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families that set apart an hour every morning for tea； bread and butter； and
would earnestly advise them for their good to order this paper to be
punctually served up and to be looked upon as a part of the tea…
equipage。〃 Samuel Johnson draws his own portrait as 〃a hardened and
shameless tea drinker； who for twenty years diluted his meals with only
the infusion of the fascinating plant； who with tea amused the evening；
with tea solaced the midnight； and with tea welcomed the morning。〃
Charles Lamb； a professed devotee； sounded the true note of Teaism
when he wrote that the greatest pleasure he knew was to do a good
action by stealth； and to have it found out by accident。 For Teaism is the
art of concealing beauty that you may discover it； of suggesting what you
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dare not reveal。 It is the noble secret of laughing at yourself； calmly yet
thoroughly； and is thus humour itself；the smile of philosophy。 All
genuine humourists may in this sense be called tea…philosophers；
Thackeray； for instance； and of course； Shakespeare。 The poets of the
Decadence （when was not the world in decadence？）； in their protests
against materialism； have； to a certain extent； also opened the way to
Teaism。 Perhaps nowadays it is our demure contemplation of the
Imperfect that the West and the East can meet in mutual consolation。
The Taoists relate that at the great beginning of the No…Beginning；
Spirit and Matter met in mortal combat。 At last the Yellow Emperor； the
Sun of Heaven； triumphed over Shuhyung； the demon of darkness and
earth。 The Titan； in his death agony； struck his head against the solar
vault and shivered the blue dome of jade into fragments。 The stars lost
their nests； the moon wandered aimlessly among the wild chasms of the
night。 In despair the Yellow Emperor sought far and wide for the repairer
of the Heavens。 He had not to search in vain。 Out of the Eastern sea
rose a queen； the divine Niuka； horn…crowned and dragon…tailed；
resplendent in her armor of fire。 She welded the five…coloured rainbow
in her magic cauldron and rebuilt the Chinese sky。 But it is told that
Niuka forgot to fill two tiny crevices in the blue firmament。 Thus
began the dualism of lovetwo souls rolling through space and never at
rest until they join together to complete the universe。 Everyone has to
build anew his sky of hope and peace。
The heaven of modern humanity is indeed shattered in the Cyclopean
struggle for wealth and power。 The world is groping in the shadow of
egotism and vulgarity。 Knowledge is bought through a bad conscience；
benevolence practiced for the sake of utility。 The East and the West； like
two dragons tossed in a sea of ferment； in vain strive to regain the jewel of
life。 We need a Niuka again to repair the grand devastation； we await the
great Avatar。 Meanwhile； let us have a sip of tea。 The afternoon glow is
brightening the bamboos； the fountains are bubbling with delight； the
soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle。 Let us dream of evanescence；
and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things。
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The Book of Tea
II。 The Schools of Tea。
Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest
qualities。 We have good and bad tea； as we have good and bad paintings…
…generally the latter。 There is no single recipe for making the perfect tea；
as there are no rules for producing a Titian or a Sesson。 Each preparation
of the leaves has its individuality； its special affinity with water and heat；
its own method of telling a story。 The truly beautiful must always be in it。
How much do we not suffer through the constant failure of society to
recognise this simple and fundamental law of art and life； Lichilai； a Sung
poet； has sadly remarked that there were three most deplorable things in
the world： the spoiling of fine youths through false education； the
degradation of fine art through vulgar admiration； and the utter waste of
fine tea through incompetent manipulation。
Like Art； Tea has its periods and its schools。 Its evolution may be
roughly divided into three main stages： the Boiled Tea； the Whipped Tea；
and the Steeped Tea。 We moderns belong to the last school。 These
several methods of appreciating the beverage are indicative of the spirit of
the age in which they prevailed。 For life is an expression； our
unconscious actions the constant betrayal of our innermost thought。
Confucius said that 〃man hideth not。〃 Perhaps we reveal ourselves too
much in small things because we have so little of the great to conceal。
The tiny incidents of daily routine are as much a commentary of racial
ideals as the highest flight of philosophy or poetry。 Even as the
difference in favorite vintage marks the separate idiosyncrasies of different
periods and nationalities of Europe； so the Tea…ideals characterise the
various moods of Oriental culture。 The Cake…tea which was boiled； the
Powdered…tea which was whipped； the Leaf…tea which was steeped；
mark the distinct emotional impulses of the Tang； the Sung； and the
Ming dynasties of China。 If we were inclined to borrow the much…
abused terminology of art…classification； we might designate them
respectively； the Classic； the Romantic； and the Naturalistic schools of
Tea。
The tea…plant； a native of southern China； was known from very early
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times to Chinese botany and medicine。 It is alluded to in the classics
under the various names of Tou；