Chapter 1

OF SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS, OR SPIRITS.

Spirituous liquors are the produce of vinous ones, obtained by the distillation of these last. The art of making wine is of the remotest antiquity, since it is attributed to Noah; but that of distilling it, so as to extract its most spirituous part, dates only from the year 1300. Arnand de Villeneuve was the inventor of it, and the produce of his Still appeared so marvellous, that it was named Aqua-Vitæ, or _Water of Life_, and has ever since continued under that denomination in France; Voltaire and reason say that it might, with far more propriety, be called _Aqua-Mortis_, or Water of Death.

This liquor, called in English, _Brandy_, received from the learned the name of _Spirit of Wine_; time improved the art of making it still stronger by concentration, and in that state it is called _Alcohol_.

All spirit is the distilled result of a wine, either of grapes, other fruits, or grains; it is therefore necessary to have either wine, or any vinous liquor, in order to obtain spirits.