Chocolate: or, An Indian Drinke - Antonio Colmenero de Ledesma (read aloud books .TXT) 📗
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Title: Chocolate: or, An Indian Drinke
By the wise and Moderate use whereof, Health is preserved,
Sicknesse Diverted, and Cured, especially the Plague of
the Guts; vulgarly called _The New Disease_; Fluxes,
Consumptions, & Coughs of the Lungs, with sundry other
desperate Diseases. By it also, Conception is Caused, the
Birth Hastened and facilitated, Beauty Gain'd and continued.
Author: Antonio Colmenero de Ledesma
Translator: James Wadsworth
Release Date: May 2, 2007 [EBook #21271]
Language: English
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OR,
An Indian Drinke.
By the wise and Moderate use whereof,
Health is preserved, Sicknesse
Diverted, and Cured, especially the
Plague of the Guts; vulgarly called
The New Disease; Fluxes, Consumptions,
& Coughs of the Lungs, with sundry
other desperate Diseases. By it
also, Conception is Caused,
the Birth Hastened and
facilitated, Beauty
Gain’d and continued.
By Capt. James Wadsworth.
LONDON,
Printed by J. G. for Iohn Dakins, dwelling
neare the Vine Taverne in Holborne,
where this Tract, together with the
Chocolate it selfe, may be had at
reasonable rates. 1652
THE GENTRY
OF
The English Nation.
Sirs,
The ensuing Tract, I, many yeares since Translated out of the Originall Spanish, and Dedicated to the Right Honorable Edward Lord Conway, &c. by whose Noble Patronage, the Confection whereof it Treats, together with it selfe, were first admitted into the English Court, where they received the Approbation of the most Noble and Iuditious those dayes afforded. Since which time, it hath beene universally sought for, and thirsted after by people of all Degrees (especially those of the Female sex) either for the Pleasure therein Naturally Residing, to Cure, and divert Diseases; Or else to supply some Defects of Nature, wherein it chalenges a speciall Prerogative above all other Medicines whatsoever.
The Author thereof was one Antonio Colmenero of Ledesma, who sometimes lived in the West Indies, where it is very much used, and held in great esteeme, untill this day; as also in Spaine, Italy, and Flanders, and admired by the most learned Doctors of all those Nations.
As for the Name [Chocolate] it is an Indian word, compounded of Ate (as some say,) or (as others) Atle, which in the Mexican Language, signifieth Water; And Choco, the noise that the Water (wherein the Chocolate is put) maketh, when it is stirred in a Cup, untill it Bubble and rise unto a Froth: And may be called in English A Compounded, or Confectioned drinke.
The Confection it selfe, consists of severall Ingredients according to the different Constitutions of those that use it: the Principall of which is called Cacao, [a kind of Nut, or kernell, bigger then a great Almond, which growes upon a tree called the Tree of Cacao] containing in it the Quality of the Foure Elements, as will appeare in the following Discourse.
The vertues thereof are no lesse various, then Admirable. For, besides that it preserves Health, and makes such as drink it often, Fat, and Corpulent, faire and Amiable, it vehemently Incites to Venus, and causeth Conception in women, hastens and facilitates their Delivery: It is an excellent help to Digestion, it cures Consumptions, and the Cough of the Lungs, the New Disease, or Plague of the Guts, and other Fluxes, the Green Sicknesse, Jaundise, and all manner of Inflamations, Opilations, and Obstructions. It quite takes away the Morphew, Cleanseth the Teeth, and sweetneth the Breath, Provokes Urine, Cures the Stone, and strangury, Expells Poison, and preserves from all infectious Diseases.
But I shall not assume to enumerate all the vertues of this Confection: for that were Impossible, every day producing New and Admirable effects in such as drinke it: I shall rather referre to the Testimony of those Noble Personages who are known constantly to use and receive constant and manifold benefits by it, having hereby no other Aime then the Generall good of this Common-wealth (whereof I am a Faithfull Member) and to be esteemed (as really I am)
Gentlemen,
Your Affectionate Friend
to love and serve you,
Don Diego de Vadesforte.
Westminster
Decemb. 20.
1651.
To every Individuall Man,
and Woman, Learn’d, or unlearn’d,
Honest, or Dishonest: In the
due Praise of Divine
CHOCOLATE.
Doctors lay by your Irksome Books
And all ye Petty-Fogging Rookes
Leave Quacking; and Enucleate
The vertues of our Chocolate.
Let th’ Universall Medicine
(Made up of Dead-mens Bones and Skin,)
Be henceforth Illegitimate,
And yeild to Soveraigne-Chocolate.
Let Bawdy-Baths be us’d no more;
Nor Smoaky-Stoves but by the whore
Of Babilon: since Happy-Fate
Hath Blessed us with Chocolate.
Let old Punctæus Greaze his shooes
With his Mock-Balsome: and Abuse
No more the World: But Meditate
The Excellence of Chocolate.
Let Doctor Trigg (who so Excells)
No longer Trudge to Westwood-Wells:
For though that water Expurgate,
’Tis but the Dreggs of Chocolate.
Let all the Paracelsian Crew
Who can Extract Christian from Jew;
Or out of Monarchy, A State,
Breake àll their Stills for Chocolate.
Tell us no more of Weapon-Salve,
But rather Doome us to a Grave:
For sure our wounds will Ulcerate,
Unlesse they’re wash’d with Chocolate.
The Thriving Saint, who will not come
Within a Sack-Shop’s Bowzing-Roome
(His Spirit to Exhilerate)
Drinkes Bowles (at home) of Chocolate.
His Spouse when she (Brimfull of Sense)
Doth want her due Benevolence,
And Babes of Grace would Propagate,
Is alwayes Sipping Chocolate.
The Roaring-Crew of Gallant-Ones
Whose Marrow Rotts within their Bones:
Their Bodyes quickly Regulate,
If once but Sous’d in Chocolate.
Young Heires that have more Land then Wit,
When once they doe but Tast of it,
Will rather spend their whole Estate,
Then weaned be from Chocolate.
The Nut-Browne-Lasses of the Land
Whom Nature vayl’d in Face and Hand,
Are quickly Beauties of High-Rate,
By one small Draught of Chocolate.
Besides, it saves the Moneys lost
Each day in Patches, which did cost
Them deare, untill of Late
They found this Heavenly Chocolate.
Nor need the Women longer grieve
Who spend their Oyle, yet not conceive,
For ’tis a Helpe-Immediate,
If such but Lick of Chocolate.
Consumptions too (be well assur’d)
Are no lesse soone then soundly cur’d:
(Excepting such as doe Relate
Unto the Purse) by Chocolate.
Nay more: It’s vertue is so much,
That if a Lady get a Touch,
Her griefe it will Extenuate,
If she but smell of Chocolate.
The Feeble-Man, whom Nature Tyes
To doe his Mistresse’s Drudgeries;
O how it will his minde Elate,
If shee allow him Chocolate!
’Twill make Old women Young and Fresh;
Create New-Motions of the Flesh,
And cause them long for you know what,
If they but Tast of Chocolate.
There’s ne’re a Common Counsell-Man,
Whose Life would Reach unto a Span,
Should he not Well-Affect the State,
And First and Last Drinke Chocolate.
Nor e’re a Citizen’s Chast wife,
That ever shall prolong her Life,
(Whilst open stands Her Posterne-Gate)
Unlesse she drinke of Chocolate.
Nor dost the Levite any Harme,
It keepeth his Devotion warme,
And eke the Hayre upon his Pate,
So long as he drinkes Chocolate.
Both High and Low, both Rich and Poore
My Lord, my Lady, and his ——
With all the Folkes at Billingsgate,
Bow, Bow your Hamms to Chocolate.
Don Diego de Vadesforte.
Great Don, Grandee of Spaine, Illostrissimo of Venice, High and mighty King of Candie, Great Bashaw of Babilon, Prince of the Moone, Lord of the Seven Starres, Governour of the Castle of Comfort, Sole Admirall of the Floating Caravan, Author of Th’ Europian Mercury, Chiefe Generall and Admirall of the Invisible Fleet and Army of Terra Incognita,
Cap. James Wadsworth.
Lara, Physitian Generall for the
Kingdome of Spaine.
I Doctor Melchor de Lara Physitian Generall for the Kingdom of Spaine, at the command of Don John de Velasco, and Asebedo, Vicar Generall of Madrid, have seene this Treatise of Chocolate, composed by Antonio Colmenero of Ledesma; which is very learned, and curious, and therefore it ought to be Licensed for the Presse; it containing nothing contrary to good manners; and cannot but be very pleasing to those, who are affected to Chocolate. In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my Name, in Madrid the 23. day of August. 1631.
Melchor de Lara.
Mena, Doctor and Physitian to
the King of Spaine.
I John de Mena, Physitian to his Majesty, and one of the Counsell Generall of the Inquisition, have seene this Treatise of Chocolate (composed by Doctor Antonio Colmenero of Ledesma) by command of the Supreame Royall Court of Justice: which containeth nothing contrary to good Manners, and the Subject if very learnedly handled, and with great Iudgement; and no doubt, but it will give much pleasure and content to all those, who are affected to Chocolate; and therefore may be printed: And in confirmation of this truth, I have hereto subscribed my Name the 17. of Septemb. 1631.
John de Mena Doctor in Physicke.
The number is so great of those, who, in these times, drinke Chocolate, that not only in the Indies, where this kind of Drink hath its originall; but it is also much used in Spain, Italy and Flanders, and particularly at the Cour. And many doe speake diversly of it, according to the benefit, or hurt, they receive from it: Some saying, that it is stopping: Others, and those the greater part, that it makes one fat: Others, that the use of it strengthens the stomacke: Others, that it heates, and burns them: And others say, that although they take it every houre, and in the Dogdayes, yet they finde themselves well with it. And therefore my desire is, to take this paines, for the pleasure, and profit of the publicke; endeavouring to accommodate it to the content of all, according to the variety of those things, wherewith it may be mixt; that so every man may make choise of that, which shal be most agreeable to his disposition. I have not seene any, who hath written any thing, concerning this drinke; but onely a Physitian of Marchena, who (as it seemes) writ onely by Relation; holding an opinion, that the Chocolate is stopping, because that Cacao (the principall Ingredient of which it is made) is cold, and dry. But because this onely reason, may not have power to keepe some from the use of it, who are troubled with Opilations; I thinke fit to defend this Confection, with Philosophicall Reasons, against any whosoever will condemne this Drinke, which is so wholesome, and so good, knowing how to make the Paste in that manner, that it may be agreeable to divers dispositions, in the moderate drinking of it. And so, with all possible brevity, shall distinguish and divide this Treatise into foure poynts, or Heads. In the first place I shall declare, what Chocolate is; and what are the Qualities of Cacao, and the other Ingredients of this Confection; where I shall treate of the Receipt set downe by the aforesaid Author of Marchena, and declare my opinion concerning the same. The second point shall treate of the Quality, which resulteth out of the mixture of these Simples, which are put into it. In the third place the manner of Compounding; and how many wayes they use to drink it in the Indies. In the fourth, and last place I shall treat of the Quantity; and how it ought to be taken; at what time; and by what persons.
Concerning the first Point, I say, that Chocolate is a name of the Indians; which in our vulgar Castilian, we may call a certaine Confection, in which (among the
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