ing in the
first scene of act II, the coffee boys are crying, "Fresh Coffee,
gentlemen, fresh coffee?... Bohea tea, gentlemen?"

Henry Fielding (1707-1754) published "_The Coffee-House Politician, or
Justice caught in his own trap_," a comedy, in 1730.

_The Coffee House, a dramatick Piece by James Miller_, was performed at
the Theater Royal in Drury Lane in 1737. The interior of Dick's coffee
house figured as an engraved frontispiece to the published version of
the play.

The author states in the preface that "this piece is partly taken from a
comedy of one act written many years ago in French by the famous
Rosseau, called 'Le Caffe', which met with great applause in Paris."
The coffee house in the play is conducted by the Widow Notable, who has
a pretty daughter for whom, like all good mothers, she is anxious to
arrange a suitable marriage.

In the first scene, an acrimonious conversation takes place between
Puzzle, the Politician, and Bays, the poet, in which squabble the Pert
Beau and the Solemn Beau, and other habitues of the place take part.
Puzzle discovers that a comedian and other players are in the room, and
insists that they be ejected or forbidden the house. The Widow is justly
incensed, and indignantly replies:

Forbid the Players my House, Sir! Why, Sir, I get more by them in a
Week than I do by you in seven Years. You come here and hold a
paper in your hand for an Hour, disturb the whole Company with your
Politics, call for Pen and Ink, Paper and Wax, beg a Pipe of
Tobacco, burn out half a Candle, eat half a Pound of Sugar, and
then go away, and pay Two-pence for a Dish of Coffee. I could soon
shut up my doors, if I had not some other good People to make
amends for what I lose by such as you, Sir.

All join the Widow in scoffing and jeering, and exit the highly
discomfited Puzzle. The pretty little Kitty tricks her mother with the
aid of the Player, and marries the man of her choice, but is forgiven
when he is found to be a gentleman of the Temple.

The play is in one act and has several songs. The last is one of five
stanzas, with music "set by Mr. Caret:"

SONG

What Pleasures a Coffee-House daily bestows!
To read and hear how the World merrily goes;
To laugh, sing and prattle of This, That, and T' other;
And be flatter'd and ogl'd and kiss'd too, like Mother.

Here the Rake, after Roving and Tipling all Night,
For his Groat in the Morning may set hi