Wine is so common in Spain, that poor men
drink it in earthen cups, as English people
drink beer ; but the Spaniards do not keep it
in barrels as we do beer, but in skins, A goat-
skin is easily turned into a bottle, and laid
upon a donkey ; a barrel would not be half so
convenient to travel with.
The famous sherry wine so often seen in
England comes from Xeres in Spain,

A traveller, with his guide, called one day on
a priest in his little cottage in the country.
Over the door grew a beautiful vine. The tra-



170 SPAIN.
veller knocked, but no answer was returned.
The truth was, the old priest, as well as his
old servant, and his favourite cat, had all fallen
asleep after dinner. But at last the knocking
was heard, and the door was opened. The old
man, thinking that the visitors had dined, de-
sired . cakes and sweetmeats to be placed on
the table, but when he found they had not, he
said he must give them some dinner. Yet
what to give them he knew not, for he had no
meat in the house. So he took them to his
dove-cote, or pigeon-house, to see whether he
had a pigeon fit to kill ; but the pigeons were
too young to be eaten. Then he looked un-
happy, and after showing his visitors his bees,
he led them into some empty rooms, where
. flitches of bacon were hanging from the ceiling.
