grow in grounds about Paris, or other Countries vvhich draw toward the Westerne or Northerne quarter, doe scarcely fall out to proue hot in the beginning of the second degree, no not in a hot and drie yeare, and though they be growne to a middle age, as not hauing passed the age of the first yeare. For when the yeares fall out cold and moist, all these kinds of wines for the most part growing in these Countries, become greene and raw, and for the same cause called greene wines, and those so weake, that hardly may they be iudged to be hot

in the first degree, and the yeare expired and gone about, their heate being likewise expired and spent, they either become altogether sower, or hauing lost their smell and taste proue to be naught and corrupted.* 1.1 Whereupon that which the old writers haue deliuered concerning the temperatures and qualities of old Wines cannot bee proued true of such Wines as grow in these countries, wherein the greatest part of French Wines within three or sixe moneths, or at the furthest by the end of the yere, grow to the ••ull top and perfection of their goodnesse: whereas on the contrarie, such as grow in hot countries, and become themselues more hot, will not bee at the best, before the fifth, sixth, yea before the tenth yeare; which if it bee so, you must thinke that the sinewes and other senses of the bodie, doe receiue most harme by old Wines which grow in hot and drie countries: and that they are the lesse offen∣ded and hurt of the old Wines which grow in this our French soile which is more cold. In this countrie new Wine being sufficiently boyled vp and fined, as it is more pleasant to the tast,* 1.2 so it is more hot, cleane contrarie to that which groweth in hot countries. Dioscorides writeth that old vvine, for as much as it is hotter, doth hurt them very much which feele some weakenesse in some of their inward parts; but wee cannot say the like of our vvine vvhen it is old, but rather of our vvine when it is new, for the same reasons. Wherefore it followeth, that the opinion of Diosco∣rides and diuers other Physitians, touching the heat and temperature of old wines, is to bee vnderstood of vvines that grow in countries that are more hot, and not of such vvines as (if they bee daintie and delicate vvines) vvill attaine the height of their goodnesse, and summe of their perfection in sixe or eight moneths, or at the furthest by the end of the yeare, in such sort, as that the same being ended, they waxe sower: yea, if they be right noble vvines, they bee well forward vpon and to∣ward their perfection in the beginning of the second yeare, or somewhat after. The force and naturall heate of the dilicatest French vvines is gone after the first yeare is once past: but in a noble vvine it fadeth and falleth away by little and little, not before the second yeare be past. The vvines of Gascoigne and Aniou, growing in a hot and drie season, draw very neere vnto the nature and temperature of the vvines, whereof old vvriters haue spoken: because the greatest part of them may be kept vnto the the third yeare. The vvines of Orleance are at the best the second yeare, and it stayeth with them to the end, but when the second yeare endeth, they be∣gin to loose their goodnesse.

Now if the case stand thus in hot countries, it is better to abstaine from old vvines, than from new which are altogether fined: for their old vvines do heate out of mea∣sure; but the new vvines stir not vp any heate that may molest and trouble, and yet they also be very hurtfull, because they digest very hardly, and beget many obstru∣ctions. Wherefore in countries that are more hot, new vvines may be drunke with∣out any preiudice to the health, being of a thin substance and wel fined, because they haue but a weake heat. But in these our countries which are cold and moist, old wines may be vsed, as also the new which are of a thinne substance, well purged and fined. Notwithstanding our countrie old vvines, in as much as after some long time they loose their heat, and thereby heat the lesse, are not so hurtful▪ vnto the head as the new, or those which are of a middle age.

The iuice thereof newly pressed from the grape (in as much as it is raw,* 1.3 windie, and of hard digestion, if therewithall it do not ouerturne the stomach, and prouoke flux of the bellie) doth stay a long time in the stomach and places thereabout, swel∣ling and blowing vp the same, and therein begetting rebellious obstructions hardly taken away and remoued, as also it causeth troublesome dreames, and cold and dura∣ble diseases.

New wines which are not as yet throughly digested,* 1.4 are in temperature and facul∣tie very like vnto the new pressed liquor of grapes, for euen they are so far off from perfection, as that they also become of hard digestion, and which is more, doe not easily passe through the bowels and veines, or prouoke vrine any thing at all, being the great and soueraigne helpes which are to be looked for to come from wine. Yea

Yea furthermore, they oftentimes hang and lie long in the bodie, and become very subiect to soure in the stomach, if there bee but some small quantitie thereof taken more than is conuenient.

Wine which is well and sufficiently digested and wrought,* 1.5 and thereby purified and fined from all such excrements and lees, as either the new pressed liquor is woont to cast vp, or the same after further digestion is woont to settle downe to the bot∣tome, hath its vertues and properties all quite contrarie, vnto the vices and inconue∣niencies which accompanie the raw liquor and newly concocted wines: for it is con∣cocted easily, and caried through the bowels and veines quickly, it bringeth downe and asswageth the fulnesse and swellings rising about the principall parts of windie or distending causes, as crudities and such like: it deliuereth the wombe or matrix from such obstructions, as the naturall excrements thereof are woont to breed there∣in: it increaseth the strength of all the instrumentall parts: it maketh way for the euacuation of all manner of excrements, and so prouoketh sweat, but principally vrine: it causeth sleepe, and cureth cold poisons: it strengthneth the stomach more than all the rest of the parts of the bodie, as being first receiued and intertained into the same, and hereupon in becommeth a great friend to digestion, prouoketh appe∣tite succoureth and relieueth the heart by speciall propertie, thereby speedily repai∣ring such naturall and vitall spirites, as haue beene wasted by sodaine euacuation, wastings, or other occasions: it nourisheth also, preserueth, sustaineth and strength∣neth naturall heate, whereas it beginneth to faile. Heereby it worketh vpon the vn∣derstanding awaking, and raising it vp, cheereth, and encourageth the faint and lan∣guishing, and recreateth and reioiceth the spirites, in regard whereof, Homer saith, that the Gods haue giuen wine to men, for the driuing away of their cares and trou∣bles. And Socrates a guest at Platoes feast, praiseth the moderate vse of wines in feasts and banquets, because (as he saith) it quickneth a man to that which is good, and maketh the minde more readie to execute his offices and dueties. Lastly, wine maketh the colour more liuely and cherri-like and is found a most excellent, spee∣die, and singular remedie against all sownings and faintings which happen through excessiue euacuation, or crudities molesting and troubling the vpper mouth of the stomach. And in as much as it attenuateth, concocteth, and discusseth crud and cold humours, and flatuosities abounding in flegmaticke and melancholicke per∣sons, it becommeth a most excellent drinke, not onely for flegmaticke and me∣lancholicke ones, but also for all such as are of a cold and moist disposition of bodie, but especially for old folkes, and principally in Sommer, in such countries as are giuen to be cold.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Olde wines are hotes than the new.
• * 1.2

  New wine 〈…〉〈…〉 in France.
• * 1.3

  The iuice of the grapes not 〈…〉〈…〉 wrought.
• * 1.4

  New wines or the iuice of grapes which haue ••ately wrought vp.
• * 1.5

  The benefit of wine.