The First Part of The Prosperity of Germany, &c

In the Name of the most Holy Trinity do I begin to describe the most great Wonders of God, that I may manifest to everyone (without concealing ought) His Grace and Mercy, which He embraceth Mankind withal; and I pray God, the Father of us all, the merciful Creator of Heaven and Earth, to guide and direct this Work, that it may serve to His Divine Honour, and tend to all our welfares. Amen.

We will enter into Franconia, and see what a wealthy and large Benediction of God is to be found therein: And I will first begin with Wine, none of the least of the most noble Creatures of God, and will demonstrate how ungrateful we shew ourselves to the bestower of all good things, and how basely we abuse His Goodness.

Every one knows what a noble Creature wine is, how strained from the Grape and made, and therefore this thing needs no further description, forasmuch as others have heretofore sufficiently enough done this task and daily Experience is an abundant testifier of the use of the same. It is behoveful here, that we only signifie how it ought to be handled better than it has hitherto been, and may so likewise bring a greater profit and utility to the tillers thereof than hitherto. Every one knows, that wine is the noblest amongst all drinks, and most conducive to health, and may and ought to be called the Purest drink: It cherisheth old men, and heats the cold, but such as are of a tender age, should deservedly shun wine, because being drunk too soon, it easily inflames the Liver, and dries it up, and stirs up various Diseases, and at last causeth Death it self. So then, there is nothing so good, but may also do hurt, nor is any thing so evil, but doth sometimes bring some benefit, according as the difference of the use is which it is applied unto; as is here evident in Wine; the which being drunk moderately, and at due seasons, doth not only excellently well digest and concoct the Meat in the Stomach, but likewise evidently strengthens the Heart, Brain, and Vital Spirits, and generates pure and sound Blood and Flesh. Contrariwise, being immoderately taken, it overflows as ’twere the Stomach, Lungs, and Liver, fills those Vessels with many evil humours, and obstructs them, so that they cannot well perform that office whereto they are destinated by GOD and Nature, but are overwhelmed with whole Troops of Diseases; for the Heart and Brain is set upon by their spiritual efficacy and hot nature and property, and is weakened, and the vital spirit is overcome and suffocated, as we see in the fire, the which when greater doth alwaies suppress and overcome the lesser.

Hence it comes to pass, that men that load themselves with daily drinkings, do little differ from new-born Calves and Geese, and are wont to be neither profitable to God, nor to Men, nor to themselves.

In the Name of God, therefore we will proceed on in the matter we have proposed, and see by what means more profit may be reaped from Wine than hath hitherto been.

In the first place, he that aims at the bettering of any thing, must know what the thing is which he studies the amending of, and of what parts it consisteth.

Therefore, as concerning Wine, it consisteth as well as the other Vegetables of three principles, viz. of Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury (that I may use the Philosophers terms). The Mercury is its insipid moisture, and the Sulphur is that burning Spirit which is extracted or drawn out thereof. You shall thus know the thing, by this following Experiment. Put a Cucurbit full of Wine in a B. and with a gentle heat draw off what will come, but yet so, that the parts which in the destillation alter or change themselves, be each of them received apart in its peculiar Receiver. For example; If there were 12 parts of wine, or 12 measures, there ascends first only one part of spirit, which is the soul and life of the wine; after it, come ten parts or measures of insipid water; the remainder in the bottom of the Glass is a thick and austere or harsh matter, which being the Tartar or Salt of the wine, is also almost one part or measure of the wine. Of these three parts all wine is compounded, but yet partakes of one or the other of the Principles, more or less, according to its being more or less mature, or its growing in such or such a place. As for example;

The Austere Wine hath alwaies more Tartar and less Spirit than the Ripe Wines; and contrarily, the ripe wine doth abound with more Spirit than Tartar, as the Spanish and other extraneous wines witness, which do alwaies abide sweet, and plainly have no Tartar in them; the reason is this, Because in those warm Countries they are brought by the Sun to meer sweetness, and so are ripe; so that the austere Tartar or Salt is throughly changed, and concocted into a sweet Sugar. Hence it comes, that the said wines do not in the afore-proposed Examen leave any austereness, as our wines in Germany do, but rather yield twice as much spirit, and scarce the half part of insipid water: Whenas austere Wine yields about a twentieth part of spirit, the ripe German wine yields almost a twelfth part, and the Spanish a sixth part of spirit, four parts of water, and one part of fæces without Tartar. So that from good German wine there comes (as I said afore) one part of spirit, ten of water, and one part of austere or sowrish matter.

He that knows these things, will easily contrive and prepare for himself by the help thereof, at all times, be it hot or cold, good and constant, or durable wine. Neither is there any room left a man here of complaining, as if God shewed greater bounty to men one year than another. The fault of this defect is not to be imputed to God, but to our own selves, who know nothing, nor are willing to know, nor study how to help Nature; for Art can bring an assistance and help to Nature when she is impeded in her work, and is unable to bring her Fruits unto a maturity, provided the Artist removes away that which the wine naturally abounds withal, and addeth thereunto what it is destitute of.

For example, Let us examin a thin wine, which being not sufficiently concocted and ripened by the Sun, is endowed with too much sharpishness and water, and contrarily has but little of spirit; if now to such a wine, when it begins to boil or ferment, some spirit shall be added, so that it may work together with it, it will be even as well ripened in the wine-vessel, by the benefit of this fiery spirit, as if it had been ripened by the Sun, as it hung upon the Vine; insomuch, that by this means there mought be made excellent wines every year, if any had but the knowledge of thus helping them.

NB. But now such a spirit must not be such an one as that common Adult or Brandy-wine is, but a grateful and pure Essence of wine; the manner of making it I have described in my Vegetable Work. Now by how much the more this Spirit shall ferment or work with such a wine, so much the stronger and more efficacious doth the wine become: Forasmuch as all the Virtues of all the whole wine consist in the Spirit only, and the Tartar or Salt doth by its muchness make it austere and sharp. But Musts being by such an Artifice made stronger and more efficacious, do keep a longer time afterwards without corrupting, and may be carried or transported whithersoever one please; whence it comes to pass, that they are never spoiled, as they are otherwise usually wont to be, when ’tis not of ripe growth.

From these things ’tis evident, that out of one Must, grown in one and the same Autumn, there may with ease be made wines of 3, 4, or more kinds, according as there is more or less of this spirit added to the Must and fermented with it.

There is also another way, by the help whereof every austere wine is easily corrected and amended, thus: In the Vintage time, let the liquor of the Must, or of the expressed juice of the Grapes, be so boiled in peculiar Vessels, that the unprofitable moisture or tasteless water do exhale by little and little, until thou hast as much as thou wouldst, or as the efficacy of the wine, or the degree thou wouldst by correcting reduce it to, shall require: For, in the exhalation of the superfluous moisture nothing goes away, save that insipid water; but the sweetness and the austereness remains in that thick and condensate juice, like to Honey; so that that boiled mash comprehends all the strength and virtues of the wine, concentrated as it were, and condensate, and will again disclose them, if it doth again work, with water thereto added in a due proportion; but the use of this condensate Must, which as yet hath not wrought or fermented, is this, That it can be at all times carried, and most profitably sold in far remote Countries, which thing could not afore be done.

For every one knows, that when there is a cold Summer, Wines become immature and acid, and are not wont to keep; for as soon as they come to be a year old, they are covered over with a filmy skin, and being mouldy, corrupt, because they have not in them spirit enough. From whence it comes to pass, that many times Vintners, or Vineyard-keepers, suffer great loss, after that they have diligently betook themselves to dress the Vineyards for an whole year, and have lived sparingly and hardly, and working hard, have sustained their lives with Bread and Water, hoping that upon selling their wine they should scrape together a little Money, to buy them some Clothes and other Necessaries for their Family’s supportation; for the expected plenty of the wine hoped for, and of the profit accruing by the store of Money for it, when sold, hath prop’d them up with this hope; but now the wine fading and deluding their hopes, and turning into an acid and austere taste, they cannot sell it, seeing ’tis scarce worth the carriage; or if it be sold, ’tis at such a mean rate, as scarcely sufficeth to discharge the Cost of dressing it; and what shall now be done for Food, Drink, Raiment, and other Necessaries to sustain the Family?

And yet the Vines must be dressed for the next year too, and more Monies laid out upon them; but from whence shall Monies come for Food and Raiment, in the mean time? Alas, what course will they take if some such-like years should follow one another together? Either the poor miserable men must, together with their Wives and Children, famish, or else turn Souldiers, and be kill’d, or be made so desperate, as to betake themselves to thieving and robbing, and so finish their daies by an Halter: For the present world is so much estrangd from Mercy, that one will not use so much Christian Charity, as to help another in his necessity.

And besides, the ingratitude it self of men doth sometimes make others slow and fearful of administring and affording a mutual help; forasmuch as very many, when they are rid out of their incumbrances, do refuse to restore those things, or by labour to requite or make amends for the things by which they were delivered out of their Straits.

Hence it comes to pass, that he who does a friendly good turn, for such an ingrateful man, loseth his Money, and by reason of that so ill placed formerly, abhors the lending his helping hand again.

Now, that such great inconveniences may be removed, and the Vine-dressers somewhat holpen, so as that they might every year sell their wines at a beneficial price, and may never be oppressed with that foresaid detriment; it may very conveniently be done by the help of this concentration or condensation, by evaporating the Must to the consistence of Honey, the which may profitably be carried into far distant places, in which no wine is accustomed to grow, and be there sold. Such now as buy up such Must thus condensated by boiling, do now know how by dilating it with Water, to reduce it again into good wines. This Artifice therefore being so laudable, will be helpful to both, to the Vine-dresser, in yielding him presently ready Money for his Must, and to the Merchant, in easilier furnishing him with Wine, and quitting him of so much Charges in the Carriage.

But that the business may be yet the better and more clearly understood, let us see by making computation, what the benefit and profit of this condensation is.

Let us suppose then, that a Wine not ripe remains acid and weak, and that a Franconian Urn, or half an Hogshead of Frankfort measure, yields scarce a Florin, or a Doller at the utmost. Such a Wine as this will not quit the Costs of the Carriage, though but for 12 miles; [a German mile is three of ours.] for it degenerates by the carrying it, and becomes mouldyish, as ’twere, and turns sowre, so that the Huckster can’t sell the same, and he’l have a care how he buys such wines another time; and the Vineyard-keeper is even enforced to keep them to his great loss, forasmuch as all his safety or dependance is built thereupon.

As for the Rich men, tho’ they have some acid wine, they are not undone by the loss, for they have still by them other better wines, which they mix those worser and more acid wines withal, and so sell them off; or else they keep such thin wines till the Autumn comes, with more plentiful and riper Grapes, and to the Must proceeding from them, do they pour this thin Wine, and let it work therewith anew, and by this means it becomes vendible. But yet the Gain arising hencefrom, is sufficiently poor and mean: For by how much the thinner the acid wine is than it ought to have been, tho’ it be mixt with good Wine, yet doth this become so much the worser; nay, it sometimes happens, that both are corrupted and lost; for as much of help as the acid Wine gets from the good wine, so much of goodness doth depart even from the good wine. So that such a kind of bettering after what manner soever it be instituted, cannot be very profitable or advantageous.

For example, that I may be the better understood, let us instance in two pieces of Gold, each of which should be the value of 25 Imperials: Let them be put in the Balance and examined, and being examined, let one of them be the due weight, and let the other be less in weight or price the value of four Imperials. If now you are minded to take so much away from that piece which is of current weight, as to make them both of alike weight, you may indeed so do, but yet you are no waies benefited thereby, but rather suffer loss: Forasmuch as you took away from that piece that was of due weight, and added unto the other piece that wanted of weight, so much of its value is departed, and both pieces will be unfit to go in payment, as wanting their due value and weight. What profit therefore can hence redound unto any man? Even so is the case with the Wine, for if one should get some two load of wine, and could sell one of them for 20, and the other but for 10 Imperials, and yet should not be accounted of as vendible Wine, and now the Merchant should mix that thin wine with the better, that they may both be equal, would not that better wine become worse, and that thin wine be rendered not much the better? For my part therefore, I cannot see that such a kind of meliorating can bring much profit.

But as for my bettering and correction, it is always profitable, whereby the acid wines are not corrupted by the acid, but the good and superfluous humidity only is separated by the benefit of Art, and the good part being condensate in it self, and by it self is reduced into a narrower compass.

NB. He that is so minded, may separate from the sweet Must, a fourth part only, or a fifth or sixth part, by evaporation, and presently bring it to such a pass, as to work or ferment; for they become so much the better, by how much the more water hath been consumed by evaporation: If the Quintessence of wine be added to that working Must, the wines become the better, and the more generous. This kind of way may be made use of in those places in which the wine doth for the most part remain acid; for there needs not this Art to those Vines that Nature hath ripened.

Besides, the wines may be condensated to the thickness of Honey, that they may be thereby rendered the fitter for Transportation. Six Hogsheads, or Oma, of Must, may be so condensated, that one Hogshead will hold them; the which (if need be) may again by the apposition of 5 Hogsheads of water, which quantity it lost in the condensation, make 6 Hogsheads of wine of the very same goodness and efficacy as it would have been of before the condensation, if it never had been condensated, but been presently put out of the Press into the Barrels, to have fermented and work’d into wine after the usual manner.

NB. But now if any be desirous of making his wine better and more noble than it would have been afore the Concentration, then he must not put five, but only 4 parts of water; for should he add but three Hogsheads or parts, it would be yet better and nobler by one degree than the others: Hence is it manifest, That it is in the hands of the Artist to make and alter these wines at his pleasure, and to render them strong, stronger, and middling, and by the addition of water to give them even what efficacy and what virtues you list. But now, to all the mixtures he may add the soul of wine, if he has it, that the wines may thereby be the sooner clear and pure. For the Quintessence of any wine being conjoined with new Musts, and working with them, brings them in a short space of time to clarity and purity, so that they become transparent, but principally when they are tartarized, or full of Tartar, for the spirit of Wine brooks not any Tartar, but precipitates it in the fermentation to the bottom, or drives it away from it self, and so by consequence makes the Wine clear and transparent. But as concerning, what means the Tartarized (Spirit or) Essence of Wine is to be artificially prepared by, ’tis needless to repeat here, forasmuch as it is already described in divers of my Writings hitherto published, but especially in the Vegetable Work.

Besides, it is not so convenient, that every one should know, by what means the concentrated Musts may be prepared with water, and the Tartarized Quintessence. It is sufficient in this place, to know how the Musts are to be concentrated, or brought into a narrow compass, that so they may be transported and sold. Let this be the care of the Merchants to know how to use them when they have bought them. For the Brains of the Vineyard keepers are incapable of these things. Yet nevertheless, there will be some Men who will know how to make a due use of such boiled and condensed Musts, if they can but get them, and every one may be Master of this Affair, if he has but Coppers and Kettles, necessary for such an Operation; whereby he may make store enough of Juice. But yet every Countryman can’t get such Kettles, neither will it be worth while, forasmuch as a small Portion of Wine, will not be able to quit the Costs. But whosoever bestows his Study and Moneys in exercising this Artifice, will reap thence from a great deal of Utility and Advantage. But whether he does these things, or does them not, he neither benefits, nor injures me. ’Tis sufficient, that I have evidently demonstrated to the Vineyard Masters, by what means they may always sell their Wines, whether they be ripe, or have come short of their Maturity.

But for the better instruction of the Courteous Reader, I will compute the Charges of this Operation, and show, what gain is to be expected from the Condensation of these Musts.

In the first place therefore, let us buy some Musts in those places, in which they are thin, and are sold for a mean price, viz. twelve Urnes, or six Hogsheads, or Oma’s, for xij. Imperials; [an Imperial is about 4 s. 6 d.] this Must we will condense to the Consistency of Honey, so that there may be but one Hogshead, or Oma remaining. Let the Costs requisite to this Concentration (always provided you are furnished with the Copper Vessel) be valued at half a Dollar, or thereabouts; and the charge of the Wood we’ll count an Imperial for. The Wine Cask which is to be filled with this condensate Juice, we will value at half an Imperial, its carriage forty Miles, we’ll reckon six Imperials for. All which Charges being summed up, make nineteen Imperials and an half. And so much will be the Charges of one Hogshead, or one Oma of this Condensate Must, and its Carriage forty Miles. This Must now being brought into such a place where Wines are dear, you may at any time of the year, by the addition of Water, and by Fermentation, transmute into good Wine. And that one only Hogshead being the condensate Juice of six Hogsheads of Must, will yield thee so many Hogsheads of such Wine as the Must would have been afore its Concentration. And if thou desirest to have thy Wine stronger and nobler, than as it comes out of the Press, and than it could be afore this Condensation, you may omit the putting thereunto so much water as it lost in the Condensation, and lessen it proportionably, that so those six may make no more than four Hogsheads, and they will be the more generous; the which thou shalt far better have by this means, if viz. You know how thereunto to adjoin a Quintessence.

If now, that one Hogshead of juice, which afore its Condensation was six Hogsheads, doth again yield four [and no more] it must of necessity be much better, and more noble than otherwise it would have been, had it been made after a Natural manner, (viz. just as it came from the Press.) And by this means too, it will last the better, and may be the easilier transported and sold.

So then, if in such a place as is 40 Miles distant from Wine-making Countrys, an Hogshead, or Oma, is sold but for twelve Imperials, and you have of six Hogsheads of thin Wine, made four of better, and each of these you sell for but 12 Imperials, yet you shall have 48 Imperials, out of which substract your 19 and ½ Charges, you shall have clear Gains 28 Imperials, and ½. But I have set a most low price on this Wine, for in such places which are about some 40 Miles from those Countries, in which abundance of Wines grow, an Hogshead, or an Oma, is not usually sold at the Rate of 12, but of 24 Imperials. The gain therefore of about a Wayn-load of such a thin Wine, which haply would have corrupted with lying, and never yielded any profit, doth at the least yield above fifty Imperials.

Every one now may easily see how much Gains this Artifice of the Concentration of Musts doth bring. For besides this Commodity arising from this Labour, viz. That the Musts being presently sold, yield ready Money; there is this also, that the Money being again presently disburst, opens the way for the next years profit. The Merchant also has this benefit by this Labour, that he is not enforced to pay so much Water’s carriage so long a Journey; and that he may even at his pleasure make his Wine more or less strong and efficacious; for what a deal of profit is this, for to have all the Wine of six Hogsheads, carried in one Hogshead.

Besides, the Merchant doth not only gain the price of the carriage of those five Hogsheads, but also is quitted of the fear of the Carter’s corrupting, or spoiling that Juice by the way, as is usual with them to do with Wine, drawing it out, and filling up the Vessels again with Water. This danger these Juices are not subject unto; and may be kept in great plenty in fruitful years of Wine, until you need them. For they are not wont to be corrupted, if they are but kept in pure, and well shut Vessels. By this means every Vintner may in such exceeding plentiful years, furnish himself with a great Treasure, and store of Wines, and so afterwards, when a dear year comes, reduce his Juices into Wine, and enjoy a great deal of profit.

I have to this end described this so famous an Art, that the common Vine-Masters, may have present sale for their Musts, and not be enforced so long to keep them, till some Carrier comes and enquires after Wine, but may presently get their Moneys, and may profit themselves by bestowing them to the use of their Family. So then, it fares not only well, which the Vine-Masters, and the Merchants, but also with all such as dwell in those places which yield no Wine, because by the benefit of this Medium (or Artifice) they may also drink Wine at a cheaper rate. For if any Honest Citizen provides himself with an whole Hogshead, or half an Hogshead of this Juice, he may turn it into stronger, and weaker Wines, and all times of the Year make new, and as yet fermenting sweet Musts, whensoever he pleaseth, and as oft as his need requires; and may by the apposition of Spices, or Herbs, make Aromatical, or Physical Wines; which thing cannot be effected without these Condensate Juices; forasmuch as Sweet Musts, cannot be carried by Land to any other place, for that they presently ferment, and boil up, and will either break out of the Vessels, or rend the Cask, and be lost, which (by having these Juices) is not at all to be feared. I do therefore think that I deserve exceedingly well of very many, by the faithful manifestation of this Artifice; which deed of mine, whether it be praised, or dispraised, yet will it not be despised by such men as shall apprehend, and perceive the benefit and Commodity of so great an Artifice.

It remains now, that we also describe, and set afore your Eyes the Instruments and Vessels serving to this Condensation, (without which, this Concentration cannot be effected) and withal shew the manner of proceeding, which is to be thus ordered.

In the First place, provide a Copper of such a bigness as you shall judge needful for the great, or less quantity of Juice you have; let it have a plain and even bottom, and let it have the sides about a Span high, and get it well Tinned over in the inside, and not Leaded, the which Vessel you must put in a Furnace of a sizeable bigness, and so order it, that being set in the Furnace, the Flame may come but only to the bottom, and not be able to touch the sides. The Walls of the Furnace are to be some two foot high, and must have an Iron front, or Stone Door, serving for the putting in the Wood, and registring the fire, by opening and shutting it. At the backside is to be an hole of such a bigness, as may suffice for making the fire burn by the access of the Air, and for carrying away the Smoke and Flame. But it must be so ordered, as to be covered with a broad stone, if need be, that so the fire may on such wise be registred, that the Juices may not boil over by the overmuch fire, or taste of burning. These Juices are to be so long boiled with the wood, until they begin to wax thick, and then more new Must is to be thereunto added, this addition is to be so long made, and so often repeated, until the Copper be almost filled with those thick Juices. Then the holes of the Furnace that serve for giving air, are to be shut both above and below, that there may be no flame under the Copper, but the bare heat of the fire, and a sweet and gentle warmth, which will bring the Juices by a sweet decoction to the consistence of Honey, and will condense them without any adustion, insomuch that they will become as sweet as Sugar.

These Juices, you may let out by a Pipe, or Cock placed near the bottom of the Vessel, and shutting it again, pour in more to be condensed after the same manner, until all the Musts are condensed, but you must not presently put the Condensate Juices, as soon as ever they come hot out of your Copper, into your Barrels, but let them run first into some wooden Vessel, and be there left so long till they are cool, then put them up in your Barrels, and shut them up tight, and so may you keep them whole and sound, and free from Corruption, even as long as you list: For if you should put them hot into your Barrels, and so shut them up, the Barrels would burst, or else when you open them, would (by reason of the pent-up Vapours, which can have no exhalation) break or run out.

NB. And here comes a notable Secret, which I think good to add. When the Juices have rested some two or three weeks, and be afterwards dissolved with warm water, the residue of the Tartar which would have made the wines acid, will fall down undissolved to the bottom, in the form of small and big Crystals, and being washed with common water, may be used instead of Tartar forasmuch as it is nothing else than a meer absolute Tartar. Now this separation of the Tartar, is of great concernment as to the Wine, for it thereby becomes much better than if those Crystals had remained dissolved with it. Nor is any thing lost by this means, for that the Tartar is of as much value as the Juices: And besides, the Wines will be by this means freed from their acidity, and rendred better and sweeter; which thing verily deserves to be esteemed of as a great and profitable Artifice; and which, many there are that will know to use it to their great profit.

Verily, he that is of so dull an Apprehension, as not to be capable of understanding these things, that are so clearly, and evidently manifested, will not be any whit the better by larger Discourses. But he that has a desire of setting about this work, will insinuate, or work himself by a farther Meditation into the inmost centrality as ’twere of this so great an Artifice, and will with a far juster mind bear with me, in that I have not so much time at present, as to use a more prolix, or larger Stile.

But if so be, any do desire to have this Artifice declared unto him, by a more clear delivery, let him read my Explication of the Appendix adjoined to my Fifth part of the Philosophical Furnaces; as also the Vegetable work, and there he shall find more such Artifices. Or if haply it concerns him, he may see in my Laboratory, the Furnaces and Coppers requisite to such a work, together with the Manual Operations.

I am even constrained briefly, and as it were by the bye, to insert thus much, that if some more than usually unskilful Men cannot understand those things which I have declared concerning the three Principles, viz. That all Wine must needs consist of the same, to wit, Salt, Water, and Spirit; I dare boldly and confidently averr, that he who knows how to conjoin (according to art) these three Principles, may every where make good Wine.

NB. But yet I would not have such an one perswade himself that he can do any good, if he mixeth Tartar, Water, and Spirit of Wine together, no, no, that is not the way for him to be Master of his desire. There are far other-guise Manual Operations, requisite to this Artifice, and such as I think it inexpedient to manifest in this place. Let every one be content with the things at present shown him, haply God will sometime or other bestow (on him) better.