Chocolate: or, An Indian Drinke | Page 3

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.

The first Point.
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 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 pr?dominio; 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 ?quilibrio, 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