2»* S. N» 50., Dec. 13. '66.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



471 



and thus the student of Swedenborg may have an 

 opportunity of judging for himself, from internal 

 evidence, respecting Mr. Barry's idea. 



I may state, that in the Life of the excellent 

 Mr. Clowes, the Rector of St. J6hn's, Manchester, 

 and the chief translator of Swedenborg's theolo- 

 gical works, we are told, that before meeting with 

 those works he had read various mystic authors, 

 and among them Mrs. Lead is particularised. 

 Mr. Clowes, nevertheless, fully received Sweden- 

 borg's own account of his writings. (See pre- 

 face to the translation of the Arcaiia Ccelestia.) 



A. RorrE. 



SONGS ON TOBACCO. 



(2"'J S. i. passim; ii. 95. 332.) 



The hymns in praise of " the weed " having 

 pleasantly occupied so many of your columns, 

 perhaps the following from Helps's Spanish Con- 

 quest in America (vol. iv. p. 119.) may not be un- 

 worthy of a niche there : — 



" It is interesting to observe the way in which, at this 

 point of the narrative, a new product is introduced to the 

 notice of the Old World — a product that was hereafter to 

 become, not only an unfailing source of pleasure to a large 

 section of the male part of mankind, from the highest to the 

 lowest, but was also to distinguish itself as one of those 

 con\mo<lities for revenue, which are the delight of states- 

 men, the great financial resource of modern nations, and 

 Avliich afford a means of indirect taxation that has per- 

 haps nourished many a war, and prevented many a revo- 

 lution. Two discoverers Avhom the admiral had sent out 

 from the Puerto do Mazes . . . found that the men of 

 the country they came to investigate indulged in a ' fumi- 

 gation ' of a peculiar kind. The smoke in question was 

 absorbed into the mouth through a charred stick, and 

 was caused by burning certain herbs wrapped in a dry 

 leaf, which outer covering was called 'tabaco.' Las 

 Casas, who carefully describes this process of imbibing 

 smoke, mentions that the Indians, when questioned about 

 it, said that it took away fatigue, and that he has known 

 Spaniards in the island of Hispaniola, who adopted the 

 same habit, and who, being reproved for it as a vice, re- 

 plied that it was not in their power to leave it off. ' I do 

 not know,' he adds, ' what savour or profit they found in 

 them ' (^tabacos). I cannot help thinking that there were 

 several periods in his own life when these strange fumi- 

 gations would have afforded him singular soothing and 

 comfort. However that may be, there can be no doubt 

 of the importance, financially and commercially speaking, 

 of this discovery of tobacco, as a discovery which in the 

 end proved more productive to the Spanish Crown than 

 that of the gold-mines of the Indies." 



Dblta. 



The clever Pipe of Tobacco in imitation of Six 

 several Authors^ hy Isaac Hawkins Browne, Esq., 

 was first (?) published in the form of an 8vo. 

 pamphlet in 1736. 



of an interview with the spirit of a deceased female friend, 

 and the accompanying reflections (^Wonders of God's 

 Creation), as really very beautiful. 



A very complete and copious Nicotian biblio- 

 graphy (in which, however, Browne's brochure is 

 not included), extending to some 130 articles in 

 various languages, will be found appended to a 

 work entitled : 



" On the History and Properties Chemical and Medical 

 of Tobacco, a Probationary Essay Presented to the Faculty 

 of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow, by Henry Wilson 

 Cleland, M.D,, Lecturer on Medical Jurisprudence in the 

 Scliool of Medicine, Portland Street (a candidate for ad- 

 mission into that body), &c. 4to. Glasgow. July, 

 1840," pp. 68. 



I have been particular in giving the full title of 

 this work (penes me), partly on account of its 

 rarity (not having been printed for sale), partly 

 because, among an extensive collection of works 

 on tobacco (which would enable me greatly to 

 extend the list I have alluded to) it is the most 

 interesting and valuable dissertation which I pos- 

 sess, — or, indeed, have seen. William Bates. 



Birmingham. 



An ancestor of mine, who lived in the seven- 

 teenth century, wrote a quaint poem on the use of 

 tobacco, the MS. of which I have, and also a 

 printed copy, bearing this undermentioned title : 



" A Looking-Glass for Smoakers, or the Dangers of the 

 needless or intemperate Use of Tobacco; collected from 

 the Author's nine years' experiences and thirty j'ears' 

 observation after he came to Manhood. In which the 

 lawful use is approved, the abuse of it reproved ; directions 

 to them that have a mind to leave it, and cautions to 

 them that never took it. A Poem, by Lawrence Spooner. 

 London : printed for A. Baldwin, Warwick Lane, 1703." 



The poem extends to more than a thousand 

 lines, to which are appended two songs on the 

 same theme. As a specimen I will extract the 

 following expostulation to females : 



" And as this good advice I give to you, 

 So I would have you to be cleanly too ; 

 'Twill spoil the savour of your pleasant breath, 

 'Twill mar your beauty, make you look like death ; 

 'Twill rot your ivory teeth, or turn them brown, 

 And from your lovely heads 'twill take the crown." 



The author suffered much persecution and loss 

 of property during the time of Charles II. for 

 holding conventicles in his house. He died and 

 was buried at Curborow, near Sheffield. E. B. 



In reference to the old expression " Drink To- 

 bacco," as meaning " Smoke Tobacco," It is worthy 

 of remark that the Germans, at the present day, 

 not only inhale the smoke, but actually draw it 

 into the stomach, as they assert, and then discharge 

 it through the mouth and nostrils. I cannot say, 

 however, that I ever met with any one who pro- 

 fessed to be able to do this. To expel the smoke 

 through the nostrils merely is an easy matter 

 enough. Henry T. Riley. 



