25 JANUARY 1952, Page 16

Hot and Strong

SIR,—Is it not probable that Coleridge's lines, quoted in your issue of

January 18th, are a somewhat free translation of Talleyrand's supposed Recette pour le cafe ? - Noir comme le diable, Chaud comme renter.

Pur comme un ange, Deux comme l'amour.

These lines, with the attribution to Tatleyrand, arc on a small pottery

cafetiere I purchased some years ago, I think, Baynoles de I'Orne.

—Yours faithfully, A. M. WARE. The Dial Cottage, A mberley, Gloucestershire.

Sut,—Sixty years ago my German governess told me that coffee should be: Heiss wie die Hblle Schwartz wie der Teufel Stark wie der Toth.

Coleridge travelled in Germany and knew the language. He may have heard these lines there.—Yours faithfully, Newstead, Godalming, Surrey. MARGARET BEt.HER.