Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and CommerceBillings, E. R.
History
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce
Billings, E. R.
Tobacco -- History; Tobacco industry -- History; Tobacco use
"The Spaniards call it Tobaco, it were better to call it
Nicotiana, after the name of the Lord who first sent it into
France, to the end that we may give him the honor which he
hath deserved of us, for having furnished our land with so
rare and singular an herbe: and thus much for the name, now
listen unto the whole historie: Master John Nicot, one of
the king's counsell, being ambassador for his Maiestie
(Majesty) in the realme of Portiugall, in the yeere of our
Lord God, 1559. 60. and 61. went on a day to see the
monuments and northie places of the said king of Portiugall:
at which time a gentleman keeper of the said monuments
presented him with this herbe as a strange plant brought
from Florida. The nobleman Sir Nicot having procured it to
growe in his garden, where it had put forth and multiplied
very greatly, was aduertifed (notified) on a daie by one of
his pages, that a yoong boie kinsman of the said page, had
laide (for triall sake) the said herbe, pressed, the
substance and juice and altogether, upon an ulcer which he
had upon his cheeke, neere unto his nose, next neighbor to a
_Noli me tangere_, (a cancer) as having already seazed upon
the cartilages, and that by the use thereof it was become
marvellous well: upon this occasion the nobleman Nicot
called the boie to him, and making him to continue the
applying of this herbe for eight or ten days, the _Noli me
tangere_ became thoroughly kild: nowe they had sent
oftetimes unto one of the king's most famous phisitions, the
said boie during the time of this worke and operation to
make and see the proceeding and working of the said
Nicotiana, and having in charge to do the same until the end
of ten days, the said phisition then beholding him, assured
him that the _Noli me tangere_ was dead, as indeed the boie
never felt anything of it at any time afterward.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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