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^ and fo lofes fo much of its Virtue^ by the Evaporation of the 
‘ Particles in which that confifts. But hnce its Age cannot by 
any Marks be known, I don’t believe there is any other Way to 
^ prevent our buying iT too old, than that which I make ufe of^ 
‘ to have fome from time to time from fuch Places as lie 
^ neareft the Country where it grows 3 but even this Method will 
‘ not always prevent our being impofed upon. 
^ Some, who pretend to be good Judges of Coffee, tell us, 
^ that the lighted, and that which is of the deeped yellow, ought 
‘ to be preterr’d to that which is whiter and heavier.’ 
This lad Rule I have already obferved to have been applied by 
Avicenna to his Bunchumy whatever be meant by it 3 but that does 
not hinder but that it may likewile hold of Coffee. 
Monfieur de Blegny has laid fome few things new about the 
Choice of Coffee : ^ That confids, according to him, princi- 
^ pally in two things, that it be as clean and as new as podible 5 
^ tile fird is cafily difcovered, the fecond may be known by the 
^ Berries being intire, not worm-eaten, of a greyifli Colour, not 
‘ too brown nor white, and by the Strength of the Smell of it. 
‘ It is a vulgar Midake, continues he, to think the whited 
^ Coffee always the bed 3 he was convinced of the contrary, by 
^ fending for fome from Marfeillesy and comparing it with that 
^ which came from Holland. The fird was undoubtedly the bed, 
* as having been imported by a much fhorter Cutt than the Dutch 
‘ which comes about by the Eaji-lndiesy and was always of a 
^ greyilh Colour, and never white nor brown like the other.’ 
About the Method of didinguifhing new Coffee from old, 
du Mont adds, to what we have heard from Blegny, ‘ That old 
^ Codec lofes its Tade as well as Smell, that the new Coffee is of 
‘ a greenifli gtey, fomething tranfparent, of an agreeable frelh 
^ Tade, and a Smell like hay. Ladly, that it is of a more folid 
^ Confidence, and heavier than the old. 
This Author tells us likewife, ^ That of Coffee equally new, 
‘ the larged Berries are to be preferred to the Email ones, which 
^ I am apt to think is not always true.’ 
^ Pomet tells us, Coffee ought to be chofen of a greenifli Co- 
lour, new, and which does not fmell mudy. The Grains of a 
^ middling fize are bed, fuch as they call in French Coffe de la 
^ -petite Epinoche. We ought to take care that it be well cleaned 
‘ and free from Shells or Husks mix’d with it, or Grains with 
^ the Husks on. 
^ Thofc who buy whole Bales together, ought to beware that 
^ the bottoms of them have not been wet in the Paffage j for 
4 ^ otherwife. 
