12. But MR. SINGER in 1850, differing so much from Mr. Singer in 1826 (who thought that a river was signified), supposes that though a sort of drink is intended, it is not _vinegar_, but _wormwood-wine_. To this purpose he cites the lines of Shakspeare's 111th Sonnet, which we have already transcribed: "Whilst like a willing patient I will drink Potions of _eysell_ 'gainst my strong infection; No _bitterness_ that I will bitter think Nor double penance to correct correction." "Here we see," he observes, "that it was a _bitter potion_ which it was a penance to drink." This does not seem to be clearly apparent from the passage for it is not absolutely certain that the _bitterness_ in the third line refers to the _eysell_ in the second. But he adds another quotation from the _Troy Boke_ of Lydgate: "Of _bitter eysell_, and of eager wine." After which he subjoins: "Numerous passages in our old dramatic writers show that it was a fashion with the gallants of the time to do some extravagant feat, _as a proof of their love_, in honour of their mistresses; and among others, the swallowing some nauseous potion was one of the most frequent: but vinegar would hardly have been considered in this light; _wormwood_ might. In Thomas's _Italian Dictionary_, 1562, we have 'Assentio, _Eysell_;' and Florio renders that word [Assentio] by _Wormwood_. What is meant, however is _absinthites_, or _wormwood wine_, a nauseously bitter medicament then much in use; and this being evidently the _bitter potion_ of _eysell_ in the poet's sonnet, was certainly the nauseous draught proposed to be taken by Hamlet, among the other extravagant feats as tokens of love." The reader will judge with what justice the words "evidently" and "certainly" are used. MR. SINGER then cites Junius, but to little purpose; Hutton's _Dictionary_, to prove that _absinthites_ meant "wormwood-wine;" and Stuckius's _Antiquitates Convivales_ to show that absinthites was a _propoma_; but Stuckius, be it observed, mentions this _propoma_ only as a stomachic, _quod vim habet stomachum corroborandi et extenuandi_. It is not surprising, therefore, that LORD BRAYBROOKE (Vol. ii., p. 286.) should quote against MR. SINGER'S theory the following paragraph: "If, as MR. SINGER supposes, '_Eisell_ was absinthites, or wormwood-wine, a nauseously bitter medicament then much in use,' Pepys's friends must have had a very singular taste, for he records on the 24th of November, 1660: 'Creed, and Shepley, and I, to the Rhenish wine-house, and there I did give them two quarts of wormwood wine.' "Perhaps the beverage was doctored for the English market, and rendered more palatable than it had been in the days of Stuckius."