tea. 305 



a zany of me, and set me gabbling to a parcel 

 of people I knew nothing of: so, Madam, 1 

 had my revenge of her ; for I swallowed five 

 and twenty cups of her tea, and did not treat 

 her with as many words.' I can only say, my 

 wife would have made tea for him as lon<r as 

 the New River could have supplied her with 

 water." 



Dr. Aikin observes, " The introduction of 

 tea, as the beverage of a man of letters, is a 

 curious circumstance in dietetical history ; I 

 cannot but regard it as a very valuable dis- 

 covery ; and I think the literary tribe are 

 much indebted to those who contribute to 

 familiarize them with the ' cups that cheer 

 but not inebriate.' I scarcely ever knew a 

 person fond of study, who was not also fond 

 of tea, unless he had contracted a relish for 

 less innocent refreshment. It is not my pur- 

 pose here to enter into a medical discussion 

 of the qualities of this herb ; but from ex- 

 perience I can affirm, that unless taken too 

 strong, or of too high a quality, its effects 

 are perfectly salutary, and peculiarly favour- 

 able to sedentary habits." 



Huet, Bishop of Avranches, who wrote a 

 Latin poem on this vegetable, acknowledges 

 in his Life, (written by himself,) th tl 



VOL. II. X 



