Note 12 — Chapter V · DRUNKENNESS MODIFIED BY THE INEBRIATING AGENT.

There is reason to believe that the Sack of Shakspeare was Sherry.—“Falstaff. You rogue! here’s lime in this Sack too. There is nothing but roguery to be found in villanous man. Yet a coward is worse than a cup of Sack with lime in it.”—Lime, it is well known, is added to the grapes in the manufacture of Sherry. This not only gives the wine what is called its dry quality, but probably acts by neutralizing a portion of the malic or tartaric acid.