f
drinke, made of a kind of Pulse like Pease, called _Coaua_; which
being grownd in the Mill, and boiled in water, they drinke it as
hot as they can suffer it; which they finde to agree very well with
them against their crudities, and feeding on hearbs and rawe
meates. Other compounded drinkes they have, called _Sherbet_, made
of Water and Sugar, or Hony, with Snow therein to make it coole;
for although the Countrey bee hot, yet they keepe Snow all the
yeere long to coole their drinke. It is accounted a great curtesie
amongst them to give unto their frends when they come to visit
them, a Fin-ion or Scudella of _Coffa_, which is more holesome than
toothsome, for it causeth good concoction, and driveth away
drowsinesse.

Some of them will also drinke Bersh or Opium, which maketh them
forget themselves, and talk idely of Castles in the Ayre, as though
they saw Visions, and heard Revelations. Their _Coffa_ houses are
more common than Ale-houses in England; but they use not so much to
sit in the houses, as on benches on both sides the streets, neere
unto a Coffa house, every man with his Fin-ionful; which being
smoking hot, they use to put it to their Noses & Eares, and then
sup it off by leasure, being full of idle and Ale-house talke
whiles they are amongst themselves drinking it; if there be any
news, it is talked of there.

Among other early English references to coffee we find an interesting
one by Sir George Sandys (1577-1644), the poet, who gave a start to
classical scholarship in America by translating Ovid's _Metamorphoses_
during his pioneer days in Virginia. In 1610 he spent a year in Turkey,
Egypt, and Palestine, and records of the Turks:[52]

Although they be destitute of Taverns, yet have they their
Coffa-houses, which something resemble them. There sit they
chatting most of the day; and sippe of a drinke called Coffa (of
the berry that it is made of) in little _China_ dishes as hot as
they can suffer it: blacke as soote, and tasting not much unlike it
(why not that blacke broth which was in use amongst the
_Lacedemonians_?) which helpeth, as they say, digestion, and
procureth alacrity: many of the Coffa-men keeping beautifull boyes,
who serve as stales to procure them customers.

Edward Terry (1590-1660), an English traveler, writes, under date of
1616,