Bordeaux; Its Wines, and the Claret Country (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1846. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... for a considerable period infested and devastated by bodies of mercenary troops, or rather robbers, who resorted thither from all sides in order to sell their lives to Henry, and afterwards to his son Richard Cceur-de-Lion, in fighting their battles against the kings of France. * Richard, who, as we know, had excited the whole province of Guienne to rebel against his father, regretted when too late the disorders that had accompanied his civil, or rather patricidal, warfare; the country was everywhere infested with robbers. f His brother and successor, John, having refused to appear before the French court, to answer the accusation of having murdered his nephew Arthur, was condemned to death, and his estates were confiscated to the crown of France. Philip Augustus, to execute this sentence, levied a numerous army, and seized upon almost the whole of John's continental dominions; but Guienne was spared, on condition that he would acknowledge fealty to Philip, A. D. 1208. In the first year of this reign, a maximum price was established for imported French wines: the value of a tun of Poitou wine, for instance, was fixed at twenty sous sterling; that of Anjou at * Hume, History of the House of Plantagenet, vol. i. p. 373.; Daniel, Histoire de France, vol. iii. p. 302.; Jouannet, &c. f Jouannet, p. 199. twenty-four sous; and all other French wines at twenty-five sous; "unless the wine be so good that one be willing to give two marks and more for it." * The right of seizure, termed prisa, which entitled the king to two hogsheads of wine in every cargo, to be taken one fore and one aft, seems also to date from about the same period. f The unfortunate province, that had been so long suffering from the cruel depredations of the adventurers, was now scourged, for...