Page:Through a Glass Lightly (1897, Greg).djvu/81

 to-day. The partisans of Champagne would win by sheer force of numbers. Where two things are almost equally meritorious it were well to leave each alone, or swallow them in equal quantities. Horace praised Massic and Falernian, preferring this to-day, that to-morrow. For ourselves, we agree with a famous Canon of Reims who observed that “in the wine of Burgundy there is more strength and vigour; if it does not play with its man so much, it overthrows him more suddenly, as did Demosthenes. The wine of Champagne is subtler and more delicate; it amuses more and for a longer time, but in the end it does not produce less effect. Such was the result of Cicero’s oratory.” And the true amateur of the bin had rather have one bottle of either wine than the collected works of both orators.