TEA
[ 184]
TEC
refembles that of the Peach Tree : The Leaves are green, longifh at the Point, and pretty narrow, an Inch ana 1 half long, and jagged all around. The Flower is much like that of the wild Rofe. The Fruit is of different Forms, fome- times round, fometimes long, fometimes triangular 5 of the ordinary Size of a Bean $ containing two or three Peas, of a Moufe Colour, including each a Kernel Thefe Peas are the Seeds by which the Plant is propagated.
The Tree is of various Heights, from one Foot to an hundred : Some there are which two Men can't fathom, while others fcarce exceed the feeblefl Shrub in a Garden.
The bell Time to gather the Leaves of Tea, is while they are yet fmall, young, and juicy : When gather'd, they are pafs'd over the Smoak of boiling Water to moiften them 5 then they are laid on Copper Plates, which are heated - ? and thus, the Leaves drying, they curl up in the Manner they are brought to us.
'Tis very rare to find Tea perfectly pure ; the Chinefe al- ways mixing other Herbs with it, to increafe the Quantity. Indeed, the Price 'tis fuld for among them is moderate enough $ ufually 'tis about Three-Pence a Pound Sterling, ne- ver more than Nine-Pence.
The Chinefe know nothing of Imperial Tea, Flower of Tea, and many other Karnes, which in Europe ferve to di- flinguifh the Goodncfs, and the Price of this fashionable Commodity 5 and yet befide the common Tea, they diftin- guifh two other Kinds, viz. the Voui and Soumlo, which are referv'd for People of the firfl Quality, and lick Folks.
We have three Kinds of Tea in Europe, viz. Green Tea ; which is the common Tea of the Chinefe, &c. F. le Compte calls it Sing Tea, and fays 'tis gather'd from the Plant in
J Tis held very cligeflive, and a little corrolive : It gives a pale greenifh Tincture to Water 5 and its Leaves are much t wilted.
The fecond is Boftea Tea, which is the Voui Tea, or Sou c fea of the Chinefe. F. le Compte makes this only to differ from the Green Tea, by its being gather'd a Month before it, viz. in March, while in the Bud ; and hence the Smallnefs of the Leaves, as well as the Depth of the Tincture it gives Water. But 'tis much more probably the Tea of fume par- ticular Province ; the Soil being found to make an Alteration in the Properties of the Tea, as much as the Seafbn of ga- thering it.
'Tis all bought at Nanquin 3 and it is but lately that the T)utch have introduced it into Europe-, where it begins to be much in Vogue.
The third is Red Tea, or Tartar Tea, or Honan Tcha, which tinges the Water with a pale Red, and which is faid to be extremely digeftive : By means hereof, it is that the Tartars are laid to be able to feed on raw Flefh. Its Tafte is Earthy ; and much the leaft agreeable of them all ; but little known in England.
Tea is to be chofen Green, of the briskefl Smell, as whole as poffible ; and the greateft Care taken that it han't beerc expos'd to the Air to pall, and evaporate.
The Drink, Tea, is made in China, and throughout the greatest Part of theEaft, after the fame Manner as in Europe 5 viz. by infilling the Leaves in boiling Water, and drinking the Infufion hot. Indeed, among us, 'tis ufual to temper its Bitternels with Sugar, which the Orientals uie little or none of.
However, the Japanefc are faid to prepare their Liquor a fomewhat different Way, viz. by pulverizing it 5 flitting the Powder in hot Water, and drinking it as we do Coffee.
The Chinefe are always taking Tea, especially at Meals ; 'Tis the chief Treat wherewith they regale their Friends. The moll moderate take it at leaft thrice a Day - 7 others, ten times, or more : And yet 'tis computed, the Confumption of Tea among the Evglift and T)utch is as great in Proportion as among the Orientals. In France, the Ufe of Tea is much declin'd, and Coffee is now become the prevailing Liquor. See Coffee.
As to the Properties of Tea, they are ftrangely controvert- ed : The Ealtern Nations are at leaft as much poffefs'd with them as the Europeans ; but 'tis, perhaps, becaufe Imagina- tion bears as great a Sway there as here. The Reafon'why the Gout and Stone are unknown in China, is afcrib'd to the JJlc of this Plant 5 which is laid further to cure Indigeftions of the Stomach, to carry off a Debauch, and to give new Strength for Drinking, to difpel Wind, to cure the Vapours,
Sim.Taulli, PhyficianoftheKingofSte/Z^, in an ex- prels Treatife on this Plant, endeavours to {hew, that thefe Virtues afcrib'd to it in the Ealr, are local, and don't hold with the Inhabitants of Europe. He holds, that thofe paft their 40th Year Ihould never ule it, as being too deficcative; That Tea has no other Virtues but thofe of Betony : And adds, with Sauhin, that 'tis only a Species of Myrtle found in Europe as well as the Indies.
But this Opinion is refuted by Wechlin, in a Treatife of Tea, intitled, Theophihts Bibaculw, five de Worn These
(Diakgus ; Where he maintains, That 'tis good to prevent Scorbutic Difeafes ; that its gentle aftringent Virtues llrength- ens the Tonic Motion of the Interlines, &c. But he blames the Drinking it with Milk 3 and efpecially after a full Meal, or after much Wine.
TEAM and THEAME, or TEM and THEME, in our ancient Cufloms, fignifies a Royalty granted by the King's Charter to the Lord of a Manor, for the having, reitraini.ng, and judging Bondmen, Neifs, and Villains, with their Chil- dren, Goods, and Chattels, in his Court.
TEARS, Lachrymg, a watry Humour, iffuingout at the Corner of the Eye, by the Compreffion of the Mufcles 5 ierving to moiften the Cornea, to exprefs our Grief, and even to alleviate ir. See Lachr.ym.tc and Lacrymalia Puncta.
The Ancients had an Opinion, that the Tears of the Living were of ule, at leaft of Pleafure, to the Dead 5 for which Rcafbn they took great Care to procure them abun- dance at their Funerals j ix> much, as to inftitute a Profeflion or Trade of Weepers, as judging thole of their own Fami- lies infuffkient. See Lachrymatory and Funeral.
Deer, when at Bay, are commonly faid to filed Tears 1 Indeed, they ordinarily do yield a Sort of Tears, which ooz- ing into the two Clefts underneath, call'd Lachrymatories, are there condens'd into a kind of yellow Liquor, or Gum 5 which diluted in white Wine orCarduus Water, is reputed a Sovereign Remedy for Fits of the Mother, and the Fall- ing Sicknefs.
Virgil makes the Horfe of Wallas fhed Tears at the Fu- neral Pomp of his Mailer: This is one of the PafTages which the modern Criticks cenfiire as a Breach of Probability, See Probability.
TEAZEL, or TEASEL, the Fullers Thiftle, a kind of Plant much uled by the Fullers, Cloth-workers, and Stock- ing-Weavers, to card, or draw out the Wooll or Nap from the Thread or Ground of ieveral Kinds of Cloths, Stuffs, Stockings, g>& i n order to render them clofer and warmer. See Fulling, &c.
This Plant is cultivated with great Care in feveral Parta of France, particularly Normandy 5 and the Exportation thereof prohibited, by Realbn of the vaft Ule thereof in the Woollen Manufacture. See Carduus.
The Stem of the Plant is very high 5 and its Extremity, as alio thofe of its Branches, bear a little round prickly yeU lowifh Ball or Bur, which is the Part ufed.
The largefl Burs, and thofe moft pointed, are efleem'd the bell 5 and are now call'd Male Teazles, moftly uled in the dreffing and preparing of Stockings and Coverlets ; the fmalier Kind, properly calPd the Fullers or ^Drapers, and fometimes the Female Teazle, are us'd in the Preparation of the finer Stuffs, as Cloths, Rateens, &c.
The imalleft Kind fometimes, call'd Linnets Heads, are us'd to draw out the Nap from the coarfer Stuffs, as Bays,
TECHNICAL, fomething that relates to an Art. See Art.
In this Senfe we fee Technical Words, Technical Verfes, £S?c, And in this Senfe Dr. Harris intitles his Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, Lexicon Tcchnicum,
The Word is form'd of the Greek, i^/y^^t Artificial, of 7s'%fii, Art.
Technical, is a Term particularly apply'd to a kind of Verfes, wherein are contain'd the Rules or Precepts of any Art ; thus digefted to help the Memory to retain them.
Technical Verfes are ufual in Chronology, &c. Such, e, gK are thole expreffing the Order and Meafures of the Calends, Nones, ££?<?. See Calends.
Thofe expreffing the Sealbns • See under August.
Thole expreffing the Order, &c. of the Signs ; See un- der Sign.
F. Labbe has compos'd Latin Verfes, including all the Epochas in Chronology 5 and F. fluffier, after his Example,, has put both Chronology and Hiflory in French Verfe 5 and fince, Geography too.
Technical Verfes are commonjy compos'd in Latin : They are generally wretched ones, and often barbarous ; but 'tis Utility is all aim'd at. To give fome Idea hereof, we will here add a few Inflances. The Cafuifts include all the Circumftances which make us lhare with another in a Theft, or other Crime, in thefe two Technical Verfes.
Juffio, Concilium, Confenfus, Walpo, Recurfus, Warticipans, Munis, non Ohftans, non Manifefians.
The firft of Father fluffier^ Technical Verfes of the Hiflo- ry of France, are thefe ;
Ses Loix en quatre Cents Wharamond Introduit, Clodion Chevelu, qu Aet'tus vanquit, Meravee, avec lui Combat/t Anila $ Childeric fat chajfee, man on le fdpalU,
Technical
