130 POISONOUS PLANTS 



some two or three savage men were brought in, 

 together with this savage custom, but the pitye is, 

 the poore wild barbarous died, but that the vile 

 barbarous custom is yet aHve, yea, in fresh vigour. 

 Surely smoke becomes a kitchen farre better 

 than a dining chamber, and yet it makes a 

 kitchen oftentimes in the inward parts of men, 

 soyling and infecting them with an unctuous and 

 oyly kind of soote, as hath been found in some 

 great tobacco takers that after their death were 

 opened." 



With all his earnest and sincere attempts to 

 stop smoking, King James does not appear to have 

 succeeded. 



Mr. Burnett wrote that it is supposed that the 

 "juice of cursed hebenon," by which, according to 

 Shakespeare, the King of Denmark was poisoned, 

 was the essential oil of tobacco : — 



" Sleeping within mine orchard, 

 My custom always of the afternoon, 

 Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, 

 With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, 

 And in the porches of mine ear did pour 

 The leperous distilment." 



According to Gerarde, tobacco was called " Hen- 

 bane of Peru," and no preparation of real henbane 

 (supposed to be meant by " hebenon ") would 

 produce death ; but the essential oil of tobacco 

 might do so. 



