them with a cup of chocolatte."

"The women of that city, it seems, pretend much weakness and
squeamishness of stomacke, which they say is so great that they
are not able to continue in church while the mass is briefly
hurried over, much lesse while a solemn high mass is sung and a
sermon preached, unles they drinke a cup of hot chocolatte and
eat a bit of sweetmeats to strengthen their stomackes. For this
purpose it was much used by them to make their maids bring them
to church, in the middle of mass or sermon, a cup of
chocolatte, which could not be done to all without a great
confusion and interrupting both mass and sermon. The Bishop,
perceiving this abuse, and having given faire warning for the
omitting of it, but all without amendment, thought fit to fix
in writing upon the church dores an excommunication against all
such as should presume at the time of service to eate or
drinke within the church. This excommunication was taken by
all, but especially by the gentlewomen, much to heart, who
protested, if they might not eate or drinke in the church, they
could not continue in it to hear what otherwise they were bound
unto. But none of these reasons would move the Bishop. The
women, seeing him so hard to be entreated, began to slight him
with scornefull and reproachfull words: others slighted his
excommunication, drinking in iniquity in the church, as the
fish doth water, which caused one day such an uproar in the
Cathedrall that many swordes were drawn against the Priests,
who attempted to take away from the maids the cups of
chocolatte which they brought unto their mistresses, who at
last, seeing that neither faire nor foule means would prevail
with the Bishop, resolved to forsake the Cathedrall: and so