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χρόνον. (Lib. iv. c. 5.) Thus, too, Tacitus: "Cœlum crebris imbribus ac nebulis fœdum; asperitas frigorum abest ...... (fruges) tardè mitescunt, citò proveniunt: eadem utriusque rei causa, multus humor terrarum cælique." (Agricol. c. 12.) And Minucius Felix, in a passage (§ 18.), for which I am indebted to the Archæologia, vol. iii. p. 54 : "Britannia sole deficitur, sed circumfluentis maris tepore reficitur."

Several authors have quoted a passage from Vopiscus *, stating that the Emperor Probus gave permission to the Spaniards, Gauls and Britons to plant vines; which permission to the Britons, it is said, would have been a derision, had the climate been too cold for the cultivation of that plant. The first objection that arises, is that Eutropiust, an earlier historian, and Aurelius Victor, in speaking of the same circumstance, mention Gaul and Pannonia, but not Britain. Let us assume, however, the statement of Vopiscus to be correct. Why, it may be asked, was the Imperial permission necessary for this cultivation? To this it is replied, that Domitian, according to Suetonius‡, had forbidden the laying out of new vineyards in Italy, and ordered the destruction to the extent of at least one half of those existing in the provinces. Unfortunately, Suetonius adds, " nec exsequi rem perseveravit." Waving, however, this second difficulty, let us suppose, for the sake of argument, that the edict of Domitian was enforced.

Now as Tacitus, who wrote after Domitian, expressly denies Britain the vine, the olive, "ceteraque calidioribus terris oriri sueta," it follows that the vine could not have been cultivated in that island before the time of Probus, and that consequently (unless the Britons are introduced by a mistake of Vopiscus) the permission of that emperor could only have been a permission to make the experiment of the culture.

I believe the real explanation of the cause of the edict of Probus is to be found in a passage of Cicero de Republicâ, which shows that the prohibition to plant the vine in the provinces was a portion of Roman policy even during the Republic. This passage, which is remarkable in more respects than one, is as follows: "Nos vero, justissimi homines, qui Transalpinas gentes oleam et vitem serere non sinimus, quò pluris sint nostra oliveta, nostræque vineæ." (Lib. iii. c. 13.) The edict of Domitian, and various passages of ancient authors, (among whom I may mention Martial, who speaks of the wines of Marseilles, Vienne in Gaul, and Tarragona,)

* In Probo, c. 18.

† ix. c. 17. " Vineas etiam Gallos et Pannonios habere permisit." Domitian. c. 7.

prove that this system was not uniformly enforced; local exceptions were evidently made; yet enough appears to explain the value and the cause of the permission of Probus.

The first positive authority for the cultivation of the vine in Britain is Bede, who says, " Vineas etiam quibusdam in locis germinans*." It is important here to observe the "quibusdam in locis." Setting aside vague traditions, the next authentic testimony is that of Domesday Book, which mentions vineyards in several places. At Rayleigh in Essex, we are told "there is one park and six arpennis of vineyard, which, if it takes well, yields twenty modii of wine." (Camden's Essex.) But the very indication of a few vineyards here and there excludes the idea of any extensive cultivation, such as takes place in really wine-growing countries. At a subsequent period, many authorities, for which I may refer to the Archæologia, vols. i. and iii., and Miller's Gardener's Dictionary, article Vitis, prove the existence of vineyards in particular spots, and generally in connexion with cathedrals or religious houses. What was the success of these attempts of the monks to make wine, "in commodum et magnum honorem," as an old writer says, of their respective houses, may partly be conjectured from the accounts of a vineyard at Ely given by Miller, where the sale of verjuice forms a considerable portion of the profits of the vineyard †. Only one passage has been quoted that would at all seem to imply an extensive cultivation of the vine in ancient times, and even in that the terms are too vague to allow of any positive conclusion. William of Malmesbury (quoted by Camden) boasts of the superiority of the vineyards of Gloucestershire: " Vinearum frequentia densior, proventu uberior, sapore jucundior, vina etiam ipsa bibentium ora tristi non torquent acedine, quippe quæ parùm debeant Gallicis dulcedine." This passage does not imply much, it may be observed in passing, for the English wine in general. As to what he says about Gloucestershire, it is to be considered that he seems to be an inaccurate writer, and disposed to exaggeration. Daines Barrington has noticed that he speaks of the bore in the Severn as a daily occurrence, while it happens only at the equinox; and describes it in very exaggerated terms, as capable of sinking a ship, though in reality not formidable to a cock-boat.

* Hist. Ecclesiast., i. 1. The supposition of Daines Barrington, that in this and other passages "vineæ" refers to orchards of apple-trees and currant-gardens, is too improbable and unsupported to deserve serious refutation.

+ In the 12th Edw. II. the wine from the vineyard at Ely sold for 11. 12s., the verjuice for 11. 78. In 9th Edw. IV. no wine, only verjuice was made.

I repeat, that to prove a change of climate it is necessary to show, not merely the existence of vineyards in a few localities, but the extensive growth of the grape for the purpose of making wine. In fact, Plot* tells us, that in the year 1685, Dr. Bathurst, President of Trinity College, made as good claret at Oxford, " in a very mean year for that purpose,” as any one could wish to drink; and Pepys says, that in the reign of Charles II. very good wine was made at Walthamstow. As far then as vineyards in particular localities prove anything, the climate of Britain has been constant from the time of Bede to the year 1685. Nor has it degenerated since; for Miller gives a list of places at which wine has been made in the course of the last century; among which are Rotherhithe, Brompton, Kensington, Hammersmith, Walham Green (wine was made at this place for 30 years), Arundel, and Pain's Hill, near Cobham. The wines of many of these places are described as being equal or superior to the French wines of the second class. That made by Mr. Hamilton at Pain's Hill is said to have been fully equal to the best Champagne, and to have sold for fifty guineas a hogshead.

While on the one hand there is no sufficient testimony in favour of the growth of wine on a large scale in ancient times, there is on the other some direct testimony against it. Petrarch, according to Miller, speaks of the people in England as not drinking wine; and Daines Barrington has quoted Lord Bacont, who says that grapes require a south wall to ripen.

All these considerations make it difficult to admit, with Arago, that the climate of Britain was warmer formerly than at the present time. This idea rests solely on the cultivation of the vine in this island; a fact which cannot be disputed, but does not, I conceive, lead to the inferences that have been drawn from it. The testimony adduced merely indicates a very local and partial cultivation of the plant; such, in fact, as numerous experiments have shown to be practicable in recent times. R. W. R.

XVI. Mineralogical Notices. Communicated by W. H. MILLER, Esq., Professor of Mineralogy in the University of Cambridge.

PLUMBIFEROUS ARRAGONITE.

[From Poggendorff's Annalen, B. xlviii.]

A VARIETY of arragonite from Tarnowitz, found by Professor Breithaupt to have a specific gravity of 2.995, • Camden, Staffordshire.

† Cent. v. Exp. 430. 432.

contains 2.19 per cent. of carbonate of oxide of lead, according to the analysis of Professor Kersten, and 3.859 per cent. according to the analysis of M. Böttger. Hence the proportion of carbonate of oxide of lead appears to be variable, like the proportion of carbonate of strontian in common arragonite, which, according to Stromeyer, varies from 0.5 to 4.01 per cent.

ANALYSES OF PETALITE AND SPODUMENE.

[From Poggendorff's Annalen, B. xlix.]

Petalite analysed by M. Robert Hagen in the laboratory

of Prof. Heinrich Rose, gave the following results :