_cost_ of the machine
comparatively of trifling consideration, the machine may possibly be found
to be an useful utensil.

70. Having stated the inducements to the brewing of beer, and given the
plainest directions that I was able to give for the doing of the thing, I
shall, next, proceed to the subject of _bread_. But this subject is too
large and of too much moment to be treated with brevity, and must,
therefore, be put off till my next Number. I cannot, in the mean while,
dismiss the subject of _brewing beer_ without once more adverting to its
many advantages, as set forth in the foregoing Number of this work.

71. The following instructions for the making of _porter_, will clearly
show what sort of stuff is sold at _public-houses_ in London; and we may
pretty fairly suppose that the public-house beer in the country is not
superior to it in quality, "A quarter of malt, with these ingredients,
will make _five barrels of good porter_. Take one quarter of high-coloured
malt, eight pounds of hops, nine pounds of _treacle_, eight pounds of
_colour_, eight pounds of sliced _liquorice-root_, two drams of _salt of
tartar_, two ounces of _Spanish-liquorice_, and half an ounce of
_capsicum_." The author says, that he merely gives the ingredients, as
_used by many persons_.

72. This extract is taken from a _book on brewing_, recently published in
London. What a curious composition! What a mess of drugs! But, if the
brewers _openly avow_ this, what have we to expect from the _secret
practices_ of them, and the _retailers_ of the article! When we know, that
_beer-doctor_ and _brewers'-druggist_ are professions, practised as openly
as those of _bug-man_ and _rat-killer_, are we simple enough to suppose
that the above-named are the _only_ drugs that people swallow in those
potions, which they call _pots of beer_? Indeed, we know the contrary; for
scarcely a week passes without witnessing the detection of some greedy
wretch, who has used, in making or in _doctoring_ his beer, drugs,
forbidden by the law. And, it is not many weeks since one of these was
convicted, in the Court of Excise, for using potent and dangerous drugs,
by the means of which, and a suitable quantity of water, he made _two buts
of beer into three_. Upon this occasion, it appeared that no less than
_ninety_ of these worthies were in the habit of pursuing the same
practices. The drugs are not unpleasant to the taste; they sting the
palate: they give a present re