24 JUNE 1893, Page 11

CURRENT LITERATURE.

The Early History of Cole-Houses in England, with some Account of the first Use of Coffee, and a Bibliography of the Subject. By Edward Forbes Robinson, B.A. (Kegan Paul and Co.)—When in the seventeenth century coffee was brought into England, the most contrary opinions were expressed with regard to its physical effects. Some medical men said that it would destroy the vigour of the nation, while others like Dr. Willis, regarded it as a substitute for medicine. In a couplet which Mr. Robinson might have quoted, Marvell says, that while wine tends to strife, " chocolate, tea, and coffee, are liquors of peace." Temperance advocates, for there were a few even in those days, praised coffee on that account, but it was argued on the other hand that it was wholly useless, since it serves neither for nourishment nor debauchery." It was not long, however, before the coffee-house became a significant institution in London. As the focus of gossip and scandal; of political and literary discussion, it supplied what was at that time a universal want. There every man was to be found who hungered for the society of his fellows; thither came the retailers of news, as well as "interviewers" in search of fact or fiction for the weekly news-letter. The coffee-house was open to all who could afford to pay an entrance-fee of one penny, and even the poorest. poet in Grub Street could show his face there on "clean-shirt day." The fine gentleman, no doubt, knew how to mark his quality, and did not offer his gold snuff-box to a man stained with poverty ; but on the whole, coffee-houses were democratic in their tendency. By degrees, as society became ' more exclusive, their influence declined, and the London clubs of our day testify to the progress of dullness and respectability. Mr. Robinson has compiled a large amount of information about

coffee and coffee-houses, and his volume, which displays much curious research, will be read with interest. Not the least valuable portion of the work is the list of coffee-house tokens given in the appendix. It is worth noting that tea as a national beverage, owing no doubt to its greater costliness, made but a slow advance in comparison with coffee. In the present day, tea is more favoured by all classes, and has almost wholly superseded coffee with the poor. Yet the shops for the sale of non-alcoholic liquors are still called coffee-houses, while the name of tea-house is, we believe, unknown in London.