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
"But your Majesty will soon see that I fail not. First,
madam, I place this empty pipe in the scales, and I find
that it weighs exactly 2 ounces. I now fill it with tobacco,
and the weight is increased to 2-1/10th ounce. I must now
ask your Majesty to allow me to smoke the pipe out. I shall
then turn out the ashes, and place them together with the
pipe in the scale once more. The difference between the
weight of the pipe with the unsmoked tobacco, and weight of
the pipe with the ashes, will be the weight of the smoke."
"You are too clever for us, Sir Walter. We shall expect you
to-night at supper, and if the conversation grow dull, you
shall tell our courtiers the story of the pipe."
Many other anecdotes have been told of the adventures of Raleigh with
his pipe. One is that while taking a quiet smoke his servant entered
and becoming alarmed on seeing the smoke coming from his nose threw a
mug of ale in his face.
The same anecdote is also related of others including Tarlton. He
gives an account of it in his Jests 1611. It is told in this manner:
"Tarlton as other gentlemen used, at the first coming up of
tobacco, did take it more for fashion's sake than otherwise,
and being in a roome, sat betweene two men overcome with
wine, and they never seeing the like, wondered at it, and
seeing the vapour come out of Tarlton's nose, cryed out,
'Fire, fire!' and threw a cup of wine in Tarlton's face.
'Make no more stirre,' quoth Tarlton, 'the fire is quenched;
if the sheriffs come, it will turne a fine as the custom
is.' And drinking that againe, 'Fie,' says the other: 'what
a stinke it makes. I am almost poysoned.' 'If it offend,'
quoth Tarlton, 'let's every one take a little of the smell,
and so the savor, will quickly go;' but tobacco whiffes made
them leave him to pay all."
Rich gives the following account of a similar scene:--
"I remember a pretty jest of tobacco which was this: A
certain Welchman coming newly to London, and beholding one
to take tobacco, never seeing the like before, and not
knowing the manner of it, but perceiving him vent smoke so
fast, and supposing his inward parts to be on fire, cried
out, 'O Jhesu, Jhesu man, for the passion of Cod hold, for
by Cod's splud ty snowt's on fire,' and having a bowle of
beere in his hand, threw it at the other's face, to quench
his smoking nose."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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