28 THE PHILOSOPHY OF SMOKING. 



CARLYLE ON TOBACCO. 



"TOBACCO smoke," says Carlyle, "is 

 the one element in which, by our Euro- 

 pean manners, men can sit silent together 

 without embarrassment, and where no 

 man is bound to speak one word more 

 than he has actually and veritably got to 

 say. Nay, rather every man is admon- 

 ished and enjoined by the laws of honor, 

 and even of personal ease, to stop short 

 of that point ; and at all events to hold 

 his peace and take to his pipe again the 

 instant he has spoken his meaning, if he 

 chance to have any. The results of which 

 salutary practice, if introduced into con- 

 stitutional parliaments, might evidently 

 be incalculable. The essence of what 

 little intellect and insight there is in that 

 room we shall or can get nothing more 

 out of any parliament ; and sedative, 

 gently soothing, gently clarifying, tobacco 

 smoke (if the room were well ventilated, 



