tea. 3og 



every exercise that strengthened the nerves 

 and hardened the muscles, is fallen into dis- 

 use. The inhabitants are crowded together 

 in populous cities, so that no occasion of life 

 requires much motion ; every one is near to 

 all that he wants; and the rich and delicate 

 seldom pass from one street to another but 

 in carriages of pleasure. Yet we eat and 

 drink, or strive to eat and drink, like the 

 hunters and huntresses, the farmers and the 

 housewives of the former generation ; and 

 they that pass ten hours in bed, and eight at 

 cards, and the greatest part of the other six 

 at the table, are taught to impute to tea all 

 diseases which a life unnatural in all its parts 

 may chance to bring upon them." 



" Tea, with the greater part of those who 

 use it most, is drunk in no great quantity. 

 As it neither exhilarates the heart, nor stimu- 

 lates the palate, it is commonly an entertain- 

 ment merely nominal, a pretence for assem- 

 bling to prattle, for interrupting business, or 

 diverting idleness. They who drink one cup, 

 and they who drink twenty, are equally 

 punctual in preparing or partaking it ; and 

 indeed there are few but discover by their 

 indifference about it, that they are brought 

 together not by the tea, but the tea-table. 



