"With these labours in hand, together with the common avocations incident to everybody, it is hardly possible that I should have opportunities for writing letters. In fact, I am in debt to most of my friends, and to many of them have been long in debt, whose claims upon me are founded in friendship of long standing. To this cause you will be so good as to ascribe it, that I have not sooner thanked you for your humorous and pleasant contest with me on the subject of TOBACCO; a contest in which I have not, at present, leisure to exercise myself, otherwise I am hardy enough to flatter myself, that I could take off the force of some of your arguments. "Should you execute your design of publishing what you have favoured me with a sight of, I heartily wish success to your muse militant, and that your reward may be--many a pleasant pipe supplied by the profits of your labours. "Being in haste, I can add no more, except that I am, with respect, and a due sense of the honour you do me, Your obliged, &c., WILLIAM COWPER. Weston-Underwood, Oct. 4, 1793." I hope that the above will be interesting to your Nicotian readers, and not trespass too far upon your valuable space. WILLIAM BATES. Birmingham. _Snuff and Tobacco._--It is perhaps not generally known that the custom of taking snuff is of Irish origin. In a "Natural History of Tobacco," in the _Harleian Misc._, i. 535., we are told that-- "The Virginians were observed to have pipes of clay before ever the English came there; and from those barbarians we Europeans have borrowed our mode and fashion of smoking.... _The Irishmen do most commonly powder their tobacco, and snuff it up their nostrils_, which some of our Englishmen do, who often chew and swallow it." That the clay pipe was the original smoking apparatus in England, is evident from the following lines in Skelton's _Eleanor Rummin_. After lamenting the knavery of that age compared with King Harry's time, he continues: "Nor did that time know, To puff and to blow, In a peece of white clay, As you do at this day, With fier and coale, And a leafe in a hole," &c. These lines are from an edition of 1624, printed in the _Harl. Misc._, i. 415. Skelton died in 1529, and according to the generally received accounts, tobacco was not introduced into this country till 1565, or thereabouts; so the lines cannot be Skelton's. They are part of an introduction to the tale of _Eleanor Rummin_. Is the author known? ERICA. Warwick. * * * * * "SHAKSPEARE IN THE SHADES:" A BALLAD.