MONARCHS AND TOBACCO 



threw a bucket of water over his master when the latter was 

 smoking a pipe, is not supported by much evidence, but it 

 seems to be probable that Sir Walter did smoke his pipe on 

 the way to the scaffold. 



At any rate it was cultivated in Europe by the year 1570, 

 and Spenser speaks of the " soveraine Weed, divine Tobacco." 



From the first it was detested by all governments and 

 authorities. James I published a very intemperate Counter- 

 blaste against Tobacco. It was prohibited by the Czar of 

 Russia in 1635, and by the King of France. The great 

 Sultan Jehanghir in India, Sultan Amurath II in Turkey, 

 Shah Abbas the Great in Persia, and the Emperor Kang 

 Ching in China, all prohibited the use of tobacco in their 

 respective dominions. 



Yet none of these great rulers were able to check its 

 progress. The " Herb of Amiability," or the " Queen Herb 

 of the rude Barbarian " as it is described in Chinese, prevails 

 almost over the whole earth. There is scarcely a people or 

 tribe in existence which does not use it. 



But almost everywhere it is either heavily taxed or a 

 Government monopoly ; in the latter case it is always ^ 

 exceedingly bad. We ourselves import tobacco worth about 

 £4,500,000 in the year, and pay a heavy duty. The 

 world probably smokes from 1,800,000,000 to 2,000,000,000 

 pounds of tobacco every year. 



The plant is a very pretty one, with large leaves and long 

 pinky or white flowers, which are open and strongly scented 

 at night. It is an annual, and is not at all difficult to culti- 

 vate. There is an impression in this country that it is a 

 tropical plant, but by far the greatest amount of our 

 tobacco comes from temperate countries. Large quantities 

 are grown in Germany, in Hungary, and in other parts of 



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