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
He speaks of the countries in which the plant grows, and prefers the
tobacco grown in the New World as being superior to that grown in the
Old. In his opinion, "only that which is fostered in the Indies, and
brought home by Mariners and Traffiquers, is to be used." But not
alone were Poets and Dramatists inspired to sing in praise or
dispraise of tobacco, Physicians and others helped to swell in
broadsides, pamphlets and chap-books, the loudest praises or the most
bitter denunciation of the weed. Taylor, the water poet, who lost his
occupation as bargeman when the coach came into use, thought that the
devil brought tobacco into England in a coach. One of the first tracts
wholly devoted to tobacco is entitled Nash's "Lenten Stuffe." The work
is dedicated to Humphrey King, a tobacconist, and is full of curious
sayings in regard to the plant. Another work, entitled "Metamorphosis
of Tobacco," and supposed to have been written by Beaumont, made its
appearance about this time. Samuel Rowlands, the dramatist, wrote two
works on tobacco; the first is entitled "Look to it, for I'll Stabbe
Ye," written in 1604; the other volume is a small quarto, bearing this
singular title: "A whole crew of Kind Gossips, all met to be Merry."
This is a satire on the time and manners of the period, and is written
in a coarse style worthy of the author. In 1605 there appeared a
little volume bearing for its title, "Laugh and Lie Down, or the
World's Folly." This work describes the fops and men of fashion of its
time, and shows how popular the custom of tobacco taking had become.
In 1609, in "The Gull's Horne Book," a gallant is described as
follows:
"Before the meate comes smoaking to the board our Gallant
must draw out his tobacco box, the ladle for the cold snuff
into his nostrils, the tongs and the priming iron. All this
artillery may be of gold or silver, if he can reach to the
price of it; it will be a reasonable, useful pawn at all
times when the current of his money falles out to rune low.
And here you must observe to know in what state tobacco is
in town, better than the merchants, and to discourse of the
potecaries where it is to be sold as readily as the potecary
himself."
One of the severest tirades against tobacco appeared in 1612, "The
Curtain Drawer of the World." In speaking of the users of the weed,
and especially noblemen, he says:
"Then noblemen's chimneys used to smoke, and not their
noses; Englishmen without were not Blackamoores within, for
then Tobacco was an Indian, unpickt and unpiped,--now made
the common ivy-bush of luxury, the curtaine of dishonesty,
the proclaimer of vanity, the drunken colourer of Drabby
solacy."
In the "Soule's Solace, or Thirty-and-One Spiritual Emblems," by
Thomas Jenner, occurs the following verses:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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