The History of the Wine Trade in England. By Andre
L. Simon. Vol. I. (Wyman and Son. 55. net.)—Mr. Simon has collected here a vast mass of facts. Perhaps it would have been better—if we may venture to say so much to an expert—had some been omitted, for they are certainly overpowering to the outside reader. We may note as a topic of special interest the growth of wine in England. It seems that there were years, as ire may readily believe, when the produce had to be turned into verjuice. So we read that in 1402 "no wine but verjuice made." Price is another interesting matter. In 1242 Bordeaux wine—the days of the different eras was not yet come—sold at 30s. per tun. (In 1264 the failure of the vintage brought it up to .66 13s. 4c1.) It was 50s. in 1278, and in 1300 62s. 8d. In 1375 it cost as much aa £12. All the while the authorities, after their manner, were doing their utmost to keep the price down. In January, 1353, for instance, a proclamation was issued that no "taverner should sell a gallon of wine of Gascony for more than 81L" One sympathises more with another injunction (1357) that "each wine should be sold for what it really is."
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