s work; but earlier (1638)
published some comments on Alpini's findings, in the course of which he
distinguished certain qualities found in a drink made from the husks
(skins) of the coffee berries from those found in the liquor made from
the beans themselves, which he calls the stones of the coffee fruit. He
says:

Not only in Egypt is coffee in much request, but in almost all the
other provinces of the Turkish Empire. Whence it comes to pass that
it is dear even in the Levant and scarce among the Europeans, who
by that means are deprived of a very wholesome liquor.

From this we may conclude that coffee was not wholly unknown in Europe
at that time. Vesling adds that when he visited Cairo, he found there
two or three thousand coffee houses, and that "some did begin to put
sugar in their coffee to correct the bitterness of it, and others made
sugar-plums of the berries."

_Coffee Baptized by the Pope_

Shortly after coffee reached Rome, according to a much quoted legend, it
was again threatened with religious fanaticism, which almost caused its
excommunication from Christendom. It is related that certain priests
appealed to Pope Clement VIII (1535-1605) to have its use forbidden
among Christians, denouncing it as an invention of Satan. They claimed
that the Evil One, having forbidden his followers, the infidel Moslems,
the use of wine--no doubt because it was sanctified by Christ and used
in the Holy Communion--had given them as a substitute this hellish black
brew of his which they called coffee. For Christians to drink it was to
risk falling into a trap set by Satan for their souls.

[Illustration: AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ITALIAN COFFEE HOUSE

After Goldoni, by Zatta]

It is further related that the pope, made curious, desired to inspect
this Devil's drink, and had some brought to him. The aroma of it was so
pleasant and inviting that the pope was tempted to try a cupful. After
drinking it, he exclaimed, "Why, this Satan's drink is so delicious that
it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We
shall fool Satan by baptizing it, and making it a truly Christian
beverage."

Thus, whatever harmfulness its opponents try to attribute to coffee, the
fact remains (if we are to credit the story) that it has been baptized
and proclaimed unharmful, and a "truly Christian beverage," by his
holiness the pope.

The Venetians had further knowledge of coffee in 1585, when
Gianfra