A Counter-Blaste to TobaccoJames I, King of England
History
A Counter-Blaste to Tobacco
James I, King of England
Tobacco
That the manifolde abuses of this vile custome of _Tobacco_ taking, may
the better be espied, it is fit, that first you enter into consideration
both of the first originall thereof, and likewise of the reasons of the
first entry thereof into this Countrey. For certainely as such customes,
that haue their first institution either from a godly, necessary, or
honorable ground, and are first brought in, by the meanes of some
worthy, vertuous, and great Personage, are euer, and most iustly, holden
in great and reuerent estimation and account, by all wise, vertuous, and
temperate spirits: So should it by the contrary, iustly bring a great
disgrace into that sort of customes, which hauing their originall from
base corruption and barbarity, doe in like sort, make their first entry
into a Countrey, by an inconsiderate and childish affectation of
Noueltie, as is the true case of the first inuention of _Tobacco_
taking, and of the first entry thereof among vs. For _Tobacco_ being a
common herbe, which (though vnder diuers names) growes almost
euerywhere, was first found out by some of the barbarous _Indians_, to
be a Preseruative, or Antidot against the Pockes, a filthy disease,
whereunto these barbarous people are (as all men know) very much
subiect, what through the vncleanly and adust constitution of their
bodies, and what through the intemperate heate of their Climate: so that
as from them was first brought into Christendome, that most detestable
disease, so from them likewise was brought this vse of _Tobacco_, as a
stinking and vnsauorie Antidot, for so corrupted and execrable a
Maladie, the stinking Suffumigation whereof they yet vse against that
disease, making so one canker or venime to eate out another.
And now good Countrey men let vs (I pray you) consider, what honour or
policie can mooue vs to imitate the barbarous and beastly maners of the
wilde, godlesse, and slauish _Indians_, especially in so vile and
stinking a custome? Shall wee disdaine to imitate the maners of our
neighbour _France_ (hauing the stile of the first Christian Kingdom) and
that cannot endure the spirit of the Spaniards (their King being now
comparable in largenes of Dominions to the great Emperor of _Turkie_).
Shall wee, I say, that haue bene so long ciuill and wealthy in Peace,
famous and inuincible in Warre, fortunate in both, we that haue bene
euer able to aide any of our neighbours (but neuer deafed any of their
eares with any of our supplications for assistance) shall we, I say,
without blushing, abase our selues so farre, as to imitate these beastly
_Indians_, slaves to the _Spaniards_, refuse to the world, and as yet
aliens from the holy Couenant of God? Why doe we not as well imitate
them in walking naked as they doe? in preferring glasses, feathers, and
such toyes, to golde and precious stones, as they do? yea why do we not
denie God and adore the Deuill, as they doe?[A]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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