Wisdom from the Ancients.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 144, 21 December 1901, Page 1

Wisdom from the Ancients.

tVe in the-twentieth century are In* clined to think that what we don't knotf is not worth knowing; but, this is hardly corricfc —even in the seventeenth centory they knew a little. It was in the y°ar 1661 that Satotiel Pepys wrote in his fimous Diary: "I 1 sent for a cuo of tea (:i Chinese drink), of which I had never drunk before.** Sam'l pr;>bab'y paid for his drink at t .d'' rate of 603 per lb, and even then it waU but poor stuff compared with such royal beverage as the Ceylon packed tea 3 o* to-day. Ye*rs have passed since then* and science, experiment, and skill, have com* bined to produce from the hillsides of Ceylon a quility af tea which it is per* haps impossible to improve on, and con* taining propsrties undreamt of in Pepyß* diys-.

Many have been the commendations and laudatory advertisements published concerning the "white man'g drink," but it is a question whether anything equ-al to the following has seen the light:—" An English writer, while investigating the history of tea came across a tare manuscript in the British Museum, dated 1686, g'ving a quaint summary of the virtues of tea or '|chee," which purported to be a translation from the Chinese. As it sums up graphically the virtues and properties of that favourite drink, W 8 giv*e it in fall, as follows :—* " The virtues of the herb called tea : i(l) It purifies the blood that which is gro'sse and heavy ; (2) it vanquieeth heavy drems ; (3) it easetli the brain of heavy damps ; (4) easeth and curetti giddiness and pains in the ha'ad'6 \ (5) prevents th« dropsie ; (6) drioth moist humours in the heade; (7) consumes rawnesse; (8) opens obs'ructi.ma} (9) cears the sight; (10) and purifieth humours and hot liver; (U) purifieth defects of the bladder and kidneys; (12) vanquishes superfluo* Bleeps (13) drives away d zziness, makes one nimble and val.an'.-j $4) encourages the heart aud drives away feare; (15) drives away paines of the collick ; (16) strengthens the inward parts and quickens the understanding; (17) strengthens the memory ; (18) sharpens the will; (19) purges safely the gaul; (20) strengthens the use of due benevolence." Now that Christmas is coming oit» there are many to whom it would be a kindness to present a box of such a tea> whioh may be procured almost any grocer's. Houdai Lanka " Cock o' the North" is the finest 2* tea in the market, and is sold in packets and boxes as it U received from Ceylon in sealed lead packages,.