1609.] 
selling it on paying a tax, and of the 
drinking it, provided it was not done 
openly ; so that it was drunk in particular 
places with the dvuors shut, or in the back 
rooin of some of the shopkeepers’ 
houses. Under colour of this, coffee- 
houses by little and little were re-esta- 
blished, and a new mufti, less scrupulous 
and more enlightened than his predeces- 
sor, having declared publicly, that coffee 
had no rejation to coal, and that the infu- 
sion of it was not contrary to the law of 
Mahomet, the number of cotlee-houses 
became greater than before. After this 
declaration, the religious orders, the 
preachers, the lawyers, and even the 
mufti himself, drank coffee ; and their 
example was followed universally by the 
court and city. 
The grand viziers, having possessed 
themselves of a special authority over 
the houses in which it was permitted to 
be drunk publicly, took advantage of this 
Opportunity of raising a considerable tax 
on the licences they granted for that pur- 
pose, obliging each master of a cotfee- 
house to pay a sequin per day, limiting 
the price however,’ at an asper per 
dish.* 
Thus far the Arabian manuscript in 
the King of France’s library, as transla- 
ted by Mr. Galland, who proceeds to in- 
form us of the occasion of the total sup- 
pression of public coffee-houses, during 
the war in Candia, when the Ottoman 
affairs were ina critical situation. 
The liberty which the politicians who 
frequented those houses took, in speak- 
ing too freely of public affairs was car- 
ried to that length, that the Grand Vi- 
zier Kupruli, father of the two famous 
brothers of thesame name, who afterwgrds 
succeeded him, suppressed them all during 
the minority of Mahomet the Fourth, with 
a disinteredness hereditary in his family, 
without regarding the loss of so consider- 
able a revenue, of which he reaped the 
advantage himself. Before he came to 
that determination, he visited incognito 
the several coffee-houses, where he ob- 
* The Turkish sequin (according to Cham- 
bers) is of the value of about nine shillings 
sterling; and the asper is a very small silver 
coin, of the value of something more than an 
English halfpenny. The present value is 
nearly seven shillings ; that is, two shillings 
and three-pence three-farthings for a dollar, 
or eighty aspers; consequently three aspers 
are worth something more than a penny ster- 
ling, but they are generally reckoned at a 
halfpenny each. Two hundred and forty- 
three aspers go toa sequin, 
Monrury Mac. No. 181. 
A History of Coffee, by the late Dr. Fotherg ii. 
25 
served sensible grave persons, discoursing 
seriously of the affairs of the empire, 
blaming administration, and deciding 
with confidence on the most important 
concerns, Hehad before been in the 
taverns, where he only met with gay 
young fellows, mostly soldiers, who were 
diverting themselves with singing, or: talk 
ing of nothing but gallantry and feats 
of war. ‘These he took no further notice 
of. . 
After the shutting up of the coffee- 
houses, no less cottee was drunk ; for it 
was carried about in large copper vessels, 
with fire under them, through all the 
great streets and markets. This was only 
done at Constantinople; for in all the 
other towns of the empire, and even in 
the smallest villages, the coffee-houses 
continwed open as before. ) 
Notwithstanding this precaution of 
suppressing the public meetings at coffees 
houses, the consumption of coffee in- 
creased; for there was no house or fami- 
ly, rich or poor, Turk or Jew, Greek or 
Armenian, who are very numerous in 
that city, where it was not drank at least 
twice a day, and many people drank it 
oftener, and it became a custom in every 
house to offer it to all visitors; and it 
was reckoned an incivility to refuse it, so 
that many people drank twenty dishes a 
day, and that without any inconvenience, 
which is supposed by this author an ex- 
traordinary advantage ; and another great 
use of coffee, according to him, is its 
uniting men in society, in stricter ties of 
amity than any other liquor; and he ob- 
serves, that such protestations of friend- 
ship as. are made at such times are far 
more to be depended upon, ghan when 
‘the mind is intoxicated with mebniating 
liquors. He computes, that as much is 
spent in private families, in the article 
of coffee, at Constantinople, as im wine 
at Paris; and relates, that it is as cus 
tomary there to ask for money to drink 
coffee, as in Europe for money to drink 
your health in wine or beer. 
Another curious particular we find 
mentioned here, is, that the refusing to 
supply a wife with coffee, is reckoned 
amongst the legal causes of a divorce. 
The Turks drink their coffee very hot 
and strong, and without sugar. Now and 
then they put in when x is boiling, a 
clove or two bruised, according to the 
quantity, or a little of the semen badian, 
called starry aniseed, or some of the 
lesser cqrdamums, or a drop of essence 
of amber. 
Tt is not easy to determine at what 
titae 
