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