14 INTRODUCTION INTO EUROPE. 



Many of these London coffee-houses afterwards be- 

 came famous as the resorts of celebrated men. It was 

 at " Will's Coffee-house," in Covent Garden, that Dryden 

 and Addison, Steel and Davenant, Gary and Pope, 

 met with other luminaries, while others frequented " But- 

 tons " ; Garrick sipping his Mocha at " Paine's," in 

 Buchnal Lane. It being at the famous coffee-houses of 

 " Garraway," "Coventrie," and the "St, James," that the 

 Whigs of that time "did most congregate," and if it be 

 proved that other potations more fiery and deep min- 

 gled with those of the Arabian product, it may be taken 

 for granted that Coffee often suppHed the place of worse 

 beverages, or, at least, mitigated their evil effects, the 

 " intellectual drink " gaining friends daily among the 

 wits of the reign of Queen Anne. It was in a London 

 coffee-house that Pope found the inspiration of "The 

 Rape of the Lock," if not the " Essay on Man,"' also, 

 an inspiration, which he celebrated in the following 

 lines : — 



" From silver spirits the grateful liquors glide, 

 While China's earth receives the smoking tide ; 

 At once they gratify their sense and taste, 

 And frequent cups prolong the rich repast ; 

 Coffee ! which makes the politician wise, 

 And see through all things with half-closed eyes." 



The coffee-houses of London, as in other cities, event- 

 ually became convenient and much frequented resorts 

 of association and acquaintance where politics, literature 

 and business topics were freely discussed, and it is also 

 remarkable that the introduction of coffee into England 

 encountered the same hostility that it was fated to meet 

 with in all other countries where it was first introduced. 

 Here also it had its fanatical opponents, numerous 

 pamphlets being published in favor of and against its use. 



