The establishment of Roper frères is adjacent to a handsome modern house standing back from the road in a large and pleasant garden, bounded by vineyards on two of its sides. In the celliers all the conveniences pertaining to a modern champagne establishment are to be found, while extending beneath the garden are the extensive cellars of the firm, comprising two stories of long and spacious galleries excavated in the chalk, their walls and roofs being supported whenever necessary by masonry. A curious feature about these cellars is that the roots of the larger trees in the garden above have penetrated through the roof of the upper story and hang pendent overhead like innumerable stalactites. Here after the comparatively new wine of 1874 had been shown to us--including samples of the _Vin Brut_ or natural champagne of which the firm make a speciality at a moderate price--some choice old champagnes were brought forth, including the fine vintages of 1865, 1857, and 1846. The latter wine had of course preserved very little of its effervescence, still its flavour was exceedingly fine, being soft and delicate to a degree. At the Vienna Exhibition of 1873 and the London Exhibition of 1874 the collection of champagnes exhibited by Roper frères met with favourable recognition from the international juries. Our tour through the Champagne vineyards and wine-cellars here comes to an end. It is true there are important establishments at Châlons, notably those of Jacquesson et fils, the Perriers, Freminet et fils, and Jacquard frères, the cellars of the first-named being, perhaps, unrivalled in the Champagne. As, however, any description of these establishments would be little else than a recapitulation of something we have already said, we content ourselves with merely notifying their existence, and bring our Facts about Champagne to a close with the translation of a poem from the pen of M. Amaury de Cazanove of Avize:-- CHAMPAGNE. Less for thy grace and glory, land of ours, Than for thy dolour, dear; Let the grief go, and here-- Here’s to thy skies, thy women and thy flowers! France! take the toast, thy women and thy roses, France! to thy wine, more wealth unto thy store! And let the lips a grievous memory closes Smile their proud smile once more! Swarthy Falernian, Massica the Red, Were ye the nectars poured At the great gods’ broad board? No, poor old wines, all but in name long dead, Nectar’s Champagne, the sparkling soul of mirth, That bubbling o’er with laughing gas, Flashes gay sunbeams in the glass, And like our flag goes proudly round the earth. “I am the blood Burgundian sunshine makes; A fine old feudal knight Of bluff and boisterous might, Whose casque feels--ah, so heavy when one wakes!” “And I, the dainty Bordeaux, violets’ Perfume, and whose rare rubies gourmets prize. My subtile savour gets In partridge wings its daintiest allies.”