you are to draw a sample of goods to shew a person that has
judgment in the proof, do not draw your goods into a phial to be tasted,
or make experiment of the strength thereof that way, because the proof
will not hold except the goods be exceedingly strong; but draw the
pattern of goods rather into a glass from the cock, to run very small,
or rather draw off a small quantity into a little pewter pot and pour it
into your glass, extending your pot as high above the glasses as you can
without wasting it, which makes the goods carry a better head
abundantly, than if the same goods were to be put and tried in a phial."

"You must be so prudent as to make a distinction of the persons you have
to deal with; what goods you sell to gentlemen for their own use, who
require a great deal of attendance, and as much for time of payment, you
must take a considerably greater price than of others; what goods you
sell to persons where you believe there is a manifest, or at least some
hazard of your money, you may safely sell for more than common profit;
what goods you sell to the poor, especially medicinally, (as many of
your goods are sanative,) be as compassionate as the cases require."

"All brandies, whether French, Spanish, or English; being proof goods,
will admit of one point of _liquor_[93] to each gallon, to be made up
and incorporated therewith in your cask, for retail, or selling smaller
quantities; and all persons that insist upon having proof goods, which
not one in twenty understands, you must supply out of what goods are not
so reduced, though at a higher price."

Such is the advice given by Mr. Shannon.

The mode of judging by the taste of spiritous liquors is deceitful. A
false strength is given to a weak liquor, by infusing in it acrid
vegetable substances, or by adding to it a tincture of grains of
paradise and Guinea pepper. These substances impart to weak brandy or
rum, an extremely hot and pungent taste.

Brandy and rum is also frequently sophisticated with British molasses,
or sugar-spirit, coloured with burnt sugar.

The flavour which characterises French brandy, and which is owing to a
small portion of a peculiar essential oil contained in it, is imitated
by distilling British molasses-spirit over wine lees;[94] but the
spirit, prior to being distilled over wine lees, is previously
deprived, in part, of its peculiar disagreeable flavour, by
rectification over fresh burnt charcoal and quick-lime. Other
bra