Chocolate: or, An Indian Drinke by Antonio Colmenero de Ledesma (english novels to improve english .txt) 📕

Ingredients) the principall Basis, and Foundation, is the Cacao; of whose Nature and Quality it is necessary first to treat: And therefore I say, according to the common received opinion, that it is cold, and dry, à prædominio; that is to say, that though it be true, that every Simple containes in it the Qualities of the foure Elements, in the action, and re-action, which it hath in it, yet there results another distinct quality, which we call Complexion.

This Quality or Complexion, which ariseth of this Mixture, is not alwayes one, and the same; neither hath it the effect in all the mixtures, but they may be varied nine wayes; four Simple, from whence one onely quality doth abound; and foure Compounded, from whence two Symbolizing qualities are predominant; and one other, which we call ad pondus, which is of all these fore-said qualities, which are in æquilibrio, that is to say, in equall measure and degree.

Of all these the Complexion of Cacao is composed, since there arise two qualities, which are cold, and dry; and in the substance, that rules them, hath it restringent and obstructive, of the nature of the Element of the Earth. And then, as it is a Mixed, and not a simple Element, it must needs have parts correspondent to the rest of the Elements; and particularly, it partakees (and that, not a little) of those, which correspond with the Element of Aire, that is, Heat and Moysture, which are governed by the Unctious parts; there being drawne out of the Cacao much Butter, which, in the Indies I have seene drawne out if it, for the Face, by the Criollas.

It may Philosophically be objected, in this manner: Two contrary Qualities, and Disagreeing, cannot be in gradu intenso, in one and the same Subject: Cacao is cold and drie, in predominency: Therefore, it cannot have the qualities contrary to those; which are Heat, and Moysture. The first Proposition is most certaine, and grounded upon good Philosophy: The second is consented unto, by all: The third, which is the Conclusion, is regular.

It cannot be denyed, but that the Argument is very strong, and these reasons being considered by him of Marchena, have made him affirme, that Chocolate is Obstructive; it seeming to be contrary to Philosophy, that in it there should be found Heat and Moysture, in gradu intenso; and to be so likewise in Cold and Dry.

To this, there are two things to be answered: One, that he never saw the experience of drawing out the Butter, which I have done; and that when the Chocolate is made without adding any thing to the dryed Powder, which is incorporated, onely by beating it well together, and is united, and made into a Paste, which is a signe, that there is a moist, and glutinous part, which, of necessity, must correspond with the Element of Aire.

The other reason, we will draw from Philosophy; affirming that, in the Cacao, there are different substances. In the one, that is to say, in that, which is not so fat, it hath a greater quantity of the Oylie, then of the earthie Substance; and in the fatter part, it hath more of the earthy than of the Oily substance. In these there is Heate and Moysture in predominancy; and in the other, cold and dry.

Notwithstanding that it is hard to be believed, that in one and the same substance, and so little of the Cacao, it can have substances so different: To the end that it may appeare more easie, clear, and evident, first we see it in the Rubarbe, which hath in it hot and soluble parts, and parts which are Binding, Cold and Dry, which have a vertue to strengthen, binde, and stop the loosenesse of the Belly: I say also, that he that sees and considers the steele, so much of the nature of the earth, as being heavy, thick, cold, and dry; it seemes to be thought unproper for the curing of Opilations, but rather to be apt to encrease them; and yet it is given for a proper remedy against them.

This difficulty is cleared thus, that though it be true, that it hath much of the Earthy part; yet it hath also parts of Sulphur, and of quick silver, which doe open, and disopilate; neither doth it so, untill it be helped by Art, as it is ground, stirred, and made fine, in the preparing of it; the Sulphurous parts, and those of quick-silver, being thinne, active, and penetrative, they mingle, at the last with those parts, which are Earthy and astringent: Insomuch, that they being mingled after this manner one with another, we cannot now say, that the steele is astringent, but rather, that it is penetrative, attenuating and opening. Let us prove this Doctrine by Authorities; and let the first be from Gallen, l. 3. of the qualities of Simples, c. 14. Where, first of all he teacheth, that almost all those Medicines, which, to our sence, seeme to be Simple, are notwithstanding naturally Compounded, containing in themselves contrary qualities; and that is to say, a quality to expell, and to retaine; to incrassate, and attenuate; to rarifie, and to condense. Neither are we to wonder at it, it being understood, that in every fore-said Medicine, there is a quality to heat, and to coole; to moisten and to dry. And whatsoever Medicine it be, it hath in it, thick, and thinne parts; rare, and dense; soft, and hard. And in the fifteenth Chapter following, in the same Book, he puts an example of the Broth of a Cock, which moves the Belly; and the flesh hath the vertue to bind. He puts also the example of the Aloes, which if it be washt, looseth the Purgative vertue; or that which it hath, is but weake.

That this differing vertue, and faculty, is found in divers substances, or parts of simple Medicaments, Gallen shewes in the first Booke of his simple Medicines, and the seventeenth Chapter, bringing the example of Milke; in which, three substances are found, and separated, that is to say, the substance of Cheese, which hath the vertue to stop the Fluxe of the Belly; and the substance of Whay, which is purging; and Butter, as it is expressed in the said Gallen, Cap. 15. Also we finde in Wine which is in the Must, three substances, that is to say, earth, which is the chiefe; and a thinner substance, which is the flower, and may be called the scum, or froath: and a third substance which we properly call Wine; And every one of these substances, containes in it selfe divers qualities, and vertues; in the colour, in the smell, and in other Accidents.

Aristotle in the fourth Book of the Meteors and the first Chapter, treating of Putrefaction, he found the same substances; and in the second Chapter next following, where he that is curious may read it. And also by the Doctrine of Galen, and of Aristotle, divers substances are attributed to every of the mixt under one and the same forme and quantity; which is very conformable to reason, if we consider, that every Aliment be it never so simple, begets, and produceth in the liver, foure humours, not onely differing in temper, but also in substance; and begets more or lesse of that humour, according as that Aliment hath more or fewer parts corresponding to the substance of that humour, which is most ingendred. And so in cold diseases, we give warme nourishment; and cold nourishment, in hot diseases.

From which evident examples, and many others, which we might produce to this purpose, we may gather, that, when we grind and stir the Cacao, the divers parts, which Nature hath given it, doe artificially, and intimately mixe themselves one with another; and so the unctuous, warme, and moist parts, mingled with the earthy (as we have said of the steele) represses, and leaves them not so binding, as they were before; but rather with a mediocritie, more inclining to the warme, and moist temper of the Aire, then to the cold and dry of the Earth; as it doth appeare when it is made fit to drinke; that you scarce give it two turnes with the Molinet when there riseth a fatty scumme: by which you may see how much it partaketh of the Oylie part.

From which doctrine I gather, that the Author of Marchena, was in an errour, who, writing of Chocolate, saith that it causeth Opilations, because Cacao is astringent; as if that astriction were not corrected, by the intimate mixing of one part with another, by meanes of the grinding, as is said before. Besides, it having so many ingredients, which are naturally hot, it must of necessity have this effect; that is to say, to open, attenuate, and not to binde; and, indeed, there is no cause of bringing more examples, or producing more reasons, for this truth, then that which we see in the Cacao it self: which, if it be not stirred, and compounded, as aforesaid, to make the Chocolate. But eating of it, as it is in the fruite, as the Criollas eate it in the Indies, it doth notably obstruct, and cause stoppings; for no other cause but this, that the divers substances which it containes, are not perfectly mingled by the mastication onely, but require the artificiall mixture, which we have spoken of before.

Besides, our Adversary should have considered, and called to his memory, the first rudiments of Philosophy, that à dicto secundum quid, ad dictum simpliciter, non valet consequentia; As it is not enough to say, the Black-a-Moore is white, because his teeth are white; for he may be blacke, though he hath white teeth; and so it is not enough to say, that the Cacao is stopping; and therefore the Confection, which is made of it, is also stopping.

The Tree, which beares this fruit, is so delicate; and the earth, where it growes, is so extreme hot, that to keepe the tree from being consumed by the Sun, they first plant other trees; and when they are growne up to a good height, then they plant the Cacao trees; that when it first shewes it selfe above the ground, those trees which are already growne, may shelter it from the Sunne; and the fruit doth not grow naked, but ten or twelve of them are in one Gorde or Cod, which is of the bignesse of a greate black Figge, or bigger, and of the same forme, and colour.

There are two sorts of Cacao; the one is common, which is of a gray colour, inclining towards red; the other is broader and bigger, which they call Patlaxte, and this is white, and more drying; whereby it causeth watchfulnesse, and drives away sleepe, and therefore it is not so usefull, as the ordinary. This shall suffice to be said of the Cacao.

And as for the rest of the ingredients, which make our Chocolaticall Confection, there is notable variety; because some doe put into it black Pepper, and also TauascoA red roote like madder.; which is not proper, because it is so hot and dry; but onely for one, who hath a very cold Liver. And of this opinion, was a certaine Doctor of the University of Mexico, of whom a Religious man of good credit told me, that he finding the ordinary round Pepper was not fit to bring his purpose about, and to the end, he might discover, whether the long red pepper were more proper, he made triall upon the liver of a Sheepe; and putting the ordinary pepper on one side, and the red