A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE EXCELLENT VIRTUES OF THAT Sober and wholesome Drink, CALLED COFFEE, AND ITS INCOMPARABLE EFFECTS IN PREVENTING or CURING MOST DISEASES INCIDENT TO HUMANE BODIES.  — Florescat Arabica Planta. 

THE DESERTS OF ARABIA.   depiction of coffee plants and a coffee house  

WHen the sweet Poison of the Treacherous Grape,  
Had Acted on the world a General Rape;  
Drowning our very Reason and our Souls  
In such deep Seas of large overflowing Bowls,  
That New Philosophers Swore they could feel  
The Earth to Stagger, as her Sons did Reel:  
When Foggy Ale, levying up mighty Trains  
Of muddy Vapours, had besieged our Brains;  
And Drink, Rebellion, and Religion too,  
Made Men so Mad, they knew not what to do;  
Then Heaven in Pity, to Effect our Cure,  
And stop the Ragings of that Calenture,  
First sent amongst us this All-healing-Berry,  
At once to make us both Sober and Merry.  
Arabian Coffee, a Rich Cordial  
To Purse and Person Beneficial,  
Which of so many Virtues doth partake,  
Its Country's called Felix for its sake.  
From the Rich Chambers of the Rising Sun,  
Where 〈◊〉, and all good Fashions 〈◊〉 beg●n,  
Where Earth with Choicest Rarities is blest,  
And dying Phoenix builds Her wondrous Nest:  
COFFEE arrives, that Grave and wholesome Liquor,  
That heals the Stomach, makes the Genius quicker,  
Relieve, the Memory, Revives the Sad,  
And cheers the Spirits, without making Mad;  
For being of a Cleansing QUALITY,  
By NATURE warm, Attenuating and Dry,  
It's constant Use the sullenest Griefs will Rout,  
Removes the Dropsy, gives ease to the Gout,  
And soon dispatcheth wheresoever it finds  
Scorbutic Humours, Hypochondriack winds,  
Rheums, Ptisicks, Palsies, Jaundice, Coughs, Catarrhs,  
And whatsoever with Nature leavyeth Wars;  
It helps Digestion, want of Appetite,  
And quickly sets Consumptive Bodies Right;  
A Friendly Intercourse it doth Maintain,  
Between the Heart, the Liver, and the Brain,  
Nature's three chiefest Wheels, whose Jars we know,  
Threaten the whole Microcosm with overthrow;  
In Spring, when Peccant Humours Increase most,  
And Summer, when the Appetite is lost,  
In Autumn, when Raw Fruits Diseases Breed,  
And Winter time too cold to Purge or Bleed;  
Do but this Rare ARABIAN Cordial Use,  
And thou may'st all the Doctor's Slops Refuse.  
Hush then, dull QUACKS, your Mountebanking cease,  
COFFEE's a speedier Cure for each Disease;  
How great its Virtues are, we hence may think,  
The World's third Part makes it their common Drink;  
The Amorous Gallant, whose hot Reins do fail,  
Stung by Conjunction with the Dragons-Tail:  
Let him but Tipple here, shall find his Grief  
Discharged, without the Sweting-Tubs Relief;  
Nor have the LADY'S Reason to Complain,  
As fumbling Doelittles are apt to Feign;  
COFFEE's no Foe to their obliging Trade,  
By it Men rather are more Active made;  
'Tis stronger Drink, and base adulterate Wine,  
Enfeebles Vigour, and makes Nature Pine;  
Loaden with which, th' Impotent Sot is Led  
Like a Sowced Hogshead to a Misses Bed;  
But this Rare Settle-Brain prevents those Harms,  
Conquers Old Sherry, and brisk Claret Charms.  
Sack, I defy thee with an open Throat,  
Whilst Trusty COFFEE is my Antedote;  
Methinks I hear Poets Repent th'have been,  
So long Idolaters to that sparkling Queen;  
For well they may perceive 'tis on Her score  
APOLLO keeps them all so Cursed Poor;  
Let them avoid Her tempting Charms, and then  
We hope to see the Wits grow Aldermen;  
In Brieif, all you who Healths Rich Treasures Prize,  
And Court not Ruby Noses, or bleared Eyes,  
But own Sobriety to be your Drift,  
And Love at once good Company and Thirst;  
To Wine no more make Wit and Coin a Trophy,  
But come each Night and Frollique here in Coffee.   

The RULES and ORDERS of the COFFEE-HOUSE.  

Enter Sirs freely, But first if you please,  
Peruse our Civil-Orders, which are these.   

FIrst, Gentry, Tradesmen, all are welcome hither,  
And may without Affront sit down Together:  
Pre-eminence of Place, none here should Mind,  
But take the next fit Seat that he can find:  
Nor need any, if Finer Persons come,  
Rise up for to assign to them his Room;  
To limit men's Expense, we think not fair,  
But let him forfeit Twelvepences that shall Swear:  
He that shall any Quarrel here begin,  
Shall give each Man a Dish t' Atone the Sin;  
And so shall He, whose Compliments extend  
So far to drink in COFFEE to his Friend;  
Let Noise of loud Disputes be quite forborn,  
No Maudlin Lovers here in Corners Mourn,  
But all be Brisk, and Talk, but not too much  
On Sacred things, Let none presume to touch,  
Nor Profane Scripture, or saucily wrong  
Affairs of State with an Irreverent Tongue:  
Let Mirth be Innocent, and each Man see,  
That all his Jests without Reflection be;  
To keep the House more Quiet, and from Blame,  
We Banish hence Cards, Dice, and every Game:  
Nor can allow of Wagers, that Exceed  
Five shillings, which ofttimes much Trouble Breed;  
Let all that's lost, or forfeited, be spent  
In such Good Liquor as the House doth Vent,  
And Customers endeavour to their Powers,  
For to observe still seasonable Hours.  
Lastly, Let each Man what he calls for Pay,  
And so you're welcome to come every Day.     

London, Printed for Paul Greenwood, and are to be sold at the sign of the Coffee-Mill and Tobacco-Roll in Cloath-fair near West-Smithfield, who selleth the best Arabian Coffee-Powder and Chocolate, made in Cake or in Roll, after the Spanish Fashion, etc. 1674.