to
Percy was Joseph Clinton Robertson, who died in 1852; he was the
projector of the _Mechanics' Magazine_, which he edited from its
commencement to his death. The name of the collection of Anecdotes
was not taken, as at the time supposed, from the popularity of the
"Percy Reliques," but from the Percy Coffee-house, where Byerley
and Robertson were accustomed to meet to talk over their joint
work. The _idea_ was, however, claimed by Sir Richard Phillips, who
stoutly maintained that it originated in a suggestion made by him
to Dr. Tilloch and Mr. Mayne, to cut the anecdotes from the many
years' files of the _Star_ newspaper, of which Dr. Tilloch was the
editor; and Mr. Byerley assistant editor; and to the latter
overhearing the suggestion, Sir Richard contested, might the "Percy
Anecdotes" be traced. They were very successful, and a large sum
was realised by the work.

* * * * *

Peele's Coffee-house, Nos. 177 and 178, Fleet-street, east corner
of Fetter-lane, was one of the coffee-houses of the Johnsonian
period; and here was long preserved a portrait of Dr. Johnson, on
the keystone of a chimney-piece, stated to have been painted by Sir
Joshua Reynolds. Peele's was noted for files of newspapers from
these dates: _Gazette_, 1759; _Times_, 1780; _Morning Chronicle_,
1773; _Morning Post_, 1773; _Morning Herald_, 1784; _Morning
Advertiser_, 1794; and the evening papers from their commencement.
The house is now a tavern.

_Coffee Literature and Ideals_

The bibliography at the end of this work will serve to indicate the
nature and extent of the general literature of coffee. Not that it is
complete or nearly so; it would require twice the space to include
mention of all the fugitive bits of verse, essays, and miscellaneous
writings in newspapers, and periodicals, dealing with the poetry and
romance, history, chemistry, and physiological effects of coffee. Only
the early works, and the more notable contributions of the last three
centuries, are included in the bibliography; but there is sufficient to
enable the student to analyze the lines of general progress.

A study of the literature of coffee shows that the French really
internationalized the beverage. The English and Italians followed. With
the advent of the newspaper press, coffee literature began to suffer
from it