'Whene’er I, fragrant coffee drink, I on the generous Frenchman think...'

Sailor Clieu and our Daily Brew!

The Coffee Story 💜

#coffeemeditations ☕

Well folks, please allow me the honour of getting us all back in the saddle, onto our daily coffee grind!

our regular bistro ;-)

In the past post we had Calvino and the coffee-pot! 

We had Calvino giving us ‘incisive instructions’ on how to read his book, where he also recommends to his reader, ideal sitting positions that would suit you, for ‘your’ reading of the book!

Says Calvino -

‘In the old days they used to read standing up, at a lectern’, but for once, this time alone, ‘why not try a sofa and cushions with a pack of cigarettes and coffee-pot nearby?’ because, you’ll real need them. It dawns on you in a transformative, epiphanic moment, that you are now an actor, not a spectator, in this ‘theatre of reading’.

Can there be a better way of celebrating the primacy of the reader in the meaning-making process, dear reader? Nayver!

‘You are now an actor, not a Spectator’, he says!

Reminds us of Addison’s Spectator, which according to the noble and able duo, catered to the ‘new middle class’, taught them refinement, grace, elegance and style. 

Through this popular periodical of his day, with a circulation of over ten thousand copies for each issue, Addison instructs and exhorts his readers full well, on the need for ‘a constant and assiduous Culture’. 

Parallels abound between Calvino’s If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler and Addison’s Spectator. 

One interesting connect in especial between the two, would be the fact that, both have their authors exhorting their readers to pore over their reads after pouring for themselves a cuppa, from off a coffee-pot! 

Noted critic Scupin Richard, being an ardent devotee of the cuppa himself, used to say, quite very often, in his own inimitable style, on the ‘power in the blend!’ 

Says he, ‘The true mission of a confirmed coffeephile in his/her life is to find the perfect cup!’ ;-)

 Amazing ain’t it? ;-)

And that’s hence he adds to say that the coffeephile’s prayer is so unique and so noble! so pure and so profound! 

Yes! when you take some time off your daily grind, to listen intently to a coffeephile’s prayers, - with a clear mind, a pure heart and a conscience void of offence, - you are sure bound to hear for yourself, the gentle whisper streaming in your ears, that says, 

‘Give us this day our daily brew!’

An amazing prayer, ain’t it folks? ;-)

A prayer where there’s no harm intended to anyone in thought, word or deed! No unwanted vain chatter! 

No frivolous talk! No gossip! And as Tagore says -

‘My song has put off her adornments. She has no pride of dress and decoration. Ornaments would mar our union; they would come between thee and me; their jingling would drown thy whispers’.

That’s one reason why they say that, coffee has been for long the nectar of the gods! ;-)

So next time around, when you see a cloud formation that comes out cute in the form of a kettle, up above the world so high, remember, St. Peter up there is busy brewing the brew!!! ;-)

Presenting the nectar of the gods to y’all, ladies and gentlemen!

Yes! this William H. Ukers read titled, All About Coffee has some tidbits on ardent coffeephiles who also doubled up as passionate literary beings. [litbeees we’ll call them!]

The purpose of this post then, is threefold!

First and foremost, this post, in this little space, would strive to highlight a few eminent ‘literary beings’ from the pages of the past, [litbeees for short] who having rollicked and revelled in the pure, serene delights of the cuppa all through their lives, also desired to transfer their cuppa joys, straight from their hearts into their lines and their lyrics!

Secondly, this post would endeavour to bring us all, the true story of the brew! Let’s call it the ‘true brew story!’ ;-) On how the brew got his present fame and popularity!

Thirdly, this post would love to share Lamb’s take on Clieu and the brew!

Ukers opines that, Alexander Pope very often broke the slumbers of his servant at night by calling him to prepare a cup of coffee; It was his custom to grind and prepare it upon the table, says he!

William Cowper’s fine tribute to the cuppa could be gauged from his power-line where he says, ‘the cups that cheer, but not inebriate’!

Leigh Hunt and John Keats were litbeees [literary beings] who were ‘worshippers at the shrine of coffee’, says Ukers.

Charles Lamb has celebrated in verse the exploit of Captain de Clieu in pursuit of the cuppa, in his verses titled, ‘THE COFFEE SLIPS!’

But who pray is Captain de Clieu? Why do we need to build a huge ‘Statue of Robusta’ for some Captain de Clieu?

Read on for the cues and the clues to Clieu’s claim over the cuppa, right here -

Well, the Arabs in the 1600’s were quite secretive and very much protective of their coffee beans, says Ukers. [Remember the amazing Arabica variety, that’s the most popular type all over the world?]

This blogger, during his cuppa time! ;-)

At the same time, the spread of coffee was also curtailed very much by the unavailability of the plant in most parts of the world. 

Hence it was, that the price of coffee skyrocketed! And since prices were high, demand was obviously high, and hence the drink had a high-value tag attached to it! 

And that’s how it became a drink of the elite in those days!

As we are wont to know, the recent skyrocketing of onion prices in India, saw middlemen indulging in large-scale illegal stocking and hoarding of onions, resulting in a  subsequent import of onions into our nation from Egypt! 

In the self-same way, when profits are high, and demand is more, the product becomes a high-value commodity, resulting in unholy nexus and unlawful behaviour on all sides!

Suchmuch was the case with coffee too!

Shockingly, people were kidnapped and killed just because they were found to be in possession of those high-value coffee plants!

Much evidence points to the fact that, the Europeans ‘hijacked’ coffee plants in huge hordes as early as the late 1500’s, says Ukers.

In such a scenario, when coffee plants were a treasured species of plants, the royal gardeners in Paris, at the renowned botanical gardens, were busy planning to propagate the coffee plant as a rare and one of its kind ‘horticultural marvel’ of sorts! Paavam! Little did they know of its huge economic potential!

However, a sailor by name Clieu, Gabriel-Mathieu De Clieu, who having travelled widely all through his life, and knowing the immense demand and the great sway that coffee had over the market, devised a strategy by which means, he along with a band of masked men, scaled the walls of the Paris botanical gardens, and after whisking away a young coffee tree from off its royal gardens, quickly vanished into the night!

The ship on which sailor Clieu sailed with the ‘coveted trophy’ – the coffee plant - witnessed dangerous storms and bad weather, and was once almost captured by pirates! 

In such a situation, even fresh water was in such short supply, resulting in the rationing of fresh water. 

Amidst this tight-corner of a situation, De Clieu fed this valuable fresh water from off his quota to his highly valued and greatly treasured coffee seedlings. 

As a result of his ‘sacrificial love’ and ‘sincere care and nurture’, the coffee seedling were nursed back to health and survived this arduous voyage!

As soon as he arrived in Martinique, Clieu proceeded to plant this precious shrub all over his lands!

One reason why Clieu confesses later that, he had obtained his coffee plant not by theft but through sheer romance!’ ;-) by wooing and charming a ‘Lady of High Standing’ from off the French royal courts!

Tells us all, ladies and gentlemen, about the ‘charm and the power in the blend’, alley?

Tells us to what great extent people can stretch themselves, to go for a cupful of delightful coffee!

Finally, when Clieu’s coffee shrubs began yielding fruit, Clieu was gracious enough to share the seed and cuttings with his neighbouring planters! 

And within no time, Martinique was filled with coffee plants, boasting of nearly 20 million highly productive trees.

Evidence suggests that, nearly 90 percent of the world’s coffee has spread from this plant.

One reason why De Clieu has for long enjoyed a cult status and a celebrity following, amongst the coffee drinkers’ collective from all over the world!

That’s hence Lamb, Charles Lamb, pays De Clieu a royal lyrical tribute in the year 1810, in which he sings peans to Clieu and to the power of the blend!

Whene’er I fragrant coffee drink,

I on the generous Frenchman think,

Whose noble perseverance bore

The tree to Martinico’s shore.

While yet her colony was new,

Her island products but a few,

Two shoots from off a coffee-tree

He carried with him o’er the sea.

Each little tender coffee slip

He waters daily in the ship,

And as he tends his embryo trees,

Feels he is raising midst the seas

Coffee groves, whose ample shade

Shall screen the dark Creolian maid.

But soon, alas! his darling pleasure

In watching this his precious treasure

Is like to fade,-for water fails

On board the ship in which he sails.

Now all the reservoirs are shut,

The crew on short allowance put;

So small a drop is each man’s share,

Few leavings you may think there are

To water these poor coffee plants;-

But he supplies their gasping wants,

Even from his own dry parchëd lips

He spares it for his coffee slips.

Water he gives his nurslings first,

Ere he allays his own deep thirst

Lest, if he first the water sip,

He bear too far his eager lip.

He sees them droop for want of more;-

Yet when they reach the destined shore,

With pride the heroic gardener sees

A living sap still in his trees.

The islanders his praise resound;

Coffee plantations rise around;

And Martinico loads her ships

With produce from those dear-saved slips.

Hail Lamb! Hail Clieu and his Cuppa!

To be continued…

images: this blogger's