May r, 1895.] 
THE TROPIC VL AGRICULTU RI.\T. 
735 
cloves sold, without reserve, at CJd per Hi, and fair 
partly headless, Amboyna at 5!jA per lb. 
OILS (ESSENTIAL). —In spite of the large arrivals of Star- 
anise oil which have recently taken place, the market 
has advanced several pence since our last report, mainly, 
it is said, because the available supply is now almost 
wholly in the hands of "linn holders." On the spot busi- 
ness has been done at from 5s !)d, to 5s lid, per lb : the 
quotation is now (is per lb. For arrival 5s lid. per lb., 
c i f., is asked, An arbitration case which has caused 
some little excitement in the market has just been de- 
cided, and this may have had something to do with the 
improvement in the position of the oil. 
QUININE.— Slightly firmer. Small wholesale quantities of 
B. and S. quinine have changed hands at Is per oz., 
while for Brunswick brand ll§'d per oz was paid yester- 
day. It is doubtful whether any quantity could be bought 
today under Is. per oz. 
Cinnamon. — The quarterly public sales of Ceylon cinna- 
mon were held on February 25th. The supply was very 
small, and prices showed an advance of Id per lb fur fine 
and §d per lb for medium qualities compared with the last 
auctions. Ordinary kinds were steady. Of 7G5 packages 
offered, about, two-thirds sold. The quotations range as 
follows : — Firsts, ordinary to superior, 7*d to Is 3d ; seconds 
ditto, CJll to Is 2d ; thirds, Od to Is ; fourths 5jd to Sd 
per lb Clippings and quillings sold at 6gd to 7d per lb. 
CAFFEINE.— Very firmly held. The English makers re- 
fuse to name a price, or to enter into contracts for delivery 
on this side of the month of May. Business has been done 
in second-hand caffeine at 15s tid per lb., but nothing can 
now be had below ltis per lb. The maker's prices remain 
nominally 15s per lb. for 100-lb, lots up to 16s per lb. for 
small wholesale quantities. A singular statement comes 
from the North of England. It is said that a Russian 
chemist is now going round among the coffee-roasters there 
ottering to lit up, free of cost to them, sublimating flues in 
the ventilators at the roof of the works and to purchase 
the deposit collected from them. The chemist refuses to 
tell the object of his offer, but it is believed that he has 
in view the extraction of caffeine from the sublimated de- 
posit. Our correspondent who sends us this information 
has apparently oveilooked the fact that similar processes 
were tried several years ago, and found to be worthless in 
practice. 
TEA AND SCANDAL. 
Love in several Masques — A Comedy by H. Fielding," 
1728. 
Act. iv. Sc. xi., Lady Matchless — Ha ! ha ! ha ! Love 
and Scandal arc the best Sweetners of Tea. Fernrilid 
— The best EmbittererSj you mean: but in my 
Opinion, Scandal is the sweetest of the two, and 
least dangerous. 
The Coffee-Ilouse Politician, by H. Fielding, 1730. 
Act. i. Sc. ix. llamble — Why then, Madam, here 
is a Pound of as good Tea as ever came out of the 
Indies: ypu understand that I hope. Hilaret— I shall 
take no Bribes, sir. ltamlile— Refuse the Tea! I like 
you now, indeed. 
Act. ii. Sc. iv. Mrs. Squeezeman — Nay, he appears 
so much of a Gentleman, that till there be stronger 
Evidence, I will take Charge of him— Come, Sir, you 
shall go drink a Dish of Tea with me. 
Act. iv. Song — 
Let a Set of sober Asses Hail against the Joys of 
drinking, 
While Water, Tea, Ami .Milk agree, 
To set cold Brains athinking : 
Power and Wealth, Beaut} and Health, 
Wit and Mirth in wine are erown'd 
Joys abound, Pleasure's found 
Only where the Class goes round. 
Act v. Sj. iii. Dabble — 1 have not slept one wink 
for reflecting on what you told me last Night : per- 
haps this Dutch Mail may give some Insight into 
those Affairs. Hut what says the Lying Pout. Politick 
— I have had no time to raid it yet, I wish you 
would, I have only read The t t ondon Journal, Tin 
fount ru Journal, The Weekly Journal, Applebce's 
Journal, The British Journal, Tin- British Cayenne, 
The Morning Post, The VoD'cc- House Morninq Post, 
The Built/ Tost, Tin- Daily Post P., , The Daily Journal, 
The Dailji Cmrant, The Gaxette, Tin- Evening Post, 
The London blrming Post, and The Sain/ James Even- 
ing Pottt So, if you please, begin the Lying Post. 
The Tein/ilr /trail : by H. Fielding, 17:!0. 
Act i. Sc. i. Lady Gravely — Your Heait is like a 
Coffee-House, where the Beans frisk in and out. one 
after another ; and you are as little the worse for 
them, as the other is the better; for one Lover, like 
one Poison, is your Antidote against another. 
Act v. Sc. xiv. Sir Avarice — I'll prepare Matters 
that nobody shall prevent you. And heaikee, suppose 
you gave her a Dose of Opium in a Dish of Chocolae. 
The Masquerade : A Poem, by Lemuel Gulliver, Poet 
Laureat to the King of Lilliput, 1728. 
Here, running footmen gazzle tea : There milk- 
maid's flasks of Burgundy. 
The Coffee-House (Jas. Miller) 1737 
Prologue.— Our Coffee House is like a Limner's Room, 
Where various outlines stand of all that come ; 
But none complete :— some shapeless; headless 
some ; 
Amongst these formless forms there's one you'll 
see, 
Whom all will own is headless— that's poorjYlEj 
Sc. i. Gai/ieood— But for a gentleman to marry 
a Coffee-Man's Daughter— 'sdeath, 'tis a scandal ! 
ilartly — And, pray, upon balancing the account, how 
am I a sufferer ? I am a gentleman and poor ; she 
a Coffee-girl and rich : why, if I have her Money 
for my gentility, troth, I think 'tis a good Bargain. 
Sc. ii. liuzzle — Why, give me leave, give me leave, neigh- 
bour. Isnot Belgrade a Sea Port Town, pray ? lla'pie — 
Not that I know : or at least 'tis but very lately become 
one, if 'tis so. Paz. — Sir, I mule; stand the Map, and I 
will wager you a Dish of Coffee that Mr. Bays yonder 
is of my mind. * * * Harjiie— What do you write 
verses in a Coffee House, 3fr,B.ays ■ » pleasant 
Parnassus, truly. Hays — I expect Mr. Ciliher here 
this very Instant to hear me read my new Tragedy. 
PiK.-Mr. Gibber, sir ! what, the Glazer ? Sir, 
I beg you'll give me leave. I hope you don't think 
I'll be in a Room with a common Piayer of Inter- 
ludes. I keep no such profane Company. Here's 
for my Dish of Coffee — unless, widow, you forbid those 
Players your House, I shall be forced to forsake it. 
Wi'doie— Forbid the Players my House sir! Why 
sir, I get more by them in a Week than I do by 
you in seven years. You come here and hold a 
Paper in your Hand for an Hour, disturb the whole 
Company with your Politicks, call for Pen, Ink, Paper 
and Wax, beg a Pipe of Tobacco, burn out half a 
Candle, eat half a Pound of Sugar, and then go 
away, and pay Two pence for a Dish of Coffee. I 
should soon shut up my Doors, if I had not some 
other good People to make amends for what I lose 
by such as you, sir 1 
Baicble— Dear Butterfly dost hear the melancholy 
News ? Butterfly — No, what is the Matter, B a table '! 
Though I spend half my Time in Couee-Rooms, I 
never see the Papers. 
Kitty— Make some fre*h coffee, d'ye hear me, 
Booby '.' and a Pot of the fine Tea with the hard 
Name, that Mother keeps for her own drinking: for, 
by the stars, I'll have the best of ev'ry thing 
Your Servant, Sir : your Servant, Gentlemen : will ye 
please to drink anything, Gentlemen : fresh Coffee, Tea. 
Chocolate, or a Drain of anything, this evening Gentle- 
men: Bai/s — Madam, permit me to taste the Odours of 
those Celestial Lips. Not all the flowers in the Tht s- 
saiian Fields, nor India's spicy Gales, can vie with 
'em in Fragrance. | Compare Heher's "spicy breezes 
with this ! A M.F. 
Sony— What Pleasures a Coffee 11. use daily Kstows ! 
To hear ami read how tiic world merrily goes ; 
To laugh, sing, and prattle of This, That, and 
T'other, 
And be llatter'd and ogl'd, and kiss'd too like 
M other. 
The l.awver. who's always in truest of DUJ Prey, 
May Bnd Fools to feed upon heic every Hay : 
And the sage Politician, .n Coffee Gouudx known, 
May point out the Fate of each Crown, but— 
his own ! 
Then, Gallants, since ev'ry thing here you may 
Hud . , 
That pleasures the Fancv or profits flic Mind, 
Con>C all and take each his lull Dish of l)eHght, 
And crowd up our Coffee House ev'rj .Night. 
The following extract may interest coin-collectors 
and antiquarians like Messrs, C. D. Vigors and 11. 
