( -'5 ) 
and Egypt, till the fatal Year 1511. in which the Ufe of it was 
(olemnly condemned. 
Khair Beg Governor of Mecca for the Soudan of Egypt, un- 
der whole Dominion it then was had, during all this time heard 
nothing of Coffee, nor ot the Way of preparing it : But as he 
return’d one Evening from the Mofque after Prayers, he v/as ex- 
tremely fcandaliz’d to behold in one Corner of it a Company of 
Coffee-Drinkers, who were thus fortifying themfelves in order to 
pafs the whole Night in Devotion. At firll: he imagin’d they 
were drinking Wine, neither was his Alloniiliment at all di- 
minifh’d, by the Account that was given him of the Virtues and 
Properties of it 5 but, on the contrary, having learn’d from the 
Devotees of the Place, how common it was at Mecca, and ef- 
pecially the Merry-makings at the publick Coffee- Houfes, he con- 
cluded, that it made People drunk, or at leaft difpos’d them to 
commit Diforders forbidden by the Law. Having therefore dri- 
ven the Coffee-Drinkers out of the Mofque, with a fevere Prohi- 
bition never to meet there any more on the like Account, the 
next Day he call’d together a very numerous Affembly of the 
Officers of Juflice, Doctors of Law, Devotees, and other prin- 
cipal Inhabitants of the City. He open’d the Meeting with an 
Account of what he had leen at the Mofque the Night before, 
and what was pra6tis’d in the Coffee-Houfes of the Town • ad- 
ding, that he was refolv’d to redify thefe Abufes, and therefore 
defir’d to know thdr Sentiments upon the Matter. The Dodors 
all agreed that the Coffee-Houfes did fland in need ot a Reform 
mation. Things being often done there which were contrary to 
the Law and as to Coffee itfelf, they thought it ought flridly 
to be inquir’d into, whether it were really prejudicial to the Body 
or Mind, or did of its own Nature excite People to commit the 
Diforders that were complain’d of : iFthat was the Cafe, that the 
Ufe of it ought to be altogether forbidden j if not, that it would 
be fufficient to have the publick Coffee-Houfes fliut up. In fine, 
the Conclufion of the Whole was to confult the Phyficians. 
The Governour ordered two of them to be immediately lent 
for : They were Brothers, Perfans by Birth, and acknowledg’d 
by every body to be the ableft Phyficians in Mecca, tho’ their 
Skill confifted more in Dialedicks, and the Art of Wrangling, 
than in Phyfick. One of them had already publifh’d a Book 
againfl the Ufe of Coffee, probably, fays our Author, becaufe it 
was a very prejudicial Liquor to the Trade they drove in Phyfick. 
They both affur’d the Affembly, that Bunn, of the Husks of 
which Coffee was ufually made, was frigidum ^ ficcum, cold and 
2 dry. 
