imagines that, to compose an ode, he must set at defiance every rule-he may pass from one abrupt transition to another, and indulge in every species of irregularity-provided his language be lofty and his sentiments uncommon, he may be as obscure and as unintelligible as he pleases. Abrupt expressions of surprize, admiration or rapture--exclamations of love, joy or despair-violent distortions of sense, and the most forced construction of words and metre, are what more particularly distinguish the modern ode. They are often used to cover the most barren and common-place sentiments, and rarely convey any distinct idea to the reader. The quotation from Boileau, founded on the supposed extravagance of Pindar, has produced the most ridiculous effects, and the most absurd misapprehensions. We are not requiring here that the ode should be as regular in its structure as a didactic or epic poem. But it demands, as well as every other species of poetry, that a subject should be proposed as its ground-work-and that the subject, whether it be an address to some personage, or descriptive of any particular passion of the mind, instead of being forgotten or laid aside after the first fines, should be continued and illustrated through every stanza of the ode. The transitions from thought to thought are, of course, permitted; but they should be light and delicate, and sufficiently connected with the subject to enable the poet to fall, with ease and propriety, into the same train of ideas with which he sets out. For this incoherence and disorder of lyric poetry, the authority and example of Pindar have always been quoted, but, as we think, not always with truth or justice. We shall have occasion hereafter to examine this point more attentively; at present we shall only observe, that whoever considers the poems of the Theban bard with regard to the manners and customs of the age in which they were written, the occasions which gave them birth, and the places in which they were intended to be recited, will find little reason to censure Pindar for the want of order and regularity in the plans of his compositions. On the contrary, perhaps, he will be inclined to admire him for raising so many beauties from such trivial hints, and for kindling, as he sometimes does, so great a flame from a single spark, with so little matter to preserve it,

This extravagance and disorder of ideas of which we complain in the modern sys

tem of ode making, will be found also to extend to the versification. The extreme length to which the periods are suffered to run-the rapidity and abruptness with which one measure is exchanged for another-the variety of long and short lines which are made to correspond with each other in rhyme, at so enormous a dise tance-increase the disorder, by the disregard to all sense of melody. Why, in lyric compositions, less attention should be paid to beauty of sound, than in any other, it is difficult to imagine. The truth is, that no species of poetry demands it more than the ode; and the versification of those odes, as is remarked by Blair, may be justly accounted the best, which renders the harmony of the measure most sensible to every common ear.

Another custom among the ancients, which has also been too much followed in the modern ode, is that of not completing the sense in one section, but pursuing it into another. Thus among many other instances in Pindar, the three last lines of the third strophe in the first Olymp. are these

Πρὸς ευάνθεμον δ ̓ ὅτε φυαν

Δείχνει νιν μελαν γένειον ερέφον, Ετυμον ανεφρόν τισεν γαμον, he completes the sentence in the antistrophe,

and

It may not be amiss to afford the reader an idea of the three stanzas used by the Greeks, from the following past in the last paragraph in the Scholia on Hephæstion.-"You must know that the ancients (in their odes, framed so larger stanzas, and one less; the first of the large stanzas they called Strophe-singing it on their festivals at the altars of the gods, and dancing at the same time. The second they called Antistrophe, in which they inverted the dance. The lesser stanza was named the

Epode, which they sang standing still. The Strophe, as they say, denoted the motion of the higher sphere, the Antistrophe, that of the planets, the Epode the fixed station and repose of the earth." From this passage it is evident that the odes were accompanied with

dancing;

The Arabian author adds, that they found themselves so well by drinking coffee, that they entirely left off the use of an infusion of a herb, called in their language cat, which possibly might be tea, though the Arabian author gives us no particular reason to think so.

Before this time coffee was scarcely known in Persia, and very little used in Arabia, where the tree grew; but, according to Schehabeddin, it had been drank in Ethiopia from time imincmorial.

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 pretence: here they played at chess, and such other kinds of games, and that even for money. In these houses they amused themselves likewise with singing, dan cing, and music, contrary to the manners of the rigid Mahometans, which afterwards was the occasion of some disturbances. From hence the custom extended itself to many other towns of Arabia, and particularly to Medina, and then to Grand Cairo in Egypt, where the dervises of Yemen, who lived in a district by themselves, drank coffee the nights they intended to spend in devotion. They kept it in a large red earthen ressel, and received it respectfully from the hand of their superior, who poured it out into cups for them himself. He was soon imitated by many devout people of Cairo, and their example followed by the studious, and afterwards by so many people that coffee became as common a drink in that great city, as at Aden, Mecca, and Medina, and other cities of Arabia.

Bot, at length, the rigid Mahometans began to disapprove the use of coffee, as occasioning frequent disorders, and too nearly resembling wine in its effects; the drinking of which is contrary to the tenets of their religion. Government was obliged to interfere, and at times restrain the use of it. However, it had become so universally liked, that it was afterwards found necessary to take off all restraint for the future.

"Coffee continued its progress through Syria, and was received at Damascus and Aleppo without opposition; and in the year 1554, under the reign of the great Soliman, one hundred years after its introduction by the mufti of Aden, it became known to the inhabitants of Constantinople; when two private per sons, whose names were Schems and Hekin, the one coming from Damascus, and the other from Aleppo, each opened a codec-house in Constantinople, and sold coffee publicly in rooms fitted up in an elegant manner, which were presently frequented by men of learning, and par ticularly poets, and other persons who came to amuse themselves with a game of chess or draughts, to inake acquaintance, or to pass away their time agreeably, at a small expence.

These houses and assemblies insensibly became so minch in vogue, that they were frequented by people of all professions, and even the officers of the scraglio, the pachas, and persons of the first rank about the court. However, when they seemed to be the most firmly established, the imans, or officers of the mosques, complained loudly of their being deserted, while the coffce-houses were full of company, the dervises and the religious orders murmured, and the preachers declaimed against them, asserting it was less sin to go to a tavern than to a coffee-house,

After much wrangling, the devotees united their interests to obtain an authentic condemnation of coffee, and determined to present to the mufti a petition for that purpose; in which they advanced that roasted coffee was a kind of coal, and that what had any relation to coal was forbidden by law. They de sired him to determine on this matter according to the duty of his office,

The chief of the law, without cutering much into the question, gave such a decision as they wished for, and pronounced that the drinking of coffee was contrary to the law of Mahomet.

So respectable is the authority of the mufti, that nobody dared to find fault with his sentence. Immediately all the coffee-houses were shut, and the officers of the police were commanded to prevent any one from drinking coffee. However, the habit was become so strong, and the use of it so generally agreeable, that the people continued, notwithstanding all prohibition, to drink it in their own houses. The officers of the polier,seeing they could not suppress the use of it, allowed of the

selling

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, on his return, he should bring with him some coffee, which he believed was a thing unknown in his

country.

Mr. Galland tells us, he was informed by Mr. De la Croix, the king's interpre ter, that Mr. Thevenot, who had travel led 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, amongst which number Mons. De la Croix was one; and that from that time he had continued to drink it, being supplied by some Armenians who settled at Paris, and by degrees brought it into reputation in that city.

It was known some years sooner at Marseilles; for in 1644, some gentlemen who accompanied Monsieur de la Haye to Constantinople, brought back with them, on their return, not only some coffee, but the proper vessels and apparatus for making and drinking it, which were particularly magnificent, and very differ ent from what are now used amongst us. However, until the year 1660, coffee was drank 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 try ing it, and contributed very much to bringing it into general use; and in 1671, certain private persons at Marseilles determined for the first time to open a cof. fee-house in the neighbourhood of the exchange, which succeeded extremely well; people went there to smoke, talk of business, and divert themselves with play: it was soon crowded, particularly by Turkey merchants, and traders to the Levant. These places were found very convenient for discoursing on, and setthing matters relating to commerce, and shortly after the number of coffee-houses increased amazingly; notwithstanding which there was not less drank in private .houses, but a much greater quantity: so that it became universally in use at Marseilles, and the neigi buring cities.

Before the year 1669, coffee bad not been seen in Paris, except at Mr.

Thevenot's, and some of his friends; nor scarce heard of, but from the account of travellers. That year was distinguished by the arrival of Soliman Aga, ambassador from Sultan Mahomet the Fourth. This must be looked upon as the true period of the introduction of coffee into Paris; for that minister and his retinue brought a considerable quantity with them, which they presented to so many persons of the court and city, that many became accustomed to drink it, with the addition of a little sugar; and some who had found benefit by it, did not chuse to be without it. The ambassador staid at Paris from July, 1669, to May, 1670, which was a sufficient time to establish the custom he had introduced.

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; he was succeeded by other Armenians and Persians, but not with much success, for want of address, and proper places to dispose of it; genteel people not caring to be seen in those places where it was to be sold. However, not long after, when some Frenchmen had fitted up for the purpose spacious apartments in an elegant manner, ornamented with tapestry, large looking-glasses, pictures, and magnificent lustres, and began to sell coffee, with tea, chocolate, and other refreshments, they soon became frequented by people of fashion and men of letters, so that in a short time the number in Paris increased to three hundred.

For this account of the introduction of the use of coffee into Paris we are indebted to La Roque's Voyage into Arabia-Felix. We now come to trace its first appearance in London.

It appears from Anderson's Chronological History of Commerce, that the use of coffee was first introduced into London some years earlier than into Pa ris, for in 1652, one Mr. Edwards, a Turkey Merchant brought home with 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. cap. 24.) when a duty of four-pence was laid upon every galon of coffee made and sold, to be paid by the maker..

The statute of the 15 Car. ii. cap. xi. § 15, anno 1663 directs that all coffeeLuuses