1869 Drinking Cups and their Customs (Mixellany)

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CUPS AND THEIR CUSTOMS.

The origin of wine-making is also claimed by the Persians^ who have a tradition of its accidental dis- covery by their king Jemsheed. The monarch being fond of grapes had placed a quantity in a large vessel in his cellar for future use. Some time afterwards the vessel was opened^ and the grapes were found in a state of fermentation, and, being very acid, were be- lieved by the king to be poisonous^ and marked ac- cordingly. A lady of his harem being racked by pain, determined to poison herself, for which purpose she drank some of the grape-juice-—in fact, got very drunk. After sleeping a considerable time, she awoke perfectly well, and, being pleased with the result, managed in time to finish all the poison. The monarch discovered what she had done, and thence took the hint for his own advantage. The Armenians claim the origin of wine because Noah planted his first vineyard near Erivan, upon the spot where Noah and his family resided before the Deluge, The wines of Chio, however, held the greatest reputa- tion, which was such that the inhabitants of that island were thought to have been the first who planted the vine and taught the use of it to other nations. These wines were held in such esteem and were of so higb a value at Borne, that in the time of Lucullus, at their greatest entertainments, they drank only one cup of them, at the end of the feast j but as sweetness and delicacy of flavour were their prevailing qualities, this final cup may have been taken as a liqueur. Both the Greeks