STRAY LEAVES FROM THE WEED 155 



lection of Witty Apothegms. Things that before were ob- 

 scure to mental vision are here illuminated with a new 

 radiance ; it is made clear to us that ' tobacco was the lively 

 image and pattern of hell, for that it had, by illusion, in it 

 all the parts and vices of the world whereby hell may be 

 gained — to wit, first : It is a smoke ; so are the vanities of 

 this world. Secondly : It dehghteth them that take it ; so 

 do the pleasures of the world delight the men of the world. 

 Thirdly : It maketh men drunken and light in the head ; 

 so do the vanities of the world, men are drunken wherewith. 

 Fourthly : He that taketh tobacco saith he cannot leave it, 

 it doth bewitch kirn / . . . And, further, besides all this, 

 it is like hell in the very substance of it, for it is a stinking, 

 loathsome thing, and so is hell.' But James had his 

 moments of gaiety; he could jest over the arch enemy, and 

 it would be most unfair to his memory to pass by any play- 

 ful attempt at jocularity that for an instant flickered over his 

 dreary brain. In the treasury of wisdom already mentioned, 

 we are told that his Majesty once remarked that ' if he were 

 to invite the devil to dinner he should have three dishes : 

 I. A pig ; 2. A pole of ling and mustard; and (3) a pipe 

 of tobacco for digesture.' 



There is a passage in the Counterhlaste which seems to 

 point directly to Raleigh ; it runs as follows : ' Now the 

 corrupt baseness of the use of this tobacco doeth very well 

 agree with the foolish and groundless first entry thereof 

 into this kingdom. It is not so long since the first entry 

 of this abuse amongst us here, as this present age can very 

 well remember both the first author and the form of the first 

 introduction of it amongst us. It was neither brought in 

 by king, great conqueror, nor learned doctor of physick. 

 With the report of a great discovery for a conquest, some 

 two or three savage men were brought in, together with this 



