The guests usually arrived between two and three in the afternoon, and were received and extended many formalities peculiar to the occasion. Unless it rained, no cloak or wrap was worn, so the guests were received in the tea-room at once and immediately seated themselves, resting their feet—winter or summer—on a foot-warmer. The hostess takes a sample of tea from her many tea-caddies, each filled with a different kind of tea, and puts them into a different pot, each pot having a little silver strainer in the spout. When the tea is drawn, she fills the smallest cup with a sample from each pot and hands these tiny cups to her friends, so that they may discover what kind they prefer. One prefers this, and one prefers another; but, as a rule, the choice is left to the hostess. Now the tea-making begins in earnest. According to the number of guests, the hostess takes a single or double teapot, and from a larger caddy the tea that has been chosen. While this is being drawn, she takes some saffron, and infuses this in a small _red_ pot, and serves the tea and saffron in a covered cup, so that none of the sweetness nor aroma shall be wasted. In spring the saffron is discarded in favour of young peach leaves. The tea is sweetened to taste, but milk is never served until 1680, when it is used in imitation of the French; for the idea of milk in tea originated with the Marchioness de la Sablière. The conversation at these gatherings turned on tea and general gossip. The tea-table was of great importance in social life. Even poets sang its praises in Holland, as they did in England. A picturesque stanza from a Dutch poet is worth quoting: “_In ’t midden van de zaal daar stond een gueridon, Op ’t zelve een keteltje, zo blank gelijk een zon. ’t Trekpotje was bekleed met zuiver zilverlaken, Opdat geen vogt het goud van ’t lofwerk zou mismaaken Waar meed het was beleid; de schoteltjes in ’t rond Van onder net beplakt met zagte stukjes bont, Uit vrees dat ’t porcelein het lakwerk mogte schaaren, Van ’t lief japansche-blad, ’t geen ruste op drie pylaaren Van sakredaan, kaneel en pik-zwart ebbenhout. Het schenken van de thee werd juffrouw Rois vertrouwt, Die evenwigtig thee met water wist te mengen._” (In the middle of the hall there stood a table Upon which was a small kettle, bright as the sun. The teapot was covered with pure silver cloth So that no liquid would deface the gold from the ornamentation With which it was covered; the small saucers around it Pasted underneath with soft furry cloth, so that The porcelains might not scratch the lacquer From the pretty Japanese tray, which rested on a tripod Of sacredaan, cinnamon and jet-black ebony. The pouring of the tea was trusted to Miss Rois, Who knew how to mix tea and water properly.)