[Page] THE VERTUES OF COFFEE.
Set forth in the WORKS of The Lord Bacon his Natural Hist. Mr. Parkinson his Herbal, Sir George Sandys his Travails, James Howel Esq his Epistles.
Collected and Published for the Satisfaction of the Drinkers thereof.
Licensed and Entred according to Order.
LONDON, Printed by W. G. 1663.
To the READER.
GENTLEMEN,
HAving often Drunk Coffa (as many other have done) for Company more then of any Knowledge I had of the Vertue of it; nor could I gain it by Discourse with those who sold of it, nor others which drank thereof dayly; it made me search for satisfaction out of the workes of eminent Authors of our own Nation who have made mention of it in their printed works many years before it was in use here in England, and having found soe much as gave me much satisfaction of the excellent vertues of it, I think it not amiss to let others reap the same benefit.
N. D.
The VERTUES of COFFA.
Of the Turks Berry Drink, called Caova or Coffa.
ALpinus in his Book of Egyptian Plants, M. Parkinsons Herball. pag. 1622. giveth us the Description of this Tree, which, as he saith, he saw in the Garden of a certain Captain of the Janizaries, which was brought out of Arabia Foelix, and there planted as a rarity, never seen growing in those places before. The Tree (saith Alpinus) is somewhat like unto the Euonymus Pricketimber Tree, whose Leaves were thicker, harder, and greener, and always abiding green on the Tree: The first is called Buna and is somwhat bigger then a Hazel Nut, and longer, round also, and pointed at the one end, furrowed also on both sides, yet on one side more conspicuous then the other, that it might be parted into two, in each side whereof, lyeth a long small white Kernel, flat on that side they joyn together, covered with a yellowish skin, of an acide tast, and somwhat bitter withal, and contained in a thin shell of a darkish Ash colour; with these Berries generally in Arabia and Egypt, and in other places of the Turks Dominions, they make a Decoction or Drink wich is instead of wine to them, and generally sold in all their Tap-houses, called by the name of Caova or Coffa; this Drink hath many good Physical [Page 5] properties therein, for it strengthneth a weak Stomach, helpeth digestion, and the tumours and obstructions of the Liver and Spleen, being drunk Fasting for some time together; the Egyptian and Arabian women use it familiarly while their Courses hold, to cause them to passe away with the more ease, as also to cause those to flow that are stayed, there bodies being prepared and purged aforehand.
Of the Turks Berry Drink called Coffa.
They have in Turky, a Drink called Coffa, made Lord Bacon's Natural Hist. pag. 155. of a Berry of the same name, as Black as Soot, and of a strong sent, but not Aromatical, which they take beaten into Powder in water, as hot as they can drink it, and they take it, and sit at it in their Coffa-houses, which are like our Taverns. This Drink comforteth the Brain, and Heart, and helpeth Digestion; certainly this Berry Coffa, the Root and leaf Betell, the leaf Tobaco, and the Tear of Poppy, (opium) of which the Turks are great Takers (supposing it expelleth all fear) do all Condense the Spirits, and make them strong and Alacre: But it seemeth they are taken after several manners, for Coffa and Opium are taken down, Tobacco but in smoak, and Betel is but champed in the Mouth, with a little Lime. It is like there are more if they were well found out and well corrected.
Of the Drink of the Turks.
Their usual Drink is pure water, yet have they Sir George Sands Traval's pa. 66. printed 1621. sundry Sherbets (so call they the confections which [Page 6] they infuse into it) some made of Sugar & Lemons, some of Violets, and the like (whereof some are mixed with Amber) which the richer sort dissolve thereinto. The Hony of Sio is excellent for that purpose, and they make another of the juice of Raisins, of little cost, and most usually drunk of: Wine is prohibited them by their Alcoran, they plant none, they buy none, and death hath been the penalty unto such as presumed to bring any in; they prefer our Beer above all other Drinks, and considering that wine is forbidden, that water is with the Rawest (especially in this Clime) the dearness of Sherbets, and plenty of Barly (being here sold for not above nine pence a Bushell) no doubt but it would prove infinitely profitable to such as should bring in the use thereof amongst them: although they be destitute of Taverns, yet have they their Coffa-houses, which do somthing resemble them; there sit they chatting most of the day, and sip of a Drink called Coffa (of the Berry that it is made of) in little China Dishes, as hot as they can suffer it, black it is as soot, tasting not much unlike it (why not that black Broth which was used amongst the Lacedemonians) which helpeth, as they say, Digestion, and procureth Alacrity. Many of the Coffa-men keeping beautiful Boys, who serve as Stales to procure them Customers.
Of the Drink of the Turks.
Amongst the Turks at this day, the want of wine Sir Hen. Blunt's Voyage to the Levant. p. 191. hath caused them to devise other Drinks to their meat; for the better sort Usaph, which is water sod [Page 7] with Raisins, sometimes with Hony, but above the rest they esteem Sherbets made with Sugar, the juice of Lemmons, Peeches, Apricocks, Violets, or other Flowers, Fruits, and Plums, as each Country affords; these they dry together into a consistence reasonable hard, and portable for t [...]eir use in war, or else where, mingling about a spoonful with a quart of water, they have another Drink not good at Meat called Coffa, made of a Berry as big as a small Bean dried in a Furnace and beaten to Powder, of a Soot colour, in tast a little bitterish; that they seeth and drink as hot as may be endured; it is good all hours of the day, but especially Morning and Evening, when to that purpose they entertain themselves two or three hours in Coffa-houses, which in all Turky abound more then Inns and Alehouses with us, it is thought to be the old Black Broth, used so much by the Lacedemonians, and it drieth ill humours in the Stomach, comforteth the Brain, never causeth Drunkenness, or any other Surfeit, and is a harmless entertainment of good fellowship, for there upon Scaffolds half a yard high and covered with Mats, they sit crosse-legg'd after the Turkish manner, many times two or three hundred together, talking, and likely with some poor Musick passing up and down.
—But as for the two remarkable Simples which you most Part of Sir H. Blunt's Letter to Mr. Justice Rumsey printed at the beginning of his Organon salutis 1659. employ, that is, Tobacco and Coffa, a man may guesse at their rare Efficacy, who observes how universally they take with mankind, and yet have not the advantage of any pleasing tast wherewith to tempt and debauch our Palat, as Wine and other pernicious things have; for at the first Tobacco is most horrid, and Coffa insipid, yet do they both so generally prevail, that Bread it self is not of so universal use. The Tartars and Arabs [Page 8] two great Nations, have little or no use of bread, yet they, the Turks, Persians, and most of the Eastern World, have hourly use of Tobacco and Coffa, but especially of Coffa, for besides the innumerable store of Coffa-houses, there is not a private fire without it all day long, they all acknowledge how it freeth them from Crudities caused by ill Diet, or moist Lodging, insomuch as they using Coffa Morning and Evening, have no Consumptions, which ever come of Moisture; no Let hargies in aged People, or Rickets in Children, and but few Qualms in Women with Child: But especially they hold it of singular prevention against the Stone and Gout.[?] When a Turk is sick he fasts and takes Coffa, and if that will not do, he makes his Will, and thinks of no other Phisick.—
—Touching Coffa, I concur with them in opinion who Part of a letter James Howell Esq. printed in the same Book. hold it to be that black Froth which was used of old in Lacedemon, whereof the Poets sing, surely it must needs be salutiferous, because so many sagacious, and the wittest sort of Nations use it so much, as they who have conversed with Shashes and Turbants do well know: But besides the exsiccant quality it hath to drie up the Crudities of the Stomach, as also to comfort the Brain, to fortifie the sight with its steem, and prevent Dropsies, Gouts, and the Scurvy, together with the Spleen, and Hypocondriacal winds (all which it doth without any violence or distemper [...]t all) I say, besides all these qualities, its found already that this Coffa Drink hath caused a great sobriety amongst the Nations; for whereas formerly Apprentices and Clerks with others used to take their Mornings Draught in Ale, Beer, or Wine (which by the Dizzinesse they cause in the Braine, make many unfit for business) They use now to play the goodfellows in this Wakeful and civill Drink Therefore that worthy Gentleman Sr. James Muddiford who introduced the practice hereof first to London deserves much respect of the whole nation.