( I? ) 
continued to drink it in their Houfes, fully perfuaded that the 
Condemnation pronounced againft it in the Aflembly was un- 
juft, fince the Mufti was of a contrary Opinion. One of them 
was catch’d in the fadt, and being firft very feverely handled > 
was afterwards led through all the publick Places of the Cityj 
mounted on an Afs. 
This Severity was, happily, but of a very Ihort Duration ; for 
the Soudan of Egypt was fo far from approving the indilcreet Zeal 
of his Governor, that he was aftonifh’d to hear of the Con- 
demnation of a Liquor which every one found fo beneficial at 
Grand Cairo, the Capital of his Dominions, and whete the Doc- 
tors, of much greater Authority than thofe of Mecca ^ found 
nothing in the Ufe of it which was againO; the Law. He there- 
fore order’d the Prohibition to be recall’d, and that the Governor 
Ihould employ his Authority only to prevent the Difbrders that 
might happen in the Coffee^ Houfes 5 becaufe, though the beft 
Things might be abus’d, even the miraculous Waters of Zem Zem, 
yet that could be ilo Reafon to forbid the Ufe of them. The 
Mahometans fancy, that Zem Zem is the Fountain which appear’d 
to Hagar in the Wildernefs. It is within the great Mofyue of 
Mecca j and to drink of that Water is reputed an A6l of fingular 
Devotion, to which they afcribe very extraordinary Effedls. The 
Governor was obliged to obey his Mafter’s Orders, though much 
againfl: his Inclination ; and our Author, a great Stickler for 
Coffee, remarks, that, as a Punifhment for what he had done 
againfl that harmlefs Liquor, the Soudan caus’d him to be put to 
death in about a Year after, hi's Concufhons and publick Rob- 
beries being difcover’d. The two PerfaH Phyficians likewifcj 
having loft all their Reputation at Mecca, upon the Re-eftablifh'- 
ment of the Ufe of Cotfee, were obliged to retire to Grknd Cairo, 
where they met with the fame Fate, by Order of Selim Emperor 
of the Turks, who had then conquer’d Egypt, for Imprecations, 
and other treafonable Words they had utter’d againll him. 
From this time, till i 5 24. Colfee met with no' fa’rther Inter- 
ruption at Mecca • but in that Year the Cadi^ or cliief Judge of 
the Town, caus’d all the publick Coffee- Houfes to be fliut up, be- 
caufe of the Irregularities committed in them, allowing People, 
however, to drink at their own Houfes as m'uch as ever. His 
Succeffor permitted the Coffee-Houfes a-new, and, fince that 
time the Magiflrates have liad no reafon to employ their Autho- 
rity againft them. It is true indeed, that in the Year 1542.. an 
Order came from the Emperor Soliman the Great, to forbid the 
Ufe of Coffee at Mecca, but it was never put in execution, be- 
F ing 
