28 THE HISTORY OF COFFEE. 



St. James's Place, where his breakfast table was attended by 

 such men as Steele, Davenant, Carey, Philips, Pope, and other 

 bards and writers of note, he was to be found of an evening until 

 supper. Pope was of the company for about a year, but left it 

 partly because late hours injured his health, and partly also 

 because his irritable temper had rendered him unpopular. He 

 had so provoked Ambrose Philips, indeed, that the latter sus- 

 pended a birchen-rod over Pope's usual seat, in intimation of 

 what the ordinary occupant would get if he ventured into it. 

 The Buttonians were famous for the fierceness of their criti- 

 cism. Of coffee-houses that went by the name of " Tom's " 

 there were three : at that in Birchen-lane Garrick frequently 

 might have been seen ; and poor Chatterton, before fell despair 

 slew him. At the other coffee-house known as " Tom's," in 

 Devereux Court, Akenside, with many of the scholars, critics, 

 and scientists of the day used to congregate ; but the " Tom's " 

 was opposite Button's, in Great Russell Street. It was a place 

 generally crowded with incident, from the time of Queen Anne 

 to that of George III. Seven hundred of the nobility, literary 

 notabilities, and wits of celebrity were guinea subscribers to 

 this establishment ; most of the company, however, consoled 

 themselves with something more potent than coffee. The poli- 

 ticians as well as the poets had their coffee-houses ; the " Cocoa- 

 Tree " in St. Jamqs's Street was the Tory house in the reign 

 of Queen Anne ; the " St. James's " was the Whig house. Here 

 occasionally might have been seen members of Parliament, also 

 a galaxy of literary stars. This had a more solid reputation 

 than any other of the coffee-houses except " White's." " Gar- 

 raways," or Garway, as the original proprietor was called, was 

 one of the earliest coffee-sellers in London, and his house was 

 frequented by the nobility and gentry, as well as others who 

 wished to sip the aromatic beverage. All these places, and 

 many others which might be referred to, were in full activity of 



