The earliest account we have of coffee is said to be taken from an
Arabian MS. in the Bibliothèque du Roi in Paris.
Schehabeddin Ben, an Arabian author of the ninth century of the Hegira,
or fifteenth of the Christians, attributes to Gemaleddin, Mufti of Aden,
a city of Arabia Felix, who was nearly his contemporary, the first
introduction into that country, of drinking coffee. He tells us, that
Gemaleddin, having occasion to travel into Persia, during his abode
there saw some of his countrymen drinking coffee, which at that time he
did not much attend to; but, on his return to Aden, finding himself
indisposed, and remembering that he had seen his countrymen drinking
coffee in Persia, in hopes of receiving some benefit from it, he
determined to try it on himself; and, after making the experiment, not
only recovered his health, but perceived other useful qualities in that
liquor; such as relieving the headach, enlivening the spirits, and,
without prejudice to the constitution, preventing drowsiness. This last
quality he resolved to turn to the advantage of his profession; he took
it himself, and recommended it to the Dervises, or religious Mahometans,
to enable them to pass the night in prayer, and other exercises of their
religion, with greater zeal and attention. The example and authority of
the mufti gave reputation to coffee. Soon men of letters, and persons
belonging to the law, adopted the use of it. These were followed by the
tradesmen and artisans that were under the necessity of working in the
night, and such as were obliged to travel late after sunset. At length
the custom became general in Aden; and it was not only drunk in the
night by those who were desirous of being kept awake, but in the day for
the sake of its other agreeable qualities.
Before this time coffee was scarce known in Persia, and very little used
in Arabia, where the tree grew. But, according to Schehabeddin, it had
been drunk in Æthiopia from time immemorial.
Coffee being thus received at Aden, where it has continued in use ever
since without interruption, passed by degrees to many neighbouring
towns; and not long after reached Mecca, where it was introduced as at
Aden, by the Dervises, and for the same purposes of religion.
The inhabitants of Mecca were at last so fond of this liquor, that,
without regarding the intention of the religious, and other studious
persons, they at length drank it publicly in coffee-houses, where they
assembled in crowds to pass the time agreeably, making that the
pretense. From hence the custom extended itself to many other towns of
Arabia, particularly to Medina, and then to Grand Cairo in Egypt, where
the Dervises of Yemen, who lived in a district by themselves, drank
coffee on the nights they intended to spend in devotion.
Coffee continued its progress through Syria, and was received at
Damascus and Aleppo without opposition; and in the year 1554, under the
reign of Solyman, one hundred years after its introduction by the Mufti
of Aden, became known to the inhabitants of Constantinople, when two
private persons of the names of Schems and Hekin, the one coming from
Damascus, and the other from Aleppo, opened coffee-houses.
"It is not easy," says Ellis, "to determine at what time, or upon what
occasion, the use of coffee passed from Constantinople to the western
parts of Europe. It is, however, likely that the Venetians, upon account
of the proximity of their dominions, and their great trade to the
Levant, were the first acquainted with it; which appears from part of a
letter wrote by Peter della Valle, a Venetian, in 1615, from
Constantinople; in which he tells his friend, that, upon his return he
should {26} bring with him some coffee, which he believed was a thing
unknown in his country."
Mr. Garland tells us he was informed by M. de la Croix, the King's
interpreter, that M. Thevenot, who had travelled through the East, at
his return in 1657, brought with him to Paris some coffee for his own
use, and often treated his friends with it.
It was known some years sooner at Marseilles; for, in 1644, some
gentlemen who accompanied M. de la Haye to Constantinople, brought back
with them on their return, not only some coffee, but the proper vessels
and apparatus for making it. However, until 1660, coffee was drunk only
by such as had been accustomed to it in the Levant, and their friends;
but that year some bales were imported from Egypt, which gave a great
number of persons an opportunity of trying it, and contributed very much
to bringing it into general use; and in 1661, a coffee-house was opened
at Marseilles in the neighbourhood of the Exchange.
Before 1669, coffee had not been seen at Paris, except at M. Thevenot's,
and some of his friends'; nor scarce heard of but from the account of
travellers. In that year, Soliman Aga, ambassador from the Sultan
Mahomet the Fourth, arrived, who, with his retinue, brought a
considerable quantity of coffee with them, and made presents of it to
persons both of the court and city, and it is supposed to have
established the custom of drinking it.
Two years afterwards, an Armenian of the name of Pascal, set up a
coffee-house, but meeting with little encouragement, left Paris and came
to London.
From Anderson's _Chronological History of Commerce_, it appears that the
use of coffee was introduced into London some years earlier than into
Paris. For in 1652 one Mr. Edwards, a Turkey merchant, brought home with
him a Greek servant, whose name was Pasqua, who understood the roasting
and making of coffee, till then unknown in England. This servant was the
first who sold coffee, and kept a house for that purpose in George Yard
Lombard Street.
The first mention of coffee in our statute books is anno 1660 (12 Car.
II. c. 24), when a duty of 4d. was laid upon every gallon of coffee made
and sold, to be paid by the maker.
The statute 15 Car. II. c. 11. § 15. an. 1663, directs that all
coffee-houses should be licensed at the general quarter sessions of the
peace for the county within which they are to be kept.
In 1675 King Charles II. issued a proclamation to shut up the
coffee-houses, but in a few days suspended the proclamation by a second.
They were charged with being seminaries of sedition.
The first European author who has made any mention of coffee is
Rauwolfus, who was in the Levant in 1573.
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