( i8 ) 
ing known to have been obtain’d by the Stratagems of a Courc- 
Lady, who, it ieems, had fome Scruples of Confcience about the 
Lawfulnefs of that Liquor. 
From Mecca, and me Fate of Coffee there, the Author paffes 
on to Grand Cairo. In the Year 1513. a fcrupulous Do6lor of 
that City took it into his head to propofe the following Queftion, 
or Cafe of Confcience, and to fend it about to all his Brethren of 
the Law : What is your Of inion concerning the Liquor call'd Cof-^ 
fee, ^hich is drank in all publick Companies, as a thing that may he 
freely ufed *, tho) it occafons ^ery great Diforders^ affeSfs the Head, 
and is prejudicial to Health ? Is it permitted, or is it forbidden ? 
Underneath was written this Dodor’s own Opinion, fign’d by 
him in thefe Words : The life of Cojfee is unlawful. All the rell 
to a Man were of the contrary Sentiment, it being evident to 
them, that Coffee had none of thefe bad Qualities he afcribed to 
it. This Effort of our zealous Dodor remain’d therefore without 
Effed : But about ten Years afterwards j a Preacher thought fit 
to employ his Rhetorick againfi; Coffee, affirming, that it was for- 
bidden by the Law j and that none could be true Muffulmen who 
ufed it : Uis Difcourfe had fb great an Effed on the Mob who 
heard it, that, as foon as Service vas over, they went and pull’d 
down all the Coffee-Houfes that fell in their way, broke the Pots 
and Difhes, and mal-treated the Company they found in them. 
Upon this, two Seds or Parties were form’d, one maintaining, 
that the Ufe of Coffee was unlawful j the other, that it was not ; 
but the chief Judge having call’d together all the Dodors to con- 
fult this Matter with them, they declar’d, that the Queflion had 
been already formally decided by them in favour of Coffee, that 
they were ftill of the fame Opinion j and therefore the chief 
thing to be done, was to curb the impertinent Zeal of the De- 
votds, and the Indifcretion of ignorant Preachers. The Judge 
agreed with the Dodors, and thereupon Coffee was immediately 
prefented to the whole Affembly, the Judge drinking firff as an 
Example to the reft. By thefe means the contending Parties were 
united, and Coffee triumph d more than ever. 
About four Years after this, a publick Officer finding a Com- 
pajiy of People at a Coffee-Fdoufe in the Night-time, during the 
Faft of Ramadam (the Mahometan Lent) committed them to Pri- 
fon for having drank Coffee in Publick at an unfeafonable Fdour 
in fo holy a time 3 and next Day they fuffer’d the Bafinado. But 
as this related to the Abufe of this Liquor only, not to the U(e 
of it, nothing follow’d upon it. The moff Scrupulous were 
now reduced to this one Objedion, that Coffee ought not to be 
permitted. 
